Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Santiago de Compostela

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago de Compostela: $1,443 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Santiago de Compostela
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Santiago de Compostela Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Santiago de Compostela

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Santiago de Compostela

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madrid and in Santiago de Compostela actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,443 in Santiago de Compostela.

Madrid $2,304
Santiago de Compostela $1,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,226 in Santiago de Compostela.

Madrid $3,389
Santiago de Compostela $2,226

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,008 in Santiago de Compostela.

Madrid $4,475
Santiago de Compostela $3,008

Living in Madrid is roughly 60% more expensive than in Santiago de Compostela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Santiago de Compostela 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.89

$13.64 €12.22

29.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$67.6 €60.6

-1.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.13

$9.43 €8.45

19.83%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$1.94 €1.74

56.70%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$2.78 €2.49

20.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.13 €1.91

10.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$2.96 €2.65

31.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$3.95 €3.54

21.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.21 €1.09

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.16 €1.04

41.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.34 €1.20

28.36%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$2.80 €2.51

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.25

$9.15 €8.20

73.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.39

$6.75 €6.05

38.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.42

$16.50 €14.79

4.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.09 €1.87

22.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.13 €1.91

-1.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$1.49 €1.33

71.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.84 €2.54

-9.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.98 €1.78

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.47 €1.32

47.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.14 €1.02

31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.83 €0.74

28.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$5.75 €5.16

14.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$4.91 €4.40

60.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.43 €1.28

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.37 €2.13

-8.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.26 €1.13

32.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.63

$32.86 €29.45

14.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$4.90 €4.39

-23.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.36 €1.22

9.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.03

$18.97 €17.00

59.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.77 €1.59

4.52%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$34.9K €31.2K

-2.81%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$29.7K €26.6K

12.22%

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

$192 €172

$152 €137

25.65%

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

$17.66 €15.82

$21.57 €19.33

-18.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.43

$32.85 €29.44

6.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.36

$50.7 €45.43

-6.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.33

$2.27 €2.03

703.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.12

$10.20 €9.14

10.69%

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

$687 €616

$335 €300

105.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$8,280 €7,420

117.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.6

$90.1 €80.7

-3.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.32

$64.1 €57.4

-34.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.9

$103 €91.9

5.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$93.8 €84.1

18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$739 €662

104.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,084

$515 €462

134.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,535

$1,070 €959

164.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,796

$868 €778

130.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,066

$3,100 €2,778

190.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,220

$2,153 €1,929

118.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,199

$1,886 €1,690

30.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

2.96

6.08%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Santiago de Compostela

$515 35.7% 57.4% $694

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Santiago de Compostela

$239 16.6% 21.3% $65

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Santiago de Compostela

$203 14.1% 23.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Santiago de Compostela

$207 14.3% 15.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Santiago de Compostela

$158 10.9% 0.7% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Santiago de Compostela

$71 4.9% 1.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Santiago de Compostela

$50 3.4% 10.5% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $739 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 30% 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: $67 in Madrid vs $68 in Santiago de Compostela. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $239, with Santiago de Compostela cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

98,687

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 37% 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.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $739 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Madrid versus $335 in Santiago de Compostela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago de Compostela runs roughly 12% less than in Madrid. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,443 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,304 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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Santiago de Compostela wins on affordability, Madrid on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.