Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Texas City, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Texas City, TX: $1,976 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Madrid outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Madrid, Spain
Texas City, TX, United States
Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,304
/mo nomad
Texas City, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$1,976
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Texas City, TX

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 Texas City, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,976 in Texas City, TX.

  • Madrid $2,304
  • Texas City, TX $1,976

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,884 in Texas City, TX.

  • Madrid $3,389
  • Texas City, TX $2,884

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,793 in Texas City, TX.

  • Madrid $4,475
  • Texas City, TX $3,793

Living in Madrid is roughly 17% more expensive than in Texas City, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Texas City, TX 45% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Texas City, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.73 €15.93
$18.02 $18.02
-1.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9 €60.1
$73.9 $73.9
-9.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 €10.15
$10.13 $10.13
11.55%
Cappuccino
$3.04 €2.73
$4.07 $4.07
-25.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €3.02
$1.27 $1.27
164.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$1.89 $1.89
24.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.89 €3.50
$6.15 $6.15
-36.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 €4.31
$6.94 $6.94
-30.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Texas City, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.18
$0.77 $0.77
71.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 €1.47
$2.67 $2.67
-38.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 €1.55
$3.27 $3.27
-47.40%
Eggs
$4.20 €3.78
$4.08 $4.08
2.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.91 €14.29
$6.49 $6.49
145.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 €8.41
$14.35 $14.35
-34.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.21 €15.46
$10.27 $10.27
67.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.30
$4.75 $4.75
-46.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.88
$1.52 $1.52
37.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 €2.29
$4.43 $4.43
-42.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.32
$4.33 $4.33
-40.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 €2.08
$3.04 $3.04
-24.01%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 €1.95
$2.39 $2.39
-9.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.50 €1.35
$1.79 $1.79
-16.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.21 $2.21
-51.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.57 €5.90
$8.09 $8.09
-18.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.87 €7.07
$9.86 $9.86
-20.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.09
$2.85 $2.85
-57.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.95
$3.33 $3.33
-34.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Texas City, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.50
$0.99 $0.99
68.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.53 €33.71
$40.58 $40.58
-7.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.76 €3.38
$2.80 $2.80
34.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.61 $1.61
-7.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.17 €27.10
$20.37 $20.37
48.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.66
$0.82 $0.82
125.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K €30.4K
$34.6K $34.6K
-2.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K €29.9K
$26.7K $26.7K
24.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Texas City, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 €172
$227 $227
-15.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.66 €15.86
$25.02 $25.02
-29.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.07 €31.51
$71.0 $71.0
-50.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Texas City, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.27 €42.46
$15.04 $15.04
214.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.23 €16.37
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.29 €10.14
$13.94 $13.94
-19.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Texas City, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$687 €617
$1,192 $1,192
-42.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K €16.2K
$21.2K $21.2K
-15.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Texas City, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.5 €77.7
$52.6 $52.6
64.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.65 €37.41
$42.94 $42.94
-3.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €97.1
$65.5 $65.5
65.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €100
$106 $106
5.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Texas City, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 €1,355
$1,069 $1,069
41.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,210 €1,087
$808 $808
49.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,829 €2,541
$1,706 $1,706
65.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,004 €1,800
$1,250 $1,250
60.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,002 €8,086
$9,121 $9,121
-1.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,710 €4,231
$7,895 $7,895
-40.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Texas City, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,453 €2,204
$4,610 $4,610
-46.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
6.53
-51.91%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Texas City, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Texas City, TX
$808 33.2% $401
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$304
Texas City, TX
$346 13.8% $42
Eating Out
Madrid
$264
Texas City, TX
$281 6.2% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$244
Texas City, TX
$323 32.1% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$157
Texas City, TX
$120 23.2% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$70
Texas City, TX
$43 38.6% $27
Getting Around
Madrid
$55
Texas City, TX
$55 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $1,069 in Texas City, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Texas City, TX pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $74 in Texas City, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $346 per month, with Madrid cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇺🇸 Texas City, TX
🕒 Local time
23:17 11:17 PM
17:17 5:17 PM
6 h behind Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
45,099
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Texas City, TX 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Madrid
  • Texas City, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Texas City, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Madrid or Texas City, TX?
Texas City, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Texas City, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Madrid or in Texas City, TX?
On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Madrid. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Madrid compared to Texas City, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,508 in Madrid versus $1,069 in Texas City, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Madrid or in Texas City, TX?
Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How do dining costs compare in Madrid and in Texas City, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Madrid – a meal for two runs $67 versus $74 in Texas City, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Madrid or Texas City, TX?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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