Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Madrid versus $2,004 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Madrid versus $2,888 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Madrid versus $3,772 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Living in Madrid is roughly 18% more expensive than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 €16.20

$21.15 €18.24

-11.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €59.1

$64.6 €55.7

6.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 €10.33

$11.75 €10.14

1.96%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.78

$2.08 €1.79

54.81%

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

$3.37 €2.91

$2.03 €1.75

66.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.30 €1.12

76.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 €3.43

$2.86 €2.47

38.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.39

$3.52 €3.03

44.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.31 €1.13

3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.57 €2.22

-36.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.65 €1.42

4.85%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.81

$4.33 €3.74

2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.86

$20.59 €17.76

-16.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 €8.47

$10.39 €8.96

-5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.71

$18.08 €15.59

0.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$2.79 €2.41

-2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.47 €2.13

-4.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.24

$2.35 €2.03

10.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.74 €2.36

-2.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.20 €1.90

4.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.10 €1.81

8.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.76 €1.52

-10.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.00 €0.87

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.86

$5.65 €4.87

20.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$8.34 €7.19

-0.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.77 €1.53

-30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.73 €1.49

30.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.46 €1.26

17.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.94 €32.72

$43.89 €37.85

-13.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.42

$4.46 €3.84

-10.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.79 €1.54

-11.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 €26.19

$17.65 €15.22

72.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.60 €1.38

15.00%

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

$37.0K €31.9K

$36.0K €31.0K

2.70%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$29.7K €25.6K

15.07%

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

$195 €168

$133 €115

46.34%

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

$19.08 €16.45

$23.78 €20.51

-19.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 €31.33

$36.57 €31.54

-0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.18

$55.1 €47.54

-7.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 €16.69

$12.35 €10.65

56.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.82

$10.39 €8.96

9.62%

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

$696 €600

$427 €368

62.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €15.6K

$5,287 €4,560

241.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.9

$97.0 €83.7

-8.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 €38.45

$43.88 €37.85

1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.2

$94.9 €81.8

13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.4

$118 €102

-4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,366

$1,181 €1,018

34.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,057

$912 €787

34.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 €2,426

$1,758 €1,516

60.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,613

$1,337 €1,153

39.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,303 €8,024

$4,060 €3,502

129.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,667

$2,243 €1,935

89.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,229

$1,924 €1,660

34.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.56

-13.20%

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

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Madrid and $1,181 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 34% 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 $65.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $342, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tenerife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz de Tenerife wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Cruz de Tenerife the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% 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 $1,181 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz de Tenerife – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,004 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $2,368 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz de Tenerife but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz de Tenerife the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Cruz de Tenerife delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,004 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Cruz de Tenerife hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 Tenerife gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.