Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Sitges Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Sitges

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,643 in Sitges.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,811 in Sitges.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,978 in Sitges.

Living in Madrid is roughly 40% more expensive than in Sitges, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Sitges 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.16

$15.01 €13.13

15.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$57.8 €50.5

18.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.46

$12.83 €11.23

-6.86%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.63 €2.30

17.87%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$2.26 €1.98

42.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.06 €1.80

3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$3.51 €3.07

16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$3.50 €3.06

30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.17 €1.02

1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.30 €1.14

31.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.66 €1.45

3.61%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$2.81 €2.46

25.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.11

$11.47 €10.03

30.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.73

$8.48 €7.42

4.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.65

$13.81 €12.08

21.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.66 €2.33

-2.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.87 €1.63

18.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.00 €1.75

22.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.37 €2.07

11.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.82 €1.59

13.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.02 €1.77

6.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.64 €1.43

-18.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.75 €0.65

32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.11

$5.81 €5.08

20.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.80

$5.86 €5.12

32.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.50 €1.31

-4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.07 €1.82

5.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$2.62 €2.30

-32.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.68

$34.05 €29.79

43.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$3.54 €3.10

16.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.19 €1.04

16.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.93

$24.44 €21.38

16.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.80 €1.58

6.67%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$29.6K €25.9K

27.33%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$32.1K €28.1K

6.35%

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

$193 €169

$141 €124

36.78%

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

$21.55 €18.86

$13.44 €11.76

60.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.47

$30.62 €26.79

17.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.10

$64.5 €56.4

-18.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.44

$14.80 €12.95

19.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.01

$9.99 €8.74

14.51%

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

$669 €585

$570 €498

17.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$10.9K €9,563

8.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.8

$92.0 €80.5

2.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.46

$36.57 €32.00

17.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$99.3 €86.9

5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$126 €111

4.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,406

$840 €735

91.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,007

$691 €605

66.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,483

$2,261 €1,978

25.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,644

$1,800 €1,574

4.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,907

$3,349 €2,930

169.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,729

$2,202 €1,927

93.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,156

$2,938 €2,570

-16.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.44

-0.29%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sitges: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $840 in Sitges. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sitges pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $58.0 in Sitges for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $253 per month, with Sitges 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 Sitges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sitges wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sitges the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Sitges. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,607 in Madrid versus $840 in Sitges. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sitges – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,643 in Sitges versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sitges but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Sitges the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sitges delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,643 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sitges hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Sitges 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 Sitges gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.