Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Tarragona Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Tarragona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,752 in Tarragona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,515 in Tarragona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,279 in Tarragona.

Living in Madrid is roughly 29% more expensive than Tarragona, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Tarragona 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$17.16 €14.76

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$45.59 €39.22

50.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$10.25 €8.82

14.44%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$2.41 €2.08

26.97%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$2.41 €2.07

33.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.74 €1.50

25.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.51 €3.02

12.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$3.48 €3.00

34.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.28 €1.10

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$2.00 €1.72

-16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.68 €1.45

0.60%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$2.98 €2.56

12.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$14.42 €12.40

3.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$9.12 €7.84

-2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$17.76 €15.27

-5.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$3.10 €2.67

-11.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.95 €2.54

-28.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.97 €2.56

-14.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$3.01 €2.59

-11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.45 €1.25

48.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.42 €1.22

47.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.56 €1.35

-13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.69 €0.60

40.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$6.39 €5.50

6.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$5.30 €4.56

53.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.11 €1.81

-34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.11 €1.82

3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.76 €1.51

0.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$28.96 €24.91

69.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$4.02 €3.45

-0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.20 €1.03

10.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$22.55 €19.40

29.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.83 €1.57

5.46%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$36.9K €31.8K

0.68%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$30.4K €26.1K

13.10%

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

$195 €167

$119 €102

64.24%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$20.16 €17.34

7.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$37.65 €32.38

-5.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$52.9 €45.46

1.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$24.94 €21.45

-28.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$9.32 €8.02

23.93%

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

$676 €582

$328 €282

106.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$6,882 €5,920

76.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$96.3 €82.9

-2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$34.78 €29.91

22.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$79.1 €68.0

33.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$99.3 €85.4

35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$816 €702

91.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$795 €683

44.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$1,220 €1,049

131.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$1,135 €977

65.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$2,764 €2,377

228.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$1,265 €1,088

256.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$2,183 €1,878

20.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.75

-8.53%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tarragona: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $816 in Tarragona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 20% 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 $46.00 in Tarragona. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $301, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tarragona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarragona wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tarragona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 20% 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 $816 in Tarragona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tarragona – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,752 in Tarragona versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tarragona but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Tarragona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tarragona delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,752 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tarragona hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Tarragona 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 Tarragona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.