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: $2,270 in Madrid versus $1,564 in Novelda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in Madrid versus $2,344 in Novelda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,434 in Madrid versus $3,124 in Novelda.

Living in Madrid is roughly 45% more expensive than Novelda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Novelda 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.71

$15.08 €12.99

13.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$57.1 €49.20

21.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.27

$10.31 €8.88

15.62%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.66

$2.16 €1.87

43.06%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.30 €1.98

34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.50 €1.29

40.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.57

$2.94 €2.53

40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.57 €3.08

28.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.13 €0.97

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.36 €1.17

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.59 €1.37

6.92%

Eggs

$3.48 €3.00

$2.91 €2.51

19.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 €12.69

$11.71 €10.09

25.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €7.82

$9.14 €7.88

-0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.44

$14.77 €12.73

13.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.66 €2.29

-1.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.83 €1.58

21.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.43 €1.23

75.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.25 €1.94

22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.83 €1.58

16.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.63 €1.40

30.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.17 €1.01

18.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.67 €0.58

44.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.75 €5.82

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$5.16 €4.45

55.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.17 €1.01

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.90 €1.64

18.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.70 €1.46

3.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €42.63

$33.89 €29.20

46.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.55

$1.64 €1.41

150.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.25 €1.08

11.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 €25.00

$17.35 €14.95

67.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.81 €1.56

3.31%

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

$37.6K €32.4K

$34.3K €29.5K

9.73%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$30.3K €26.1K

12.60%

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

$195 €168

$127 €110

53.08%

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

$21.25 €18.31

$13.26 €11.42

60.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 €30.80

$31.75 €27.36

12.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €45.47

$47.41 €40.85

11.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 €15.44

$15.23 €13.12

17.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 €10.09

$9.39 €8.09

24.81%

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

$680 €586

$587 €505

15.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$10.6K €9,166

15.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €82.6

$71.8 €61.9

33.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €36.62

$30.68 €26.44

38.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$101 €86.9

5.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$107 €92.0

27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,386

$842 €726

90.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 €980

$690 €595

64.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 €2,405

$1,325 €1,142

110.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,650

$1,011 €871

89.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,893 €7,662

$3,391 €2,921

162.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,347 €3,745

$2,282 €1,966

90.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.44

-0.29%

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

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Last update for Novelda: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Madrid and $842 in Novelda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $57.0 in Novelda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $251 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 45% 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 $3,406 in Madrid and $2,346 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: $1,609 in Madrid versus $842 in Novelda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% 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 $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,564 in Novelda versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $2,000 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 $1,564 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 45% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.