Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Nancy Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Nancy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,702 in Nancy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,608 in Nancy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,515 in Nancy.

Living in Madrid is roughly 35% more expensive than in Nancy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Nancy 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.16

$17.12 €14.98

1.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$63.4 €55.5

8.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.46

$11.67 €10.21

2.40%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$3.34 €2.92

-7.19%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$2.67 €2.34

20.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.72 €1.50

24.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$6.44 €5.63

-36.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$3.94 €3.44

15.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$0.97 €0.85

22.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.19 €1.05

43.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.86 €1.63

-7.53%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$3.14 €2.75

12.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.11

$16.34 €14.30

-8.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.73

$13.91 €12.17

-36.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.65

$20.63 €18.05

-18.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.57 €2.25

1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.89 €1.65

17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$3.51 €3.07

-30.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.26 €1.97

17.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.44 €2.13

-15.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.62 €2.29

-17.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.19 €1.04

12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.44 €0.39

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.11

$12.65 €11.06

-44.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.80

$9.29 €8.13

-16.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.95 €1.71

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$3.81 €3.33

-42.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.72 €1.50

3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.68

$48.50 €42.44

0.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$3.51 €3.07

17.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$0.99 €0.86

40.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.93

$38.66 €33.82

-26.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.00 €1.75

-4.00%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$36.2K €31.6K

4.13%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$36.3K €31.7K

-5.93%

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

$193 €169

$260 €227

-25.69%

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

$21.55 €18.86

$23.07 €20.19

-6.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.47

$23.15 €20.26

55.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.10

$29.47 €25.79

78.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.44

$18.69 €16.35

-5.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.01

$14.15 €12.38

-19.15%

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

$669 €585

$568 €497

17.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$11.8K €10.3K

0.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.8

$108 €94.5

-12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.46

$38.42 €33.62

11.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$89.3 €78.1

17.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$128 €112

3.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,406

$630 €551

155.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,007

$515 €451

123.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,483

$1,045 €914

171.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,644

$963 €843

95.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,907

$2,670 €2,336

238.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,729

$2,264 €1,980

88.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,156

$2,300 €2,012

7.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.62

-5.25%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Nancy: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $630 in Nancy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 7% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $63.0 in Nancy. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $330, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

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 Nancy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nancy wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nancy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,607 in Madrid versus $630 in Nancy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Nancy – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,702 in Nancy versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nancy but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Nancy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nancy delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,702 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nancy hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Nancy 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 Nancy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.