Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and San Sebastian Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and San Sebastian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,273 in Madrid versus $1,862 in San Sebastian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,794 in San Sebastian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Madrid versus $3,725 in San Sebastian.

Living in Madrid is roughly 22% more expensive than San Sebastian, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 70% above, San Sebastian 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.10

$16.89 €14.45

4.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.3

$57.7 €49.40

22.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 €9.98

$9.94 €8.51

17.30%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.65

$2.27 €1.94

36.56%

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

$3.06 €2.62

$2.71 €2.32

12.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.09 €1.79

0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 €3.48

$3.40 €2.91

19.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €3.87

$2.34 €2.00

93.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.17 €1.00

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.06 €0.91

59.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$2.09 €1.79

-21.05%

Eggs

$3.35 €2.87

$2.68 €2.29

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.57 €12.47

$19.60 €16.77

-25.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €7.80

$7.12 €6.10

28.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.67 €14.27

$14.99 €12.83

11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$2.85 €2.44

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.89

$2.24 €1.92

-1.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.11

$1.90 €1.63

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.32

$3.25 €2.79

-16.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.81 €1.55

16.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.83

$1.81 €1.55

18.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.01 €0.86

39.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.83

$0.68 €0.58

42.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 €6.06

$6.33 €5.42

11.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 €6.95

$7.29 €6.24

11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.20 €1.03

15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.92

$2.15 €1.84

4.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.20 €1.88

-19.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.86 €41.82

$37.50 €32.10

30.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.56

$7.32 €6.26

-43.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.00 €0.86

38.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.62 €24.50

$23.02 €19.70

24.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.73 €1.48

8.67%

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

$38.3K €32.8K

$38.8K €33.2K

-1.39%

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

$34.4K €29.4K

$35.6K €30.5K

-3.41%

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

$192 €164

$135 €116

41.95%

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

$21.59 €18.48

$26.86 €22.99

-19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.26 €30.19

$37.18 €31.83

-5.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €45.71

$53.3 €45.60

0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.72 €15.17

$20.39 €17.46

-13.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 €10.08

$9.15 €7.83

28.74%

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

$674 €577

$458 €392

47.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.5K

$11.7K €10.0K

4.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €81.9

$115 €98.3

-16.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 €35.61

$36.49 €31.24

14.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.4

$88.6 €75.8

17.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €114

$86.9 €74.4

52.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 €1,365

$1,285 €1,100

24.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 €949

$874 €748

26.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,858 €2,446

$2,121 €1,815

34.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 €1,618

$1,403 €1,201

34.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,394 €8,042

$10.1K €8,658

-7.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,583 €3,923

$4,600 €3,938

-0.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,602 €2,227

$3,036 €2,599

-14.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.5

-2.00%

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

Last update for Madrid: April 26, 2026

Last update for San Sebastian: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Madrid and $1,285 in San Sebastian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Madrid vs $58.0 in San Sebastian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $279 per month, with San Sebastian 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 San Sebastian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Sebastian wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Sebastian the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, San Sebastian earns 17% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,595 in Madrid versus $1,285 in San Sebastian. 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 San Sebastian – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,862 in San Sebastian versus $2,273 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Sebastian but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes San Sebastian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Sebastian delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,862 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Sebastian hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and San Sebastian 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 San Sebastian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.