Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Santiago de Compostela Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Santiago de Compostela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,270 in Madrid versus $1,400 in Santiago de Compostela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in Madrid versus $2,130 in Santiago de Compostela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,434 in Madrid versus $2,861 in Santiago de Compostela.

Living in Madrid is roughly 62% more expensive than Santiago de Compostela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Santiago de Compostela 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.71

$13.63 €11.74

25.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$55.7 €48.00

24.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.27

$9.75 €8.40

22.26%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.66

$1.94 €1.67

59.28%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.50 €2.15

24.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.03 €1.75

3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.57

$3.21 €2.76

28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.84 €3.31

19.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.10 €0.95

8.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.22 €1.05

39.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.59 €1.37

6.92%

Eggs

$3.48 €3.00

$2.99 €2.58

16.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 €12.69

$9.21 €7.94

59.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €7.82

$6.27 €5.40

44.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.44

$17.45 €15.03

-4.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.80 €1.55

45.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.17 €1.87

2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.47 €1.27

70.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.83 €2.44

-2.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.13 €1.84

0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.53 €1.32

39.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.18 €1.02

17.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.69 €0.60

40.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.13 €5.28

10.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$5.28 €4.55

51.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.51 €1.30

-4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.41 €2.08

-6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.24 €1.07

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €42.63

$34.58 €29.79

43.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.55

$4.76 €4.10

-13.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.27 €1.09

9.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 €25.00

$22.99 €19.81

26.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.89 €1.63

-1.06%

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

$37.6K €32.4K

$29.3K €25.3K

28.22%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$31.1K €26.8K

9.51%

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

$195 €168

$162 €140

19.83%

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

$21.25 €18.31

$21.20 €18.26

0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 €30.80

$33.51 €28.87

6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €45.47

$41.87 €36.08

26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 €15.44

$2.34 €2.01

665.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 €10.09

$10.18 €8.77

15.13%

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

$680 €586

$346 €298

96.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$8,111 €6,988

51.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €82.6

$77.1 €66.5

24.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €36.62

$32.04 €27.60

32.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$87.4 €75.3

21.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$97.8 €84.2

39.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,386

$743 €640

116.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 €980

$520 €448

118.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 €2,405

$1,016 €875

174.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,650

$861 €742

122.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,893 €7,662

$3,204 €2,760

177.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,347 €3,745

$2,167 €1,867

100.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,226

$1,970 €1,697

31.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.33

3.00%

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

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Madrid and $743 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 31% 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 $56.0 in Santiago de Compostela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $240 per month, with Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de Compostela wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago de Compostela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 31% 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: $1,609 in Madrid versus $743 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago de Compostela – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,400 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago de Compostela but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de Compostela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santiago de Compostela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,400 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santiago de Compostela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.