Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Topeka, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Topeka, KS: $1,912 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Madrid outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Topeka, KS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,912 in Topeka, KS.

Madrid $2,304
Topeka, KS $1,912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,889 in Topeka, KS.

Madrid $3,389
Topeka, KS $2,889

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,867 in Topeka, KS.

Madrid $4,475
Topeka, KS $3,867

Living in Madrid is roughly 21% more expensive than in Topeka, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Topeka, KS 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.93

$13.68 $13.68

29.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €60.1

$51.0 $51.0

31.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.15

$10.09 $10.09

11.99%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$3.59 $3.59

-15.32%

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

$3.36 €3.02

$2.37 $2.37

41.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.71 $1.71

37.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.50

$4.57 $4.57

-14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.31

$9.15 $9.15

-47.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$0.86 $0.86

53.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$2.74 $2.74

-40.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.55

$2.89 $2.89

-40.48%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.78

$3.95 $3.95

6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.29

$8.77 $8.77

81.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.41

$8.70 $8.70

7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.46

$15.10 $15.10

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$4.73 $4.73

-45.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.65 $1.65

26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$5.20 $5.20

-50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.32

$4.11 $4.11

-37.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$3.54 $3.54

-34.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.58 $2.58

-15.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.82 $1.82

-17.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.79 $0.79

35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.90

$8.83 $8.83

-25.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.07

$12.03 $12.03

-34.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.81 $1.81

-33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.71 $1.71

26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$2.02 $2.02

-17.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.71

$49.63 $49.63

-24.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.38

$2.70 $2.70

39.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.59 $1.59

-6.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.10

$33.59 $33.59

-10.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.66

$0.88 $0.88

110.23%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$25.7K $25.7K

31.98%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$26.4K $26.4K

26.31%

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

$192 €172

$142 $142

34.58%

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

$17.66 €15.86

$46.56 $46.56

-62.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.51

$64.7 $64.7

-45.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.46

$37.70 $37.70

25.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.37

$15.07 $15.07

20.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.14

$13.74 $13.74

-17.83%

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

$687 €617

$439 $439

56.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.7

$39.15 $39.15

121.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.41

$28.48 $28.48

46.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.1

$90.3 $90.3

19.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$79.6 $79.6

40.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,355

$699 $699

115.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,087

$855 $855

41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,541

$1,210 $1,210

133.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,800

$1,556 $1,556

28.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,086

$1,600 $1,600

462.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,231

$1,293 $1,293

264.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,204

$3,678 $3,678

-33.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

6.24

-49.68%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Topeka, KS

$855 44.7% 29.3% $355

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Topeka, KS

$323 16.9% 6% $18

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Topeka, KS

$240 12.6% 9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Topeka, KS

$254 13.3% 3.8% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Topeka, KS

$107 5.6% 31.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Topeka, KS

$65 3.4% 6.7% $4.7

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Topeka, KS

$68 3.6% 23.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $699 in Topeka, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Topeka, KS pays 50% 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 $51 in Topeka, KS. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $323, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

11:51 11:51 AM

6 h behind Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

124,331

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Madrid Topeka, KS 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
Topeka, KS

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 Topeka, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Topeka, KS wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Topeka, KS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,508 in Madrid versus $699 in Topeka, KS. 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 Topeka, KS – a meal for two runs $51 versus $67 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.