Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Pontevedra

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontevedra: $1,473 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Pontevedra
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Pontevedra Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Pontevedra

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Pontevedra

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 Pontevedra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,473 in Pontevedra.

Madrid $2,265
Pontevedra $1,473

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Madrid versus $2,271 in Pontevedra.

Madrid $3,311
Pontevedra $2,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Madrid versus $3,069 in Pontevedra.

Madrid $4,356
Pontevedra $3,069

Living in Madrid is roughly 54% more expensive than in Pontevedra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 67% above, Pontevedra 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 €16.06

$15.07 €13.41

19.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$55.5 €49.36

19.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.14

$10.26 €9.13

11.11%

Cappuccino

$3.03 €2.69

$2.10 €1.87

44.29%

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

$3.25 €2.89

$2.54 €2.26

27.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.75 €1.55

32.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$3.41 €3.04

12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 €4.29

$4.03 €3.58

19.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$0.86 €0.76

53.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.31 €1.16

22.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.74 €1.55

0.57%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$3.10 €2.75

30.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.54

$12.13 €10.79

34.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.55

$7.61 €6.77

26.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.50

$16.29 €14.49

7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.25 €2.00

16.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.93

$1.58 €1.40

37.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.82 €1.62

37.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.52 €2.24

3.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.39 €1.23

61.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.55 €1.38

34.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.13 €1.01

38.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.65 €0.58

66.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 €5.96

$6.49 €5.77

3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.95

$5.60 €4.98

39.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.37 €1.22

-10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.96 €1.74

14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.64 €1.46

-0.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.72 €33.56

$28.53 €25.38

32.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$4.70 €4.18

-18.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.11 €0.98

34.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 €26.68

$22.37 €19.90

34.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.63 €1.45

9.82%

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

$33.7K €29.9K

$35.0K €31.2K

-3.94%

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

$33.3K €29.6K

$30.3K €26.9K

9.87%

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

$190 €169

$166 €148

14.74%

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

$17.57 €15.63

$16.01 €14.24

9.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 €31.43

$34.02 €30.26

3.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 €44.04

$67.5 €60.0

-26.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.20 €16.19

$24.08 €21.42

-24.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.87

$9.15 €8.14

21.20%

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

$684 €609

$515 €458

32.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €16.2K

$8,171 €7,269

122.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €78.1

$84.8 €75.4

3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €37.41

$41.10 €36.56

2.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.3

$89.1 €79.2

24.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$133 €118

-15.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,342

$614 €547

145.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 €1,034

$505 €449

130.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 €2,494

$1,131 €1,006

147.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,661

$896 €797

108.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,017 €8,021

$2,744 €2,441

228.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,294 €3,819

$2,501 €2,225

71.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,495 €2,219

$1,540 €1,370

62.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.58

-12.29%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Last update for Pontevedra: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.3%

Pontevedra

$505 34.3% 56.6% $658

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.6%

Pontevedra

$246 16.7% 19.9% $61

Eating Out

Madrid

$266 11.8%

Pontevedra

$219 14.9% 17.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$243 10.7%

Pontevedra

$216 14.7% 11.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$159 7%

Pontevedra

$156 10.6% 1.5% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

Pontevedra

$86 5.8% 19.6% $14

Getting Around

Madrid

$56 2.5%

Pontevedra

$45 3.1% 18.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,509 in Madrid and $614 in Pontevedra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 62% 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 $55.0 in Pontevedra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $246 per month, with Pontevedra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Pontevedra

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

82,535

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Pontevedra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pontevedra wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pontevedra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 62% 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 $614 in Pontevedra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pontevedra – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $66.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,473 in Pontevedra versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pontevedra but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Pontevedra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pontevedra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,473 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pontevedra hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Pontevedra 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 Pontevedra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.