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: $2,376 in Madrid versus $1,649 in Toledo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in Madrid versus $2,346 in Toledo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,482 in Madrid versus $3,043 in Toledo.

Living in Madrid is roughly 44% more expensive than in Toledo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 74% above, Toledo 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 €15.78

$13.61 €11.86

33.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.0

$49.25 €42.90

42.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.38

$11.52 €10.04

3.47%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.74

$2.02 €1.76

55.45%

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

$3.24 €2.82

$1.98 €1.73

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.14 €0.99

102.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.60

$3.54 €3.09

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 €4.62

$3.18 €2.77

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.22 €1.06

15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.06 €0.92

51.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.07 €1.80

-13.53%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.69

$3.15 €2.74

34.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.25 €15.02

$19.73 €17.18

-12.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 €8.52

$8.41 €7.32

16.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 €15.83

$15.52 €13.51

17.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.56 €2.23

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.49 €1.30

57.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$2.23 €1.95

17.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.35

$4.08 €3.56

-34.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.18 €1.90

3.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.26 €1.10

76.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.53 €1.34

1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.58 €0.51

91.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €6.00

$6.24 €5.44

10.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 €6.93

$4.48 €3.90

77.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.11 €0.96

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.02

$1.93 €1.68

20.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.57 €1.37

8.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.76 €32.89

$23.25 €20.25

62.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 €3.35

$4.57 €3.98

-15.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.37 €2.07

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.11 €27.09

$24.11 €21.00

29.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.68 €1.47

7.74%

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

$36.5K €31.8K

$35.9K €31.3K

1.60%

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

$34.0K €29.6K

$30.6K €26.6K

11.14%

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

$196 €171

$165 €143

19.13%

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

$18.80 €16.38

$20.85 €18.16

-9.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.32 €30.76

$31.50 €27.43

12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 €44.14

$45.77 €39.87

10.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.91 €17.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.68 €10.17

$9.35 €8.14

24.92%

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

$715 €623

$396 €345

80.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €15.9K

$6,213 €5,411

193.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €76.6

$76.2 €66.4

15.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 €38.35

$28.34 €24.68

55.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.2

$70.2 €61.2

54.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.6

$91.8 €80.0

23.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 €1,365

$871 €759

79.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,063

$723 €630

68.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 €2,456

$1,136 €990

148.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,630

$939 €817

99.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,963 €7,806

$1,859 €1,619

382.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,322 €3,764

$1,638 €1,426

163.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,568 €2,237

$2,203 €1,918

16.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.08

0.32%

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

Last update for Madrid: September 12, 2026

Last update for Toledo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,567 in Madrid and $871 in Toledo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 17% 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: $70.0 in Madrid vs $49.00 in Toledo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $283 per month, with Toledo 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 Toledo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toledo wins on cost – living expenses run 44% 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 17% 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: $1,567 in Madrid versus $871 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 $49.00 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,649 in Toledo versus $2,376 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 $1,649 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 44% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.