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: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,713 in Nancy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,665 in Nancy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,616 in Nancy.

Living in Madrid is roughly 32% more expensive than Nancy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Nancy 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$17.35 €14.92

-1.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$62.6 €53.9

9.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$11.54 €9.93

1.65%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$3.35 €2.88

-8.66%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$2.75 €2.36

16.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.76 €1.51

23.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$6.36 €5.47

-38.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.01 €3.45

16.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$0.92 €0.79

30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.25 €1.07

34.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.86 €1.60

-9.14%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$3.21 €2.76

4.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$16.47 €14.16

-9.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$13.64 €11.73

-34.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$20.29 €17.46

-17.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.55 €2.19

7.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.84 €1.58

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$3.37 €2.90

-24.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.26 €1.94

17.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.50 €2.15

-14.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.63 €2.27

-20.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.18 €1.02

14.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.45 €0.38

115.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$12.96 €11.15

-47.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$9.44 €8.12

-13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.96 €1.69

-29.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$3.82 €3.28

-42.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.67 €1.44

5.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$48.41 €41.64

1.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$3.45 €2.97

16.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.02 €0.88

30.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$39.25 €33.76

-25.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.06 €1.77

-6.31%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$35.9K €30.9K

3.63%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$35.7K €30.7K

-3.76%

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

$195 €167

$258 €222

-24.67%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$23.02 €19.81

-5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$22.93 €19.73

54.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$29.52 €25.39

82.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$18.76 €16.14

-4.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$14.01 €12.05

-17.56%

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

$676 €582

$571 €491

18.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$11.7K €10.1K

3.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$107 €92.2

-12.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$39.29 €33.80

8.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$88.8 €76.4

19.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$130 €112

3.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$626 €539

150.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$530 €456

116.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$1,057 €909

167.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$972 €836

93.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$2,716 €2,336

234.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$2,312 €1,989

95.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$2,356 €2,026

11.47%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nancy: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $626 in Nancy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 11% 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 $294 vs $328, 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 32% 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.

Madrid pays 11% 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $626 in Nancy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 12% 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 $1,713 in Nancy versus $2,253 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 $1,713 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 32% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.