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: $2,368 in Madrid versus $1,559 in Terrassa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Madrid versus $2,376 in Terrassa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Madrid versus $3,193 in Terrassa.

Living in Madrid is roughly 52% more expensive than in Terrassa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Terrassa 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 €16.21

$15.33 €13.22

22.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €59.1

$57.7 €49.77

18.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 €10.33

$12.58 €10.85

-4.77%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.78

$2.64 €2.28

21.97%

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

$3.37 €2.91

$2.44 €2.10

38.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.86 €1.60

23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 €3.43

$3.50 €3.02

13.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.40

$4.62 €3.99

10.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.18 €1.02

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.50 €1.29

9.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.76 €1.52

-1.70%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.81

$3.98 €3.43

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.86

$15.01 €12.95

14.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 €8.48

$9.32 €8.04

5.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.72

$19.68 €16.98

-7.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$2.65 €2.29

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.01 €1.73

17.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.24

$1.64 €1.42

57.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.80 €2.42

-4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.90 €1.64

20.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.97 €1.70

15.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.59 €1.37

-0.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.79 €0.68

41.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.86

$7.19 €6.21

-5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.19

$6.78 €5.85

22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.54 €1.33

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.52 €2.17

-10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.65 €1.43

3.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.94 €32.74

$22.87 €19.74

65.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.43

$3.27 €2.82

21.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.57 €1.36

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 €26.20

$15.09 €13.02

101.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.81 €1.56

1.66%

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

$37.0K €31.9K

$36.6K €31.5K

1.13%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$30.9K €26.6K

10.53%

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

$195 €168

$119 €103

63.79%

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

$19.08 €16.46

$15.65 €13.51

21.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 €31.34

$36.72 €31.69

-1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.20

$35.03 €30.23

46.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 €16.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.83

$10.86 €9.37

4.88%

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

$696 €600

$457 €394

52.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €15.6K

$10.3K €8,903

74.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.9

$65.0 €56.1

37.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 €38.46

$22.17 €19.13

101.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.3

$108 €92.9

0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.5

$122 €106

-7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,366

$876 €756

80.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,057

$611 €528

100.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 €2,427

$1,143 €986

146.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,614

$1,039 €896

80.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,303 €8,028

$2,927 €2,526

217.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,669

$2,218 €1,914

91.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,230

$2,353 €2,030

9.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.3

-6.36%

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

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Last update for Terrassa: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Madrid and $876 in Terrassa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 10% 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: $68.0 in Madrid vs $58.0 in Terrassa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $298 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 52% 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.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Madrid, 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: $1,583 in Madrid versus $876 in Terrassa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $58.0 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,559 in Terrassa versus $2,368 in Madrid, a $1,500 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 $1,559 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 52% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.