Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Rota Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Rota

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,662 in Rota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,365 in Rota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,067 in Rota.

Living in Madrid is roughly 36% more expensive than Rota, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Rota 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$17.21 €14.81

-0.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$43.87 €37.74

56.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$8.71 €7.50

34.67%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$2.02 €1.74

51.49%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$2.12 €1.82

51.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.76 €1.52

23.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$2.97 €2.55

32.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.43 €3.81

5.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.13 €0.97

6.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.64 €1.41

2.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.47 €1.27

14.97%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$3.19 €2.74

4.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$16.22 €13.96

-8.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$7.91 €6.80

12.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$14.31 €12.31

17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.71 €2.33

0.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.93 €1.66

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.97 €1.70

28.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.77 €2.38

-4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.39 €2.06

-10.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.49 €2.14

-15.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.55 €1.33

-12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.99 €0.85

-2.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$6.54 €5.63

4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$5.02 €4.32

62.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.22 €1.05

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.96 €1.68

11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.71 €1.47

3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$34.12 €29.35

43.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$3.45 €2.97

16.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.06 €1.77

-35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$29.21 €25.13

-0.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.73 €1.49

11.56%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$37.9K €32.6K

-1.82%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$30.1K €25.9K

14.16%

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

$195 €167

$137 €118

41.64%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$19.73 €16.97

9.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$27.73 €23.85

28.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$47.79 €41.11

12.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$15.34 €13.19

17.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$9.67 €8.32

19.44%

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

$676 €582

$376 €323

80.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$8,383 €7,211

44.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$73.6 €63.3

28.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$33.63 €28.93

27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$77.2 €66.4

36.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$108 €93.1

24.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$840 €723

86.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$681 €586

68.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$1,328 €1,143

112.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$1,022 €879

84.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$3,899 €3,354

132.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$2,254 €1,939

100.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$1,298 €1,117

102.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.55

-3.38%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rota: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $840 in Rota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 102% 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 $44.00 in Rota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $275 per month, with Rota 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 Rota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rota wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rota the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 102% 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $840 in Rota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rota – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,662 in Rota versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rota but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Rota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rota delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,662 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rota hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Rota 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 Rota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.