Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Plasencia Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Plasencia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,498 in Plasencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,186 in Plasencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $2,875 in Plasencia.

Living in Madrid is roughly 53% more expensive than in Plasencia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Plasencia 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.16

$11.64 €10.18

48.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$45.88 €40.14

49.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.46

$10.40 €9.10

14.90%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$1.72 €1.50

80.23%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$2.08 €1.82

54.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.38 €1.21

55.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$2.38 €2.08

72.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$2.82 €2.47

61.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.58 €1.38

8.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.42 €1.24

21.13%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$2.12 €1.86

66.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.11

$13.86 €12.12

8.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.73

$8.33 €7.28

6.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.65

$18.15 €15.88

-7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.41 €1.23

84.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.70 €1.49

30.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.75 €1.53

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.67 €2.34

-0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.70 €1.49

21.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.05 €1.79

4.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.13 €0.99

18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.58 €0.51

70.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.11

$6.40 €5.60

9.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.80

$5.82 €5.09

33.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.31 €1.15

9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$1.06 €0.93

105.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.66 €1.46

7.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.68

$33.70 €29.48

44.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$2.32 €2.03

77.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.09 €0.96

27.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.93

$24.78 €21.68

15.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.83 €1.60

4.92%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$38.3K €33.5K

-1.56%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$28.8K €25.2K

18.57%

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

$193 €169

$107 €93.9

79.93%

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

$21.55 €18.86

$23.93 €20.94

-9.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.47

$36.68 €32.09

-1.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.10

$47.06 €41.17

11.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.44

$15.06 €13.18

17.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.01

$9.42 €8.24

21.44%

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

$669 €585

$382 €334

75.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$6,709 €5,870

77.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.8

$46.53 €40.71

103.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.46

$34.65 €30.31

23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$57.8 €50.6

81.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$68.8 €60.2

91.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,406

$866 €758

85.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,007

$700 €613

64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,483

$1,298 €1,136

118.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,644

$1,008 €882

86.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,907

$3,863 €3,379

133.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,729

$2,491 €2,179

71.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,156

$1,359 €1,189

81.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.51

-2.28%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Plasencia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $866 in Plasencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 81% 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 $46.00 in Plasencia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $258 per month, with Plasencia 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 Plasencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plasencia wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Plasencia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 81% 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 $866 in Plasencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Plasencia – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,498 in Plasencia versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Plasencia but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Plasencia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Plasencia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,498 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Plasencia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Plasencia 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 Plasencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.