Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Toledo Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Toledo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,627 in Toledo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,365 in Toledo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,104 in Toledo.

Living in Madrid is roughly 38% more expensive than Toledo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Toledo 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.68

$11.59 €9.98

47.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$40.61 €34.97

68.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.10

$8.83 €7.60

32.84%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.64

$1.68 €1.45

82.14%

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

$3.21 €2.77

$1.96 €1.69

63.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.13 €1.83

2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.55 €3.06

10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$2.87 €2.47

62.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.19 €1.02

0.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.07 €0.92

57.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.87 €1.61

-9.63%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$2.79 €2.40

19.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.84

$22.98 €19.79

-35.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.69

$6.48 €5.58

37.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.50

$23.62 €20.34

-28.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.71 €2.33

0.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.20 €1.89

-4.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.96 €1.69

29.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$4.26 €3.67

-37.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.87 €1.61

14.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.04 €1.76

2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.99 €1.71

-32.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.68 €0.58

42.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.88

$6.22 €5.36

9.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.02

$4.59 €3.95

77.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.67 €0.58

107.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.72 €1.49

27.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.65 €1.42

7.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.26

$23.30 €20.06

110.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$4.76 €4.10

-15.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.38 €1.19

-3.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.13

$20.91 €18.00

39.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.84 €1.59

4.89%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$39.0K €33.5K

-4.52%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$26.8K €23.1K

28.31%

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

$195 €168

$206 €177

-5.58%

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

$21.66 €18.66

$23.48 €20.22

-7.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.57

$31.85 €27.43

11.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.31

$46.29 €39.86

16.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.46

$14.81 €12.76

21.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.95

$8.52 €7.33

35.56%

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

$676 €582

$258 €222

162.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$3,411 €2,937

255.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$87.9 €75.7

7.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.83

$27.30 €23.51

56.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.0

$81.8 €70.5

29.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$86.9 €74.8

54.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,348

$839 €722

86.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €989

$663 €571

73.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,433

$1,305 €1,124

116.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,622

$1,023 €881

84.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,816

$1,890 €1,627

380.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,884

$1,646 €1,417

174.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,261

$2,217 €1,909

18.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.33

3.00%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Toledo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $839 in Toledo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 18% 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 $41.00 in Toledo. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $311, 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 Toledo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toledo wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toledo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 18% 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 $839 in Toledo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Toledo – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,627 in Toledo versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Toledo but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Toledo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Toledo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,627 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toledo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Toledo 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 Toledo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.