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: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,618 in Rota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,375 in Rota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,133 in Rota.

Living in Madrid is roughly 42% more expensive than in Rota, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Rota 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.16

$17.04 €14.91

1.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$43.52 €38.07

57.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.46

$8.94 €7.82

33.67%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$1.97 €1.73

57.36%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$2.09 €1.83

53.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.69 €1.48

26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$2.85 €2.50

43.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$4.38 €3.84

3.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.15 €1.01

3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.68 €1.47

1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.51 €1.32

13.91%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$3.17 €2.77

11.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.11

$16.22 €14.19

-7.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.73

$8.07 €7.06

9.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.65

$14.34 €12.55

16.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.83 €2.47

-8.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.90 €1.66

16.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.94 €1.70

26.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.81 €2.45

-5.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.40 €2.10

-13.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.46 €2.15

-12.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.57 €1.37

-14.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.02 €0.90

-2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.11

$6.40 €5.60

9.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.80

$4.70 €4.11

65.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.23 €1.08

16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.06 €1.80

5.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.64 €1.43

8.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.68

$33.72 €29.50

44.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$3.51 €3.07

17.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$2.13 €1.86

-34.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.93

$29.41 €25.73

-3.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.80 €1.58

6.67%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$39.1K €34.2K

-3.76%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$30.5K €26.6K

12.04%

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

$193 €169

$137 €119

41.45%

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

$21.55 €18.86

$20.31 €17.77

6.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.47

$27.95 €24.45

28.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.10

$47.82 €41.84

10.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.44

$14.77 €12.92

19.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.01

$9.57 €8.37

19.54%

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

$669 €585

$371 €325

80.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$8,402 €7,351

41.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.8

$73.7 €64.5

28.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.46

$33.95 €29.70

26.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$79.8 €69.8

31.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$107 €93.2

23.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,406

$869 €761

84.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,007

$703 €615

63.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,483

$1,314 €1,150

115.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,644

$991 €867

89.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,907

$3,246 €2,840

178.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,729

$2,340 €2,047

82.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,156

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Rota: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $869 in Rota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $44.00 in Rota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $277 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 42% 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.

You'd need roughly $3,439 in Madrid and $2,426 in Rota to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,607 in Madrid versus $869 in Rota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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 $1,618 in Rota versus $2,293 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 $1,618 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 42% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.