Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Roquetas de Mar Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Roquetas de Mar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,270 in Madrid versus $1,307 in Roquetas de Mar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in Madrid versus $1,906 in Roquetas de Mar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,434 in Madrid versus $2,506 in Roquetas de Mar.

Living in Madrid is roughly 74% more expensive than Roquetas de Mar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Madrid is 69% above, Roquetas de Mar is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.71

$11.77 €10.14

45.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$56.7 €48.89

22.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.27

$11.53 €9.93

3.38%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.66

$1.64 €1.41

88.41%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$3.06 €2.64

1.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.70 €1.46

24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.57

$2.81 €2.42

47.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.86 €2.47

60.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.24 €1.07

-4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.50 €1.30

13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.17 €1.01

45.30%

Eggs

$3.48 €3.00

$3.51 €3.02

-0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 €12.69

$9.35 €8.06

57.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €7.82

$7.83 €6.75

15.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.44

$17.34 €14.94

-3.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.01 €1.73

29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.68 €1.44

32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.11 €0.96

126.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.60 €1.38

71.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.41 €2.07

-11.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.21 €1.04

76.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$0.60 €0.52

131.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.63 €0.54

53.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.61 €5.70

2.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$3.39 €2.92

136.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.41 €1.22

2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.16 €1.86

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.41 €0.35

329.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €42.63

$34.49 €29.71

43.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.55

$3.57 €3.08

15.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.24 €1.07

12.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 €25.00

$13.96 €12.03

107.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.79 €1.54

4.47%

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

$37.6K €32.4K

$38.6K €33.3K

-2.62%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$29.5K €25.4K

15.33%

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

$195 €168

$121 €104

61.02%

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

$21.25 €18.31

$5.71 €4.92

272.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 €30.80

$22.80 €19.64

56.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €45.47

$36.30 €31.28

45.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 €15.44

$14.77 €12.73

21.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 €10.09

$9.31 €8.02

25.89%

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

$680 €586

$458 €395

48.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$10.9K €9,428

12.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €82.6

$85.9 €74.0

11.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €36.62

$53.1 €45.73

-19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$57.8 €49.83

83.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$110 €94.8

24.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,386

$590 €508

172.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 €980

$529 €456

115.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 €2,405

$811 €699

244.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,650

$627 €541

205.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,893 €7,662

$3,418 €2,945

160.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,347 €3,745

$2,209 €1,903

96.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,226

$1,313 €1,132

96.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.9

-12.05%

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

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Madrid and $590 in Roquetas de Mar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 97% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $57.0 in Roquetas de Mar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $236 per month, with Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roquetas de Mar wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Roquetas de Mar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 97% more on average, 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: $1,609 in Madrid versus $590 in Roquetas de Mar. 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 Roquetas de Mar – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,307 in Roquetas de Mar versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roquetas de Mar but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Roquetas de Mar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Roquetas de Mar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,307 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Roquetas de Mar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.