Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Seville

For one person, living is cheaper in Seville: $1,574 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,265
/mo nomad
Seville
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,574
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Seville

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 Seville actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,574 in Seville.

  • Madrid $2,265
  • Seville $1,574

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Madrid versus $2,393 in Seville.

  • Madrid $3,311
  • Seville $2,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Madrid versus $3,213 in Seville.

  • Madrid $4,356
  • Seville $3,213

Living in Madrid is roughly 44% more expensive than in Seville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 67% above, Seville 16% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Seville
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.06 €16.06
$13.72 €12.21
31.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 €59.2
$68.3 €60.7
-2.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.40 €10.14
$8.86 €7.88
28.67%
Cappuccino
$3.03 €2.69
$1.84 €1.63
64.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 €2.89
$2.14 €1.90
51.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.58 €1.41
46.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.85 €3.42
$3.09 €2.75
24.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.82 €4.29
$3.43 €3.05
40.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Seville
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.11 €0.98
18.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.62 €1.45
-0.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.58 €1.40
10.76%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$3.32 €2.96
22.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.34 €14.54
$13.60 €12.10
20.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.61 €8.55
$8.19 €7.28
17.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.43 €15.50
$16.09 €14.31
8.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 €2.34
$2.44 €2.17
7.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 €1.93
$2.01 €1.79
8.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 €2.22
$1.77 €1.57
41.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.60 €2.32
$2.60 €2.32
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.82 €1.62
23.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.13 €1.89
-2.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.51 €1.34
3.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.72 €0.64
50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.70 €5.96
$6.56 €5.84
2.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.82 €6.95
$5.91 €5.25
32.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.08
$1.17 €1.04
4.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.88 €1.67
19.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Seville
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.58 €1.41
3.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.72 €33.56
$39.38 €35.03
-4.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 €3.39
$1.73 €1.54
120.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.11 €0.98
34.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.99 €26.68
$15.08 €13.42
98.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.77 €1.58
1.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €29.9K
$32.7K €29.1K
2.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K €29.6K
$30.4K €27.1K
9.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Seville
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 €169
$118 €105
61.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.57 €15.63
$16.27 €14.47
7.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.34 €31.43
$32.86 €29.23
7.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Seville
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.52 €44.04
$40.16 €35.73
23.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.20 €16.19
$12.91 €11.48
40.98%
Cinema Ticket
$11.09 €9.87
$8.05 €7.16
37.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Seville
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €609
$552 €491
23.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.2K €16.2K
$7,861 €6,992
131.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Seville
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 €78.1
$90.7 €80.7
-3.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 €37.41
$39.08 €34.76
7.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €98.3
$94.2 €83.8
17.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 €100
$115 €102
-2.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Seville
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,509 €1,342
$930 €827
62.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,162 €1,034
$682 €607
70.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,804 €2,494
$1,505 €1,338
86.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,867 €1,661
$1,083 €963
72.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,017 €8,021
$4,492 €3,996
100.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,294 €3,819
$1,966 €1,749
118.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Seville
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,495 €2,219
$1,740 €1,548
43.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.34
-5.99%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Last update for Seville: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Seville
$682 41.3% $480
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$308
Seville
$267 13.2% $40
Eating Out
Madrid
$266
Seville
$196 26.5% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$243
Seville
$167 31.2% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$159
Seville
$153 4% $6.3
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$72
Seville
$56 21.5% $15
Getting Around
Madrid
$56
Seville
$53 4.6% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,509 in Madrid and $930 in Seville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 43% 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: $66.0 in Madrid vs $68.0 in Seville. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $267, with Seville cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Seville
🕒 Local time
06:13 6:13 AM
06:13 6:13 AM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
684,025
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Seville 390 km
From you
  • Madrid
  • Seville

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Madrid or Seville?
Seville wins on cost – living expenses run 44% 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.
Are salaries higher in Madrid or in Seville?
Average pay runs 43% higher in Madrid, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Madrid compared to Seville?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,509 in Madrid versus $930 in Seville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Madrid or in Seville?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Madrid and in Seville?
Dining out is cheaper in Seville – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $66.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Madrid or in Seville?
At $1,574 in Seville versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $1,000 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Madrid or Seville?
Both work as nomad bases, but Seville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,574 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Seville hard to pass up.
How safe is Madrid compared to Seville?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Seville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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