Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Plasencia

For one person, living is cheaper in Plasencia: $1,519 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Plasencia
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Plasencia Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Plasencia

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Plasencia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madrid and in Plasencia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,519 in Plasencia.

Madrid $2,265
Plasencia $1,519

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Madrid versus $2,284 in Plasencia.

Madrid $3,311
Plasencia $2,284

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Madrid versus $3,048 in Plasencia.

Madrid $4,356
Plasencia $3,048

Living in Madrid is roughly 49% more expensive than in Plasencia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 67% above, Plasencia 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 €16.06

$13.27 €11.80

36.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$67.3 €59.8

-1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.14

$8.85 €7.87

28.81%

Cappuccino

$3.03 €2.69

$1.86 €1.65

62.90%

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

$3.25 €2.89

$2.03 €1.80

60.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.55 €1.38

49.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$3.04 €2.70

26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 €4.29

$3.28 €2.92

46.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.16 €1.03

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.66 €1.48

-3.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.52 €1.35

15.13%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$3.39 €3.01

19.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.54

$13.51 €12.02

20.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.55

$8.24 €7.33

16.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.50

$16.04 €14.27

8.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.41 €2.14

9.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.93

$2.00 €1.78

9.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.78 €1.58

40.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.61 €2.32

-0.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.80 €1.60

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.10 €1.87

-0.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.50 €1.34

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.73 €0.65

47.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 €5.96

$6.60 €5.87

1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.95

$5.92 €5.27

32.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.14 €1.01

7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.88 €1.67

19.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.39 €1.24

17.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.72 €33.56

$31.14 €27.70

21.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$1.72 €1.53

121.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.11 €0.99

34.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 €26.68

$14.72 €13.09

103.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.77 €1.57

1.13%

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

$33.7K €29.9K

$32.1K €28.5K

4.98%

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

$33.3K €29.6K

$30.7K €27.3K

8.47%

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

$190 €169

$118 €105

60.82%

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

$17.57 €15.63

$16.42 €14.60

7.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 €31.43

$32.18 €28.63

9.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 €44.04

$48.86 €43.46

1.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.20 €16.19

$15.30 €13.61

18.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.87

$8.02 €7.13

38.28%

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

$684 €609

$542 €482

26.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €16.2K

$8,047 €7,158

126.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €78.1

$89.4 €79.6

-1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €37.41

$39.74 €35.35

5.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.3

$93.6 €83.2

18.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,342

$1,020 €907

47.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 €1,034

$633 €563

83.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 €2,494

$1,410 €1,254

98.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,661

$934 €830

99.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,017 €8,021

$3,177 €2,826

183.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,294 €3,819

$1,877 €1,670

128.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,495 €2,219

$1,339 €1,191

86.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.34

-5.99%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Last update for Plasencia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.3%

Plasencia

$633 41.7% 45.5% $529

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.6%

Plasencia

$268 17.6% 13% $40

Eating Out

Madrid

$266 11.8%

Plasencia

$191 12.6% 28.2% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$243 10.7%

Plasencia

$167 11% 31.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$159 7%

Plasencia

$151 9.9% 5% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

Plasencia

$65 4.3% 9.5% $6.8

Getting Around

Madrid

$56 2.5%

Plasencia

$44 2.9% 20.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,509 in Madrid and $1,020 in Plasencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 86% 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: $66.0 in Madrid vs $67.0 in Plasencia. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $268, with Plasencia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Plasencia

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

39,412

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 49% 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 86% 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: $1,509 in Madrid versus $1,020 in Plasencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% 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 $67.0 versus $66.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,519 in Plasencia versus $2,265 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 $1,519 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 49% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.