Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Toledo

For one person, living is cheaper in Toledo: $1,595 a month against $2,326 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Toledo
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Toledo Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,326

/mo nomad

Toledo

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Toledo

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 Toledo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,326 in Madrid versus $1,595 in Toledo.

Madrid $2,326
Toledo $1,595

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,414 in Madrid versus $2,251 in Toledo.

Madrid $3,414
Toledo $2,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Madrid versus $2,908 in Toledo.

Madrid $4,502
Toledo $2,908

Living in Madrid is roughly 46% more expensive than in Toledo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Toledo 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.67 €16.63

$13.61 €12.12

37.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.1

$47.73 €42.50

41.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 €11.08

$11.13 €9.91

11.77%

Cappuccino

$3.20 €2.85

$1.99 €1.77

60.80%

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

$3.29 €2.93

$1.86 €1.65

76.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.10 €0.98

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.43

$3.45 €3.07

11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.20

$3.08 €2.74

52.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.19 €1.06

16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.03 €0.92

59.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.94 €1.73

-12.89%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.59

$2.94 €2.62

37.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.48 €14.68

$18.94 €16.87

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 €8.16

$7.56 €6.73

21.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 €15.38

$15.22 €13.55

13.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.48 €2.21

1.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.47 €1.30

47.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.25

$2.27 €2.02

11.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$4.02 €3.58

-38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$2.04 €1.81

13.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$1.25 €1.11

64.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.54 €1.37

-3.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.60 €0.53

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €6.10

$5.99 €5.34

14.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 €6.95

$4.34 €3.87

79.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.03 €0.92

17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €2.00

$1.89 €1.69

18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.53 €1.36

12.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.26 €33.18

$23.05 €20.53

61.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 €2.86

$4.44 €3.95

-27.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 €1.43

$2.28 €2.03

-29.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.80 €27.43

$22.79 €20.30

35.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.66 €1.47

9.64%

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

$33.2K €29.5K

$34.7K €30.9K

-4.31%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$28.6K €25.4K

13.17%

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

$182 €162

$157 €140

15.73%

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

$17.24 €15.35

$20.47 €18.23

-15.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.81 €31.00

$30.56 €27.21

13.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.26 €42.08

$44.68 €39.78

5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 €16.30

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 €9.95

$9.05 €8.06

23.54%

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

$696 €620

$383 €341

81.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K €16.0K

$6,064 €5,400

195.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.6

$73.4 €65.3

17.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.09 €38.37

$27.69 €24.65

55.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.7

$68.2 €60.7

60.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.4

$88.6 €78.9

26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 €1,358

$865 €770

76.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 €1,094

$690 €614

78.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,815 €2,507

$1,063 €946

164.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,792

$911 €812

120.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,105 €8,107

$1,791 €1,595

408.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,699 €4,184

$1,584 €1,410

196.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,487 €2,214

$2,390 €2,128

4.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

3.08

2.27%

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

Last update for Madrid: November 1, 2026

Last update for Toledo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.9%

Toledo

$690 43.2% 43.9% $540

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.1%

Toledo

$272 17.1% 10.5% $32

Eating Out

Madrid

$276 11.9%

Toledo

$201 12.6% 27.1% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$234 10.1%

Toledo

$208 13.1% 11% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$158 6.8%

Toledo

$116 7.3% 26.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Toledo

$63 3.9% 9.8% $6.8

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Toledo

$45 2.8% 18.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,525 in Madrid and $865 in Toledo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 4% 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 in Madrid vs $48 in Toledo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $272 per month, with Toledo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Toledo

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

86,070

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 31% 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.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $1,525 in Madrid versus $865 in Toledo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Toledo – a meal for two runs $48 versus $68 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,595 in Toledo versus $2,326 in Madrid, a $2,000 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 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.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Toledo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Toledo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.