Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Puerto Rico Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Puerto Rico

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,527 in Puerto Rico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,272 in Puerto Rico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,017 in Puerto Rico.

Living in Madrid is roughly 50% more expensive than in Puerto Rico, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Puerto Rico 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.16

$17.23 €15.07

0.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$57.8 €50.6

18.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.46

$10.40 €9.10

14.90%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.02 €1.76

53.47%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$1.75 €1.53

83.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.02 €0.89

109.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$2.80 €2.45

46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$3.32 €2.90

37.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.28 €1.12

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.45 €1.26

18.62%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$3.03 €2.66

16.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.11

$8.62 €7.54

73.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.73

$8.55 €7.48

3.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.65

$13.16 €11.51

27.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.48 €2.17

4.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.68 €1.47

32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.60 €1.40

53.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.60 €2.28

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.55 €1.36

33.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.67 €1.46

28.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.46 €1.28

-8.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.66 €0.57

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.11

$5.19 €4.54

34.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.80

$7.78 €6.81

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.54 €1.35

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$1.78 €1.56

22.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.71 €1.49

4.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.68

$33.79 €29.57

44.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$4.68 €4.10

-11.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.27 €1.11

9.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.93

$17.67 €15.46

61.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.63 €1.43

17.79%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$38.6K €33.8K

-2.50%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$29.6K €25.9K

15.31%

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

$193 €169

$90.2 €78.9

114.17%

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

$21.55 €18.86

$21.56 €18.86

-0.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.47

$30.36 €26.56

18.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.10

$48.25 €42.21

9.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.44

$14.90 €13.03

18.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.01

$9.75 €8.53

17.33%

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

$669 €585

$350 €306

91.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$8,508 €7,443

39.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.8

$81.8 €71.6

15.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.46

$33.32 €29.15

28.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$86.3 €75.5

21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$70.3 €61.5

87.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,406

$853 €746

88.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,007

$696 €609

65.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,483

$1,321 €1,156

114.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,644

$998 €873

88.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,907

$3,429 €3,000

163.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,729

$2,141 €1,873

99.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,156

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.5

-2.00%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $853 in Puerto Rico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $58.0 in Puerto Rico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $246 per month, with Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Rico wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puerto Rico the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,439 in Madrid and $2,291 in Puerto Rico to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,607 in Madrid versus $853 in Puerto Rico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Rico – 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 $1,527 in Puerto Rico versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Rico but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Rico the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puerto Rico delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,527 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puerto Rico hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.