Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Motril

For one person, living is cheaper in Motril: $1,480 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Motril
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Motril Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Motril

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Motril

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madrid and in Motril actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,480 in Motril.

Madrid $2,304
Motril $1,480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,218 in Motril.

Madrid $3,389
Motril $2,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $2,955 in Motril.

Madrid $4,475
Motril $2,955

Living in Madrid is roughly 56% more expensive than in Motril, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Motril 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.88

$16.71 €14.97

6.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$56.4 €50.5

18.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.12

$6.69 €5.99

68.91%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.72

$2.07 €1.85

46.86%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$2.75 €2.46

22.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.10 €0.99

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$4.62 €4.14

-15.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$5.69 €5.10

-15.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.15 €1.03

14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.83 €1.64

-10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.43 €1.28

20.28%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$4.02 €3.60

4.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.24

$13.49 €12.08

17.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.38

$4.36 €3.91

114.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.41

$16.24 €14.54

5.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.18 €1.95

17.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.27 €2.03

-7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$2.28 €2.04

11.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.86 €2.56

-9.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.77 €1.59

30.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.77 €2.48

-21.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.64 €1.47

-8.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.74 €0.66

44.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$6.79 €6.08

-3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$9.14 €8.18

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.53 €1.37

-20.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.25 €2.02

-3.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.65 €1.48

1.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.61

$32.16 €28.80

16.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$2.00 €1.79

88.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.14 €1.02

30.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.02

$22.86 €20.47

31.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.75 €1.57

5.71%

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

$33.9K €30.3K

$25.9K €23.2K

30.98%

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

$33.3K €29.8K

$31.1K €27.9K

7.05%

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

$192 €172

$79.3 €71.0

141.62%

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

$17.66 €15.81

$15.89 €14.23

11.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.41

$22.80 €20.42

53.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.34

$49.89 €44.68

-5.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.32

$15.54 €13.91

17.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.11

$6.75 €6.05

67.26%

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

$687 €615

$252 €225

173.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$13.4K €12.0K

34.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.5

$33.82 €30.29

155.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.30

$28.08 €25.15

48.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$79.9 €71.6

35.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100.0

$45.51 €40.76

145.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$887 €794

70.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,083

$672 €602

79.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,534

$1,366 €1,223

107.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,795

$1,016 €910

97.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,062

$3,261 €2,920

176.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,218

$2,245 €2,011

109.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,197

$1,707 €1,529

43.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

4.67%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Motril: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Motril

$672 45.4% 44.4% $537

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Motril

$267 18.1% 12.1% $37

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Motril

$229 15.4% 13.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Motril

$118 8% 51.7% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Motril

$84 5.7% 46.2% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Motril

$63 4.3% 9.2% $6.4

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Motril

$46 3.1% 16.2% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $887 in Motril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 44% 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: $67 in Madrid vs $56 in Motril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $267 per month, with Motril cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Motril

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

58,939

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 36% 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 44% 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $887 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 $56 versus $67 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Motril are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Motril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.