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: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,872 in Pamplona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,694 in Pamplona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,515 in Pamplona.

Living in Madrid is roughly 20% more expensive than Pamplona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Pamplona 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$17.33 €14.91

-1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$57.9 €49.82

18.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$10.62 €9.13

10.45%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$2.37 €2.04

29.11%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$1.87 €1.61

71.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.29 €1.11

68.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.39 €2.92

16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$3.43 €2.95

36.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.14 €0.98

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.07 €0.92

57.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.41 €1.21

19.86%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$2.68 €2.30

24.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$16.01 €13.77

-6.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$7.07 €6.08

26.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$14.41 €12.40

16.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.53 €2.18

7.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.16 €1.86

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.72 €1.48

47.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.35 €2.02

12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.50 €1.29

43.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.32 €1.14

59.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.02 €0.88

32.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.68 €0.58

42.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$6.46 €5.56

5.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$5.76 €4.95

41.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.20 €1.03

15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.30 €1.98

-4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.76 €1.51

0.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$37.18 €31.98

31.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$3.46 €2.98

15.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.89 €0.76

49.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$24.20 €20.82

20.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.84 €1.59

4.89%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$39.3K €33.8K

-5.35%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$28.1K €24.2K

22.14%

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

$195 €167

$153 €132

27.27%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$22.48 €19.34

-3.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$31.26 €26.89

13.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$39.75 €34.19

35.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$13.37 €11.50

34.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$9.63 €8.28

19.94%

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

$676 €582

$258 €222

162.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$5,687 €4,892

113.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$86.1 €74.0

9.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$38.03 €32.71

12.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$82.8 €71.3

27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$117 €101

14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$1,017 €875

53.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$942 €810

22.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$1,532 €1,318

84.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$1,287 €1,107

46.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$3,782 €3,253

140.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$3,116 €2,681

44.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$2,206 €1,897

19.06%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pamplona: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $1,017 in Pamplona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 19% 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 $294 vs $251 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 20% 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.

Madrid pays 19% more on average, 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $1,017 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 $1,872 in Pamplona versus $2,253 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 $1,872 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 20% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.