Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Motril Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Motril

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,242 in Madrid versus $1,468 in Motril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,340 in Madrid versus $2,122 in Motril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,439 in Madrid versus $2,777 in Motril.

Living in Madrid is roughly 53% more expensive than in Motril, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Motril 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 €15.21

$13.80 €12.04

26.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.7

$46.73 €40.77

48.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.25

$6.88 €6.00

70.64%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.81

$2.10 €1.83

53.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.77

$2.11 €1.84

50.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.14 €1.00

84.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.49

$2.33 €2.03

71.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €3.94

$3.54 €3.09

27.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.18 €1.03

1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.41

$1.57 €1.37

3.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.77 €1.54

-2.26%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.95

$3.31 €2.88

2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.68 €12.81

$14.29 €12.46

2.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 €7.66

$4.67 €4.07

88.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.04 €14.86

$17.63 €15.38

-3.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.28

$2.30 €2.00

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.09 €1.83

1.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.25

$1.73 €1.51

49.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.30

$2.78 €2.43

-5.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.78 €1.55

16.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.10 €1.84

1.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.49 €1.30

-5.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.87

$0.61 €0.53

62.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €6.00

$6.31 €5.51

9.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.27

$5.89 €5.14

41.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.97

$2.25 €1.96

0.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.71 €1.49

-0.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.95 €43.58

$33.75 €29.45

48.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.63

$2.03 €1.77

104.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.06 €0.93

29.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.95 €25.26

$23.30 €20.33

24.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.82 €1.59

1.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.5K €32.7K

$26.8K €23.4K

39.70%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.4K €30.0K

$31.5K €27.5K

9.11%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$193 €168

$81.4 €71.1

136.83%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.04 €18.35

$16.51 €14.41

27.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.82 €31.26

$22.96 €20.03

56.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €46.56

$47.99 €41.87

11.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 €15.79

$15.28 €13.33

18.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.94

$6.98 €6.09

63.18%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$662 €578

$255 €222

159.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.5K

$6,556 €5,720

82.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 €82.4

$35.24 €30.75

167.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 €37.62

$29.28 €25.55

47.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €92.3

$82.4 €71.9

28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €116

$46.60 €40.66

184.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 €1,366

$867 €756

80.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 €999

$707 €617

61.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 €2,496

$1,313 €1,146

117.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,661

$990 €864

92.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,209 €8,035

$3,361 €2,933

173.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,376 €3,818

$2,219 €1,936

97.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,615 €2,281

$1,763 €1,538

48.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

14.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Madrid: June 14, 2026

Last update for Motril: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Madrid and $867 in Motril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Madrid vs $47.00 in Motril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $258 per month, with Motril cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Madrid vs Motril: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Motril wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Motril the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Madrid, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,565 in Madrid versus $867 in Motril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Motril – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,468 in Motril versus $2,242 in Madrid, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Motril but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Motril the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Motril delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,468 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Motril hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Motril are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Motril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.