Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Puerto de la Cruz Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Puerto de la Cruz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,322 in Madrid versus $1,947 in Puerto de la Cruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,841 in Puerto de la Cruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,456 in Madrid versus $3,736 in Puerto de la Cruz.

Living in Madrid is roughly 19% more expensive than in Puerto de la Cruz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Puerto de la Cruz 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 €16.15

$14.05 €12.11

33.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.5

$63.9 €55.1

9.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 €10.26

$10.57 €9.11

12.58%

Cappuccino

$3.21 €2.76

$2.67 €2.30

20.22%

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

$3.37 €2.91

$1.89 €1.63

78.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.58 €1.36

42.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.16 €3.59

$2.93 €2.53

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 €4.60

$3.69 €3.18

44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.18 €1.02

20.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.40

$1.69 €1.46

-4.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.63 €1.40

12.27%

Eggs

$4.28 €3.69

$3.73 €3.21

14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.06 €14.71

$12.77 €11.01

33.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 €8.30

$10.44 €9.00

-7.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.52 €15.96

$13.76 €11.86

34.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.64 €2.28

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.25 €1.94

1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.24

$1.55 €1.33

67.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.59 €2.24

1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.51 €2.16

-11.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.39 €2.06

-4.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$2.03 €1.75

-22.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.90 €0.77

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 €5.96

$4.29 €3.70

61.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 €7.00

$6.99 €6.02

16.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.43 €1.23

-14.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.72 €2.35

-17.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.04 €32.79

$44.37 €38.24

-14.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 €3.29

$3.46 €2.98

10.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.32

$2.37 €2.05

-35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.08 €26.79

$28.62 €24.67

8.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.65 €1.42

11.52%

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

$36.1K €31.1K

$36.0K €31.0K

0.19%

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

$34.2K €29.5K

$30.4K €26.2K

12.77%

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

$191 €165

$117 €101

63.53%

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

$19.07 €16.43

$20.49 €17.66

-6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.93 €30.97

$29.22 €25.19

22.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 €43.50

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.37 €16.69

$17.38 €14.98

11.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 €9.92

$9.04 €7.79

27.21%

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

$719 €620

$492 €424

45.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K €15.8K

$6,757 €5,825

171.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €77.3

$92.1 €79.4

-2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.13 €38.90

$39.72 €34.24

13.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$92.6 €79.9

18.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.4

$128 €111

-10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 €1,360

$1,179 €1,017

33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,036

$1,085 €935

10.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,842 €2,450

$1,959 €1,689

45.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,883 €1,623

$1,608 €1,386

17.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,245 €7,970

$3,854 €3,322

139.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,215 €3,633

$3,694 €3,184

14.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,498 €2,154

$1,388 €1,196

80.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.15

-1.90%

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

Last update for Madrid: September 7, 2026

Last update for Puerto de la Cruz: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,577 in Madrid and $1,179 in Puerto de la Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 80% 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: $70.0 in Madrid vs $64.0 in Puerto de la Cruz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $286 per month, with Puerto de la Cruz 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 Puerto de la Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto de la Cruz wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puerto de la Cruz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $1,577 in Madrid versus $1,179 in Puerto de la Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto de la Cruz – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,947 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $2,322 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Puerto de la Cruz but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto de la Cruz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puerto de la Cruz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,947 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puerto de la Cruz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Puerto de la Cruz 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 Puerto de la Cruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.