Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Pamplona Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Pamplona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,902 in Pamplona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,713 in Pamplona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,524 in Pamplona.

Living in Madrid is roughly 21% more expensive than in Pamplona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Pamplona 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.14

$17.66 €15.43

-1.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.0

$58.2 €50.8

18.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.44

$10.31 €9.01

15.91%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.43 €2.12

27.57%

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

$3.21 €2.80

$1.82 €1.59

76.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.33 €1.16

60.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$3.55 €3.10

15.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$3.52 €3.07

29.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.15 €1.00

3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.06 €0.93

61.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.35 €1.18

27.41%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.07

$2.69 €2.35

30.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.09

$15.65 €13.67

-4.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.72

$7.14 €6.24

23.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.63

$14.70 €12.84

13.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.53 €2.21

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.17 €1.89

2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.72 €1.50

42.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.27 €1.98

16.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.51 €1.32

37.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.37 €1.20

56.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$0.95 €0.83

41.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.66 €0.58

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.10

$6.22 €5.44

12.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.79

$5.62 €4.91

38.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.20 €1.05

19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.90

$2.26 €1.97

-3.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.77 €1.55

0.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.62

$35.99 €31.45

35.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.60

$3.41 €2.98

20.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.21

$0.95 €0.83

46.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.90

$23.46 €20.50

21.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.76 €1.54

9.09%

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

$37.7K €32.9K

$38.1K €33.3K

-1.18%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$27.6K €24.1K

23.52%

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

$193 €169

$158 €138

22.48%

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

$21.55 €18.83

$22.54 €19.69

-4.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.42

$32.27 €28.19

11.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.04

$40.22 €35.14

31.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.42

$13.25 €11.58

33.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.00

$9.94 €8.69

15.09%

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

$669 €584

$264 €231

153.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$5,837 €5,099

103.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.7

$87.4 €76.3

8.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.41

$36.72 €32.08

16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.6

$82.0 €71.7

27.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$115 €100

14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,404

$1,038 €907

54.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,006

$921 €804

25.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,480

$1,529 €1,336

85.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,642

$1,317 €1,150

42.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,896

$3,691 €3,225

144.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,724

$3,036 €2,652

40.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,153

$2,125 €1,857

15.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.5

-2.00%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Pamplona: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $1,038 in Pamplona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 16% 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 $58.0 in Pamplona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $250 per month, with Pamplona 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 Pamplona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pamplona wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pamplona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $1,607 in Madrid versus $1,038 in Pamplona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pamplona – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,902 in Pamplona versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pamplona but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Pamplona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pamplona delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,902 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pamplona hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Pamplona 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 Pamplona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.