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: $2,376 in Madrid versus $1,747 in Nancy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in Madrid versus $2,798 in Nancy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,482 in Madrid versus $3,850 in Nancy.

Living in Madrid is roughly 36% more expensive than in Nancy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 74% above, Nancy 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 €15.79

$16.40 €14.30

10.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$69.1 €60.2

1.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.39

$13.95 €12.16

-14.55%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.74

$4.38 €3.82

-28.31%

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

$3.24 €2.82

$3.25 €2.83

-0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.10 €1.83

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.61

$8.33 €7.26

-50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 €4.62

$5.73 €4.99

-7.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.11 €0.96

27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.36 €1.19

18.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.86 €1.62

-3.76%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.69

$3.55 €3.10

19.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.25 €15.04

$15.25 €13.29

13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 €8.53

$17.27 €15.05

-43.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 €15.84

$23.77 €20.72

-23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.67 €2.33

-2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.61 €2.27

-9.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$2.29 €2.00

14.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.35

$3.69 €3.22

-27.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.37 €1.20

64.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$2.38 €2.07

-6.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.38 €1.20

13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.75 €0.65

48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €6.00

$13.98 €12.19

-50.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 €6.93

$8.70 €7.58

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.06

$2.18 €1.90

-44.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.02

$4.67 €4.07

-50.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.77 €1.54

-3.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.76 €32.91

$53.8 €46.89

-29.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 €3.35

$3.50 €3.05

9.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.10 €1.83

-24.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.11 €27.12

$28.20 €24.59

10.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$2.10 €1.83

-13.81%

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

$36.5K €31.8K

$36.0K €31.4K

1.17%

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

$34.0K €29.6K

$35.0K €30.5K

-3.05%

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

$196 €171

$279 €243

-29.69%

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

$18.80 €16.39

$13.56 €11.82

38.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.32 €30.79

$29.17 €25.42

21.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 €44.18

$28.60 €24.93

77.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.91 €17.36

$18.50 €16.12

7.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.68 €10.18

$13.72 €11.96

-14.87%

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

$715 €624

$572 €498

25.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €15.9K

$16.1K €14.0K

13.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €76.7

$95.7 €83.4

-8.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 €38.38

$41.86 €36.49

5.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.3

$106 €92.2

2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.7

$147 €128

-22.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 €1,366

$703 €613

122.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$479 €417

155.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 €2,458

$1,284 €1,119

119.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,631

$981 €856

90.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,963 €7,813

$2,642 €2,303

239.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,322 €3,767

$2,344 €2,043

84.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,568 €2,238

$2,346 €2,045

9.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.76

-17.82%

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

Last update for Madrid: September 12, 2026

Last update for Nancy: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,567 in Madrid and $703 in Nancy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 9% 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 $69.0 in Nancy. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $367, 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 36% 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 9% 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: $1,567 in Madrid versus $703 in Nancy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 16% 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 $69.0 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,747 in Nancy versus $2,376 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 $1,747 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 36% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.