Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Roquetas de Mar

For one person, living is cheaper in Roquetas de Mar: $1,431 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Roquetas de Mar
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Roquetas de Mar Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Roquetas de Mar

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Roquetas de Mar

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 Roquetas de Mar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,431 in Roquetas de Mar.

Madrid $2,304
Roquetas de Mar $1,431

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,071 in Roquetas de Mar.

Madrid $3,389
Roquetas de Mar $2,071

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $2,710 in Roquetas de Mar.

Madrid $4,475
Roquetas de Mar $2,710

Living in Madrid is roughly 61% more expensive than in Roquetas de Mar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Roquetas de Mar 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.88

$16.60 €14.86

6.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$55.4 €49.60

20.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.12

$10.43 €9.34

8.34%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.72

$1.96 €1.76

55.10%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$2.77 €2.48

21.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.71 €1.53

37.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$4.22 €3.78

-7.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$4.53 €4.06

5.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.26 €1.13

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.62 €1.45

1.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.84 €1.64

-6.52%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$3.64 €3.26

15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.24

$15.80 €14.15

0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.38

$9.21 €8.25

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.41

$13.36 €11.97

28.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.63 €2.35

-2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.81 €1.62

15.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$1.56 €1.39

63.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.38 €2.13

8.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.92 €1.72

20.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.97 €1.76

10.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.32 €1.18

13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.70 €0.63

52.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$6.27 €5.62

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$5.34 €4.78

47.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.10 €0.99

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.71 €1.53

26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$0.95 €0.85

75.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.61

$33.93 €30.39

10.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$7.87 €7.05

-52.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.22 €1.10

22.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.02

$18.04 €16.16

67.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.88 €1.69

-1.60%

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

$33.9K €30.3K

$34.7K €31.0K

-2.28%

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

$33.3K €29.8K

$31.5K €28.2K

5.85%

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

$192 €172

$134 €120

43.27%

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

$17.66 €15.81

$15.92 €14.26

10.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.41

$26.37 €23.61

32.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.34

$36.37 €32.58

29.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.32

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.11

$8.62 €7.72

30.97%

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

$687 €615

$397 €356

72.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$10.5K €9,445

70.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.5

$73.0 €65.4

18.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.30

$35.21 €31.54

18.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$95.0 €85.1

13.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100.0

$119 €107

-6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$560 €502

169.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,083

$500 €448

141.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,534

$779 €697

263.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,795

$590 €528

239.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,062

$1,977 €1,770

355.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,218

$1,648 €1,476

185.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,197

$1,310 €1,174

87.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.18

-1.26%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Roquetas de Mar

$500 34.9% 58.7% $710

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Roquetas de Mar

$269 18.8% 11.5% $35

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Roquetas de Mar

$236 16.5% 10.8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Roquetas de Mar

$176 12.3% 28% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Roquetas de Mar

$145 10.1% 7.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Roquetas de Mar

$54 3.8% 23.2% $16

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Roquetas de Mar

$52 3.6% 6.7% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $560 in Roquetas de Mar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 87% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $55 in Roquetas de Mar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $269 per month, with Roquetas de Mar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Roquetas de Mar

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

106,510

💱 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 Roquetas de Mar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roquetas de Mar wins on cost – living expenses run 38% 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.

Average pay runs 87% 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $560 in Roquetas de Mar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% 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 $55 versus $67 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Roquetas de Mar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Roquetas de Mar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.