Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Pozuelo de Alarcon Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Pozuelo de Alarcon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $2,128 in Pozuelo de Alarcon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $3,116 in Pozuelo de Alarcon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $4,103 in Pozuelo de Alarcon.

Living in Madrid is roughly 8% more expensive than in Pozuelo de Alarcon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Pozuelo de Alarcon 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.16

$17.44 €15.26

-0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$70.0 €61.3

-1.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.46

$10.62 €9.29

12.52%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.43 €2.12

27.57%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$3.25 €2.85

-1.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.22 €1.94

-3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$3.56 €3.11

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$4.71 €4.12

-3.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.17 €1.02

1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.68 €1.47

1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$2.19 €1.92

-21.46%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$2.73 €2.39

28.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.11

$17.30 €15.14

-13.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.73

$9.08 €7.94

-2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.65

$17.11 €14.97

-2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.70 €2.37

-3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.23 €1.95

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.38 €2.08

2.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.76 €2.41

-3.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.83 €1.60

13.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.96 €1.72

9.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$2.01 €1.76

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.00 €0.87

-1.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.11

$6.99 €6.12

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.80

$8.84 €7.74

-12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.45 €1.27

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.36 €2.07

-7.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$2.32 €2.03

-23.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.68

$30.37 €26.57

60.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$4.07 €3.56

1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.06 €0.93

31.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.93

$17.64 €15.43

61.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.91 €1.68

0.52%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$37.2K €32.6K

1.17%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$34.3K €30.0K

-0.48%

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

$193 €169

$192 €168

0.59%

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

$21.55 €18.86

$26.46 €23.15

-18.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.47

$34.27 €29.98

4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.10

$75.4 €65.9

-30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.44

$16.53 €14.46

6.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.01

$10.53 €9.21

8.64%

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

$669 €585

$464 €406

44.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

-0.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.8

$87.4 €76.5

8.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.46

$41.85 €36.62

2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$83.7 €73.2

25.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$97.5 €85.3

35.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,388 €1,215

15.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,007

$1,044 €913

10.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,483

$2,448 €2,142

15.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,644

$1,693 €1,481

11.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,907

$3,317 €2,902

172.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,729

$2,152 €1,883

98.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,156

$3,468 €3,034

-28.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.38

1.48%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Pozuelo de Alarcon: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $1,388 in Pozuelo de Alarcon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pozuelo de Alarcon pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $70.0 in Pozuelo de Alarcon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $306 per month, with Madrid 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 Pozuelo de Alarcon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pozuelo de Alarcon wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pozuelo de Alarcon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Pozuelo de Alarcon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,607 in Madrid versus $1,388 in Pozuelo de Alarcon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Pozuelo de Alarcon – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,128 in Pozuelo de Alarcon versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pozuelo de Alarcon but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Pozuelo de Alarcon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pozuelo de Alarcon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,128 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pozuelo de Alarcon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Pozuelo de Alarcon 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 Pozuelo de Alarcon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.