Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Terrassa Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Terrassa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,767 in Terrassa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,580 in Terrassa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,393 in Terrassa.

Living in Madrid is roughly 27% more expensive than Terrassa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Terrassa 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$16.64 €14.32

2.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$68.2 €58.7

0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$12.79 €11.00

-8.29%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$2.56 €2.20

19.53%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$2.17 €1.87

47.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.00 €1.72

9.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.55 €3.05

10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.58 €3.94

1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.28 €1.10

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.66 €1.43

1.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.88 €1.62

-10.11%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$3.44 €2.96

-2.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$10.59 €9.11

40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$9.17 €7.89

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$18.75 €16.13

-10.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.44 €2.10

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.14 €1.84

-1.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.98 €1.71

28.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.95 €2.54

-10.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.46 €1.26

47.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.68 €1.44

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.03 €0.88

31.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.85 €0.73

14.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$6.20 €5.33

10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$7.07 €6.08

15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.36 €1.17

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.15 €1.85

1.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.64 €1.41

7.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$34.12 €29.35

43.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$3.96 €3.40

1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.12 €1.83

-37.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$29.08 €25.02

0.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.90 €1.64

1.58%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$38.4K €33.0K

-3.06%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$32.2K €27.7K

6.64%

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

$195 €167

$188 €161

3.77%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$22.91 €19.71

-5.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$36.83 €31.68

-3.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$39.78 €34.22

35.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$15.33 €13.18

17.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$11.13 €9.58

3.77%

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

$676 €582

$644 €554

5.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$9,647 €8,298

25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$88.0 €75.7

7.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$33.85 €29.11

26.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$90.6 €77.9

16.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$119 €102

12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$846 €728

85.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$701 €603

63.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$1,335 €1,148

111.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$1,001 €861

88.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$2,867 €2,466

216.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$2,208 €1,899

104.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$2,327 €2,002

12.85%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Terrassa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $846 in Terrassa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 13% 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 $68.0 in Terrassa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $280 per month, with Terrassa 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 Terrassa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Terrassa wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Terrassa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 13% 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 $846 in Terrassa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Terrassa – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,767 in Terrassa versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Terrassa but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Terrassa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Terrassa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,767 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Terrassa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Terrassa 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 Terrassa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.