Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Novelda Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Novelda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,376 in Madrid versus $1,700 in Novelda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in Madrid versus $2,513 in Novelda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,482 in Madrid versus $3,327 in Novelda.

Living in Madrid is roughly 40% more expensive than in Novelda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 74% above, Novelda 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 €15.76

$17.55 €15.27

3.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.0

$57.3 €49.86

22.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.37

$11.65 €10.14

2.32%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.73

$2.30 €2.00

36.52%

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

$3.24 €2.82

$2.07 €1.81

56.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.45 €1.26

59.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.60

$3.15 €2.74

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 €4.61

$3.44 €3.00

54.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.16 €1.01

21.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.45 €1.26

11.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.53 €1.33

16.99%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.69

$3.31 €2.88

28.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.25 €15.01

$16.34 €14.22

5.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 €8.52

$9.67 €8.42

1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 €15.82

$17.00 €14.80

6.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.98 €2.59

-12.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.94 €1.69

21.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$1.52 €1.32

73.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.34

$2.80 €2.43

-3.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.01 €1.75

11.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.98 €1.72

12.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.24 €1.08

25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.69 €0.60

60.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.99

$6.50 €5.66

5.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 €6.92

$5.84 €5.08

36.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.24 €1.08

-2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.02

$1.78 €1.55

30.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.65 €1.43

3.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.76 €32.86

$34.54 €30.07

9.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 €3.35

$3.19 €2.78

20.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.38 €1.20

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.11 €27.08

$17.68 €15.39

75.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.78 €1.55

1.69%

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

$36.5K €31.7K

$36.2K €31.5K

0.64%

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

$34.0K €29.6K

$30.1K €26.2K

12.84%

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

$196 €171

$134 €117

46.04%

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

$18.80 €16.36

$16.79 €14.61

11.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.32 €30.74

$31.65 €27.54

11.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 €44.11

$46.60 €40.56

8.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.91 €17.33

$16.73 €14.56

19.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.68 €10.16

$9.86 €8.59

18.46%

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

$715 €623

$415 €361

72.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €15.9K

$7,359 €6,405

147.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €76.6

$76.5 €66.6

14.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 €38.33

$37.43 €32.58

17.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.2

$107 €93.4

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.5

$109 €94.5

4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 €1,364

$935 €814

67.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,062

$695 €605

75.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 €2,455

$1,382 €1,203

104.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,629

$1,032 €898

81.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,963 €7,801

$3,489 €3,037

156.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,322 €3,762

$2,298 €2,000

88.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,568 €2,235

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

2.99

3.34%

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

Last update for Madrid: September 12, 2026

Last update for Novelda: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,567 in Madrid and $935 in Novelda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Madrid vs $57.0 in Novelda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $285 per month, with Novelda cheaper across the board.

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 Novelda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novelda wins on cost – living expenses run 40% 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 $3,564 in Madrid and $2,550 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: $1,567 in Madrid versus $935 in Novelda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 $57.0 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,700 in Novelda versus $2,376 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Novelda but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Novelda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Novelda delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,700 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Novelda hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Novelda 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 Novelda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.