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: $2,253 in Madrid versus $2,155 in Pozuelo de Alarcon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $3,172 in Pozuelo de Alarcon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $4,189 in Pozuelo de Alarcon.

Living in Madrid is roughly 5% more expensive than Pozuelo de Alarcon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Pozuelo de Alarcon 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$17.61 €15.15

-3.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$69.5 €59.8

-1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$10.40 €8.95

12.79%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$2.46 €2.12

24.39%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$3.15 €2.71

1.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.13 €1.83

2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.55 €3.05

10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.70 €4.04

-0.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.17 €1.01

2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.64 €1.41

2.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.19 €1.89

-22.83%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$2.79 €2.40

19.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$17.57 €15.11

-15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$9.17 €7.89

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$17.16 €14.76

-1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.65 €2.28

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.17 €1.87

-2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.37 €2.04

7.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.69 €2.32

-1.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.83 €1.57

17.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.02 €1.74

3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.93 €1.66

-30.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.92 €0.79

5.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$7.00 €6.02

-2.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$9.14 €7.86

-10.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.44 €1.24

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.36 €2.03

-7.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.28 €1.96

-22.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$30.51 €26.24

60.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$4.10 €3.52

-2.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.02 €0.87

30.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$17.64 €15.18

65.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.83 €1.58

5.46%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$38.0K €32.7K

-2.11%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

-0.17%

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

$195 €167

$196 €168

-0.56%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$26.18 €22.52

-17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$34.92 €30.04

1.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$74.1 €63.8

-27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$16.91 €14.55

6.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$10.29 €8.85

12.24%

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

$676 €582

$468 €402

44.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

-0.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$86.7 €74.6

8.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$41.82 €35.98

2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$83.6 €71.9

26.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$98.5 €84.8

36.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$1,398 €1,202

12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$1,053 €906

9.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$2,503 €2,153

12.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$1,708 €1,469

10.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$5,174 €4,450

75.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$4,148 €3,568

8.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$3,628 €3,121

-27.62%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pozuelo de Alarcon: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $1,398 in Pozuelo de Alarcon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pozuelo de Alarcon pays 38% 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 $69.0 in Pozuelo de Alarcon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 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 5% 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, Pozuelo de Alarcon earns 38% less. 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $1,398 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 $69.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,155 in Pozuelo de Alarcon versus $2,253 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 $2,155 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 5% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.