Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Seville Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Seville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,648 in Seville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,356 in Seville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,064 in Seville.

Living in Madrid is roughly 37% more expensive than Seville, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Seville 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.79

$14.08 €12.21

21.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.5

$46.84 €40.63

46.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.18

$10.62 €9.22

10.45%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.65

$2.13 €1.85

43.66%

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

$3.21 €2.79

$2.05 €1.78

56.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.89

$1.42 €1.23

53.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.42

$2.25 €1.95

75.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.05

$3.42 €2.96

36.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.18 €1.03

1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.46

$1.57 €1.36

7.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.47

$2.09 €1.81

-19.14%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.90

$3.32 €2.88

0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.94

$14.27 €12.38

4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.74

$9.28 €8.05

-3.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.61

$18.21 €15.79

-7.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$2.48 €2.15

10.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$2.18 €1.89

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.21

$1.79 €1.56

41.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$2.69 €2.33

-1.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.86

$1.77 €1.53

21.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.09 €1.82

0.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.43 €1.24

-5.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.85

$0.58 €0.50

67.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.92

$6.53 €5.66

4.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.07

$5.95 €5.16

36.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.38 €1.20

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.90

$2.37 €2.06

-7.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.71 €1.49

3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.57

$40.67 €35.28

20.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.47

$2.19 €1.90

83.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.10 €0.96

20.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.32

$25.19 €21.85

15.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.74 €1.51

10.92%

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

$37.2K €32.3K

$38.7K €33.6K

-3.96%

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

$34.4K €29.8K

$30.8K €26.8K

11.40%

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

$195 €169

$108 €94.1

79.51%

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

$21.66 €18.79

$24.04 €20.86

-9.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.80

$36.58 €31.73

-2.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.65

$41.96 €36.40

28.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.58

$14.43 €12.52

24.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €10.02

$9.29 €8.06

24.33%

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

$676 €587

$382 €332

76.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.5K

$6,669 €5,785

81.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.8

$85.4 €74.1

10.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €37.10

$41.09 €35.65

4.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.7

$91.2 €79.2

15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €117

$117 €102

14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,358

$1,005 €872

55.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €997

$723 €627

58.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,451

$1,557 €1,350

81.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,635

$1,022 €886

84.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,874

$4,684 €4,064

93.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,913

$2,091 €1,814

115.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,278

$1,847 €1,602

42.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.51

-2.28%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Seville: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $1,005 in Seville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 42% 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 $47.00 in Seville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $285 per month, with Seville 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 Seville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seville wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 42% 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 $1,005 in Seville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Seville – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,648 in Seville versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seville but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Seville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Seville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,648 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Seville hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Seville 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 Seville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.