Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Santa Cruz de La Palma Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Santa Cruz de La Palma

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,619 in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,314 in Madrid versus $2,384 in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,362 in Madrid versus $3,148 in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Living in Madrid is roughly 40% more expensive than Santa Cruz de La Palma, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Santa Cruz de La Palma 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 €14.84

$15.00 €12.80

15.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.4

$57.5 €49.07

18.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 €9.95

$10.40 €8.87

12.12%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.64

$2.24 €1.91

37.95%

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

$3.06 €2.61

$2.37 €2.02

29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.89

$1.66 €1.41

33.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.42

$3.38 €2.88

18.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.86

$3.38 €2.88

34.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.17 €1.00

2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.40 €1.19

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.67 €1.42

2.99%

Eggs

$3.40 €2.90

$2.81 €2.39

21.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €12.82

$13.36 €11.39

12.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 €7.49

$8.30 €7.08

5.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 €14.66

$14.78 €12.61

16.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.25

$2.53 €2.16

4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.83

$2.06 €1.75

4.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.99 €1.70

28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.35

$2.65 €2.26

4.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.81

$1.79 €1.52

18.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.95 €1.66

9.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.33 €1.14

3.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.83

$0.74 €0.63

31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.07

$6.45 €5.50

10.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 €6.91

$6.13 €5.23

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.22 €1.04

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.84

$2.05 €1.75

5.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.73 €1.47

-2.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.75 €41.59

$33.81 €28.84

44.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.55

$4.14 €3.54

0.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.12

$1.26 €1.07

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.53 €24.34

$24.80 €21.15

15.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.83 €1.56

4.92%

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

$37.8K €32.3K

$38.7K €33.0K

-2.23%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$30.3K €25.8K

9.97%

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

$188 €161

$137 €117

37.86%

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

$21.76 €18.56

$21.11 €18.01

3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.31 €30.12

$32.04 €27.33

10.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €45.05

$47.90 €40.86

10.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 €15.44

$15.06 €12.85

20.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 €9.89

$9.39 €8.01

23.54%

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

$677 €578

$407 €347

66.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.3K

$7,467 €6,369

62.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 €80.9

$84.8 €72.3

11.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.98 €35.81

$36.89 €31.47

13.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.0

$90.0 €76.7

15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €115

$107 €91.2

26.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 €1,346

$856 €730

84.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 €951

$706 €602

57.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,765 €2,359

$1,323 €1,129

108.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,603

$1,001 €854

87.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,202 €7,849

$3,458 €2,950

166.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,488 €3,829

$2,341 €1,996

91.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,586 €2,206

$1,437 €1,226

79.93%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de La Palma: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,578 in Madrid and $856 in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 80% 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 in Madrid vs $58 in Santa Cruz de La Palma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $262 per month, with Santa Cruz de La Palma 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 Santa Cruz de La Palma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz de La Palma wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Cruz de La Palma the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 80% 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: $1,578 in Madrid versus $856 in Santa Cruz de La Palma. 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 Santa Cruz de La Palma – 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 $1,619 in Santa Cruz de La Palma versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz de La Palma but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz de La Palma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Cruz de La Palma delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,619 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Cruz de La Palma hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Santa Cruz de La Palma 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 Santa Cruz de La Palma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.