Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Sabadell Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Sabadell

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Madrid versus $1,885 in Sabadell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Madrid versus $2,621 in Sabadell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Madrid versus $3,358 in Sabadell.

Living in Madrid is roughly 26% more expensive than in Sabadell, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Sabadell 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 €16.16

$15.00 €12.91

25.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.9

$58.0 €49.89

18.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 €10.31

$10.40 €8.95

15.19%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.77

$2.50 €2.15

28.80%

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

$3.37 €2.90

$2.44 €2.10

38.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.88 €1.62

21.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 €3.42

$3.55 €3.05

11.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.38

$3.52 €3.03

44.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.16 €1.00

16.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.19 €1.88

-25.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.40 €1.20

23.57%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.80

$3.19 €2.74

38.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.82

$15.21 €13.09

13.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 €8.45

$8.75 €7.53

12.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.68

$19.03 €16.37

-4.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.67 €2.30

2.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.23 €1.92

5.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.60 €2.24

-0.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.60 €2.24

3.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.86 €1.60

23.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.18 €1.87

4.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.54 €1.32

2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.91 €0.78

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$7.03 €6.05

-3.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.17

$5.78 €4.97

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.14 €0.98

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.93

$2.48 €2.14

-9.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.53 €2.18

-32.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.94 €32.65

$22.99 €19.79

65.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.42

$3.29 €2.83

20.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.37 €1.18

15.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 €26.13

$24.77 €21.31

22.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.72 €1.48

6.98%

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

$37.0K €31.8K

$36.7K €31.6K

0.80%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$29.8K €25.7K

14.39%

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

$195 €167

$132 €114

47.42%

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

$19.08 €16.41

$15.23 €13.10

25.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 €31.26

$38.05 €32.74

-4.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.07

$31.99 €27.53

60.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 €16.65

$8.68 €7.47

122.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.80

$10.27 €8.84

10.91%

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

$696 €599

$524 €451

32.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €15.5K

$10.6K €9,080

70.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.7

$81.3 €69.9

9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 €38.36

$35.50 €30.55

25.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.0

$109 €94.2

-1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.2

$92.8 €79.8

21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,026 €883

54.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,054

$938 €807

30.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 €2,420

$1,463 €1,259

92.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,610

$1,128 €971

65.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,303 €8,006

$3,690 €3,175

152.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,658

$2,730 €2,350

55.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,223

$2,281 €1,963

13.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.3

-6.36%

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

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sabadell: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Madrid and $1,026 in Sabadell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 13% 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: $68.0 in Madrid vs $58.0 in Sabadell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $298 per month, with Sabadell 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 Sabadell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sabadell wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sabadell the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,583 in Madrid versus $1,026 in Sabadell. 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 Sabadell – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,885 in Sabadell versus $2,368 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sabadell but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Sabadell the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sabadell delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sabadell hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Sabadell 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 Sabadell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.