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: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,882 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,659 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,436 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Living in Madrid is roughly 20% more expensive than Santa Cruz de Tenerife, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$17.48 €15.04

-2.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$57.5 €49.42

19.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$10.59 €9.11

10.76%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$1.98 €1.71

54.55%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$1.75 €1.51

83.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.03 €0.88

111.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$2.86 €2.46

37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$3.22 €2.77

45.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.23 €1.06

-2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.73 €1.48

-2.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.50 €1.29

12.67%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$3.05 €2.62

9.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$16.78 €14.43

-11.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$8.62 €7.42

3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$14.56 €12.53

15.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.38 €2.05

14.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.69 €1.46

24.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.60 €1.37

58.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.60 €2.24

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.54 €1.33

39.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.74 €1.50

20.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.52 €1.31

-11.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.70 €0.60

38.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$5.18 €4.45

31.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$8.38 €7.21

-2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.59 €1.36

-12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.74 €1.49

25.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.71 €1.47

3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$34.38 €29.57

42.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$4.54 €3.91

-11.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.27 €1.09

4.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$17.40 €14.97

67.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.61 €1.39

19.88%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$39.3K €33.8K

-5.40%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$30.0K €25.8K

14.66%

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

$195 €167

$90.6 €78.0

114.72%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$21.75 €18.71

-0.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$31.38 €26.99

13.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$49.75 €42.79

8.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$11.11 €9.56

61.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$10.07 €8.66

14.70%

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

$676 €582

$346 €297

95.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$8,535 €7,342

42.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$83.4 €71.7

12.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$33.58 €28.89

27.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$85.3 €73.4

23.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$68.1 €58.6

97.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$1,170 €1,007

33.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$952 €819

20.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$1,600 €1,376

76.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$1,326 €1,141

42.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$4,006 €3,446

126.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$2,265 €1,948

99.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$1,880 €1,618

39.65%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $1,170 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 40% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $57.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $277 per month, with Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 Tenerife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz de Tenerife wins on cost – living expenses run 20% 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.

Madrid pays 40% 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $1,170 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,882 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $2,253 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 $1,882 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 20% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.