Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Novelda

For one person, living is cheaper in Novelda: $1,617 a month against $2,326 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Novelda
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Novelda Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,326

/mo nomad

Novelda

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Novelda

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 Novelda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,326 in Madrid versus $1,617 in Novelda.

Madrid $2,326
Novelda $1,617

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,414 in Madrid versus $2,423 in Novelda.

Madrid $3,414
Novelda $2,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Madrid versus $3,228 in Novelda.

Madrid $4,502
Novelda $3,228

Living in Madrid is roughly 44% more expensive than in Novelda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Novelda 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.67 €16.59

$16.85 €14.97

10.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.0

$56.6 €50.2

19.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 €11.05

$11.23 €9.98

10.77%

Cappuccino

$3.20 €2.84

$2.25 €2.00

42.22%

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

$3.29 €2.92

$2.05 €1.82

60.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.08

$1.39 €1.23

69.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$3.03 €2.69

27.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.19

$3.40 €3.02

38.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.15 €1.02

20.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.39 €1.24

17.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.54 €1.37

9.74%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.59

$3.34 €2.97

20.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.48 €14.64

$15.40 €13.68

7.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 €8.14

$9.38 €8.33

-2.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 €15.34

$16.83 €14.95

2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.77 €2.46

-9.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.81 €1.60

19.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.60 €1.42

57.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.76 €2.45

-10.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.92 €1.71

20.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$1.88 €1.67

9.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.18 €1.05

26.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.66 €0.59

59.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €6.09

$6.52 €5.79

5.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 €6.93

$5.72 €5.08

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.16 €1.03

4.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.70 €1.51

31.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.52

$1.51 €1.34

13.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.26 €33.10

$29.81 €26.48

24.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 €2.85

$2.39 €2.12

34.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.31 €1.16

22.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.80 €27.36

$25.34 €22.51

21.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.61

$1.83 €1.63

-0.55%

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

$33.2K €29.5K

$31.7K €28.2K

4.64%

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

$32.3K €28.7K

$31.4K €27.9K

2.89%

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

$182 €161

$130 €115

40.24%

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

$17.24 €15.31

$15.83 €14.06

8.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.81 €30.92

$29.50 €26.21

18.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.26 €41.98

$45.45 €40.37

3.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 €16.26

$16.79 €14.92

8.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 €9.93

$8.20 €7.28

36.34%

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

$696 €619

$396 €352

75.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K €15.9K

$11.0K €9,741

63.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.4

$71.6 €63.6

20.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.09 €38.28

$35.19 €31.26

22.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.5

$103 €91.1

6.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.2

$106 €93.8

5.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 €1,354

$921 €818

65.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 €1,092

$686 €609

79.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,815 €2,501

$1,324 €1,176

112.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,788

$1,076 €956

87.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,105 €8,088

$3,364 €2,989

170.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,699 €4,174

$2,266 €2,013

107.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,487 €2,209

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

2.99

5.35%

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

Last update for Madrid: November 1, 2026

Last update for Novelda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.9%

Novelda

$686 42.4% 44.2% $543

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.1%

Novelda

$276 17.1% 9.2% $28

Eating Out

Madrid

$276 11.9%

Novelda

$231 14.3% 16.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$234 10.1%

Novelda

$175 10.8% 25.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$158 6.8%

Novelda

$142 8.8% 10.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Novelda

$62 3.8% 11.1% $7.8

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Novelda

$45 2.8% 19.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,525 in Madrid and $921 in Novelda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Madrid vs $57 in Novelda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $276 per month, with Novelda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Novelda

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

25,771

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Madrid vs Novelda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novelda wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Novelda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,489 in Madrid and $2,425 in Novelda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,525 in Madrid versus $921 in Novelda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Novelda – a meal for two runs $57 versus $68 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Novelda gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Novelda are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Novelda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.