Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Terrassa

For one person, living is cheaper in Terrassa: $1,501 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Terrassa
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Terrassa Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Terrassa

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Terrassa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madrid and in Terrassa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,501 in Terrassa.

Madrid $2,265
Terrassa $1,501

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,296 in Madrid versus $2,308 in Terrassa.

Madrid $3,296
Terrassa $2,308

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Madrid versus $3,115 in Terrassa.

Madrid $4,328
Terrassa $3,115

Living in Madrid is roughly 51% more expensive than in Terrassa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Terrassa 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 €16.19

$14.65 €13.03

24.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$54.8 €48.73

24.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €9.99

$12.48 €11.10

-9.94%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.80

$2.64 €2.35

19.32%

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

$3.36 €2.99

$2.30 €2.05

46.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.78 €1.58

32.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.40

$3.29 €2.93

16.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.38

$4.36 €3.88

12.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.13 €1.00

16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.44 €1.28

11.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.76 €1.56

-6.25%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.62

$3.81 €3.39

6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.82 €14.07

$14.52 €12.92

8.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.44

$9.19 €8.18

3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.59

$20.22 €17.98

-13.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.54 €2.26

0.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.99 €1.77

5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.19

$1.59 €1.41

55.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.68 €2.38

-7.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.75 €1.56

29.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.92 €1.70

11.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.45 €1.29

8.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.76 €0.68

40.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.82

$6.78 €6.03

-3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.81

$6.57 €5.84

16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.39 €1.24

-15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$2.37 €2.10

-6.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.64 €1.45

-0.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.42 €32.39

$22.68 €20.18

60.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.32

$3.13 €2.79

19.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.50 €1.33

2.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.17 €25.95

$14.21 €12.64

105.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.83 €1.63

-2.73%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$34.5K €30.7K

2.89%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$29.7K €26.4K

11.90%

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

$189 €168

$115 €102

64.14%

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

$17.48 €15.55

$13.64 €12.14

28.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 €30.53

$35.41 €31.50

-3.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.62 €43.25

$32.95 €29.31

47.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.44 €16.40

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 €9.82

$10.44 €9.28

5.75%

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

$693 €617

$449 €400

54.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.8K

$9,843 €8,755

80.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 €75.3

$64.2 €57.1

31.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €37.80

$21.01 €18.69

102.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.1

$103 €91.4

7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.9

$121 €107

-7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,339

$824 €733

82.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 €1,041

$585 €520

100.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 €2,451

$1,106 €984

149.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 €1,641

$1,012 €900

82.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,168 €8,155

$2,837 €2,523

223.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 €3,766

$2,115 €1,881

100.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,483 €2,209

$2,281 €2,029

8.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.3

-4.85%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for Terrassa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.7%

Terrassa

$585 39% 50% $585

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$303 13.4%

Terrassa

$291 19.4% 3.9% $12

Eating Out

Madrid

$269 11.9%

Terrassa

$228 15.2% 15.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$241 10.6%

Terrassa

$164 10.9% 31.8% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 7%

Terrassa

$139 9.3% 11.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$71 3.1%

Terrassa

$54 3.6% 23.9% $17

Getting Around

Madrid

$54 2.4%

Terrassa

$40 2.7% 26.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,506 in Madrid and $824 in Terrassa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 9% 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 $55.0 in Terrassa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $291 per month, with Terrassa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Terrassa

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

225,277

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Madrid vs Terrassa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Terrassa wins on cost – living expenses run 51% 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 9% 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: $1,506 in Madrid versus $824 in Terrassa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $55.0 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,501 in Terrassa versus $2,265 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 $1,501 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 51% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.