Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Rota

For one person, living is cheaper in Rota: $1,657 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Rota
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Rota Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Rota

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Rota

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 Rota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,657 in Rota.

Madrid $2,304
Rota $1,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,448 in Rota.

Madrid $3,389
Rota $2,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,240 in Rota.

Madrid $4,475
Rota $3,240

Living in Madrid is roughly 39% more expensive than in Rota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Rota 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.93

$16.95 €15.23

4.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €60.1

$62.8 €56.4

6.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.15

$12.31 €11.06

-8.20%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$2.20 €1.98

38.18%

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

$3.36 €3.02

$2.71 €2.43

23.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.91 €1.72

23.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.50

$3.45 €3.10

12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.31

$4.61 €4.14

4.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.18 €1.06

11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.45 €1.30

13.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.55

$1.77 €1.59

-2.82%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.78

$3.33 €2.99

26.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.29

$15.49 €13.91

2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.41

$7.99 €7.18

17.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.46

$15.24 €13.69

12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.97 €1.77

6.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$1.76 €1.58

44.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.56 €2.30

0.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$1.63 €1.47

41.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.07 €1.86

4.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.26 €1.13

19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.71 €0.64

50.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.90

$6.44 €5.78

2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.07

$6.57 €5.91

19.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.19 €1.07

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.33 €2.10

-6.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.71

$32.10 €28.84

16.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.38

$1.92 €1.73

95.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.23 €1.10

21.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.10

$22.49 €20.20

34.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.79 €1.61

3.35%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$33.6K €30.2K

0.86%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$31.3K €28.1K

6.46%

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

$192 €172

$165 €148

16.32%

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

$17.66 €15.86

$10.89 €9.78

62.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.51

$25.02 €22.48

40.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.46

$44.69 €40.15

5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.37

$15.51 €13.93

17.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.14

$9.48 €8.52

19.09%

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

$687 €617

$856 €769

-19.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.2K

$9,996 €8,979

79.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.7

$89.4 €80.3

-3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.41

$38.64 €34.71

7.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.1

$84.7 €76.1

27.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$106 €95.3

5.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,355

$882 €793

70.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,087

$688 €618

75.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,541

$1,356 €1,218

108.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,800

$1,023 €919

95.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,086

$3,235 €2,906

178.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,231

$2,227 €2,000

111.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,204

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.29

-4.56%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Rota: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Rota

$688 41.6% 43.1% $521

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Rota

$270 16.3% 11.4% $35

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Rota

$244 14.7% 7.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Rota

$201 12.1% 17.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Rota

$143 8.7% 8.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Rota

$64 3.8% 8.9% $6.2

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Rota

$47 2.8% 15.4% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $882 in Rota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $63 in Rota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $270 per month, with Rota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Rota

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

29,675

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 28% 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 $3,456 in Madrid and $2,485 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $882 in Rota. 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 Rota – a meal for two runs $63 versus $67 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,657 in Rota versus $2,304 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 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 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 28% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.