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: $2,273 in Madrid versus $1,432 in Motril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,089 in Motril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Madrid versus $2,746 in Motril.

Living in Madrid is roughly 59% more expensive than Motril, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 70% above, Motril 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.10

$13.95 €11.94

26.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.3

$46.13 €39.49

52.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 €9.98

$6.82 €5.84

70.97%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.65

$2.12 €1.81

46.23%

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

$3.06 €2.62

$2.06 €1.76

48.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.13 €0.97

85.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 €3.48

$2.37 €2.03

71.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €3.87

$3.55 €3.04

27.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.14 €0.97

9.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.57 €1.34

7.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.77 €1.52

-6.78%

Eggs

$3.35 €2.87

$3.42 €2.93

-2.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.57 €12.47

$14.21 €12.16

2.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €7.80

$4.66 €3.99

95.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.67 €14.27

$18.14 €15.52

-8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$2.34 €2.00

13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.89

$2.08 €1.78

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.11

$1.81 €1.55

36.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.32

$2.74 €2.35

-1.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.77 €1.52

19.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.83

$2.12 €1.82

0.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.45 €1.24

-2.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.83

$0.57 €0.49

70.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 €6.06

$6.55 €5.60

8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 €6.95

$6.19 €5.30

31.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.36 €1.17

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.92

$2.36 €2.02

-4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.66 €1.42

7.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.86 €41.82

$33.74 €28.88

44.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.56

$2.12 €1.82

96.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.02 €0.88

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.62 €24.50

$23.12 €19.79

23.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.81 €1.55

3.87%

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

$38.3K €32.8K

$27.0K €23.1K

42.01%

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

$34.4K €29.4K

$31.4K €26.9K

9.53%

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

$192 €164

$81.3 €69.6

136.31%

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

$21.59 €18.48

$16.30 €13.95

32.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.26 €30.19

$22.93 €19.63

53.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €45.71

$46.81 €40.07

14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.72 €15.17

$14.84 €12.70

19.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 €10.08

$6.77 €5.80

74.00%

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

$674 €577

$250 €214

169.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.5K

$6,608 €5,656

84.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €81.9

$34.09 €29.18

180.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 €35.61

$28.37 €24.29

46.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.4

$80.4 €68.8

29.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €114

$45.47 €38.92

192.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 €1,365

$864 €740

84.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 €949

$708 €606

56.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,858 €2,446

$1,311 €1,123

117.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 €1,618

$1,019 €872

85.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,394 €8,042

$3,457 €2,959

171.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,583 €3,923

$2,307 €1,975

98.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,602 €2,227

$1,760 €1,507

47.85%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Motril: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Madrid and $864 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 $46.00 in Motril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $260 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 59% 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.

Madrid pays 48% more on average, 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: $1,595 in Madrid versus $864 in Motril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% 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 $46.00 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,432 in Motril versus $2,273 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 $1,432 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 59% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.