Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Torrejón de Ardoz

For one person, living is cheaper in Torrejón de Ardoz: $1,731 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid, Spain
Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,304
/mo nomad
Torrejón de Ardoz
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,731
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Torrejón de Ardoz

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 Torrejón de Ardoz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,731 in Torrejón de Ardoz.

  • Madrid $2,304
  • Torrejón de Ardoz $1,731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,565 in Torrejón de Ardoz.

  • Madrid $3,389
  • Torrejón de Ardoz $2,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,399 in Torrejón de Ardoz.

  • Madrid $4,475
  • Torrejón de Ardoz $3,399

Living in Madrid is roughly 33% more expensive than in Torrejón de Ardoz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Torrejón de Ardoz 27% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Torrejón de Ardoz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.73 €15.88
$16.81 €15.05
5.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9 €59.9
$56.2 €50.3
19.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 €10.12
$11.17 €10.00
1.16%
Cappuccino
$3.04 €2.72
$3.09 €2.77
-1.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €3.01
$2.63 €2.36
27.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$2.23 €2.00
5.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.89 €3.49
$3.40 €3.05
14.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 €4.30
$3.49 €3.12
37.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Torrejón de Ardoz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.18 €1.05
11.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.70 €1.52
-3.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 €1.54
$1.53 €1.37
12.42%
Eggs
$4.20 €3.77
$3.97 €3.55
5.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.91 €14.24
$16.51 €14.79
-3.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 €8.38
$9.06 €8.12
3.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.21 €15.41
$21.08 €18.88
-18.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.29
$2.56 €2.29
-
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.88
$2.41 €2.16
-13.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 €2.28
$2.47 €2.21
3.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$2.85 €2.55
-9.47%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.28 €2.04
1.32%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 €1.94
$2.18 €1.96
-0.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.50 €1.35
$1.61 €1.44
-6.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.05 €0.94
1.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.57 €5.88
$6.76 €6.05
-2.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.87 €7.05
$5.46 €4.89
44.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.23 €1.10
-1.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.94
$2.24 €2.01
-3.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Torrejón de Ardoz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.50
$1.90 €1.70
-12.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.53 €33.61
$32.13 €28.78
16.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.76 €3.37
$2.32 €2.08
62.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.50 €1.34
-0.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.17 €27.02
$28.96 €25.94
4.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.84 €1.65
0.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K €30.3K
$33.7K €30.2K
0.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K €29.8K
$31.8K €28.5K
4.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Torrejón de Ardoz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 €172
$178 €160
7.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.66 €15.81
$17.68 €15.83
-0.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.07 €31.41
$35.16 €31.49
-0.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Torrejón de Ardoz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.27 €42.34
$45.29 €40.56
4.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.23 €16.32
$15.79 €14.15
15.45%
Cinema Ticket
$11.29 €10.11
$8.87 €7.95
27.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Torrejón de Ardoz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$687 €615
$510 €457
34.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K €16.1K
$8,076 €7,233
122.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Torrejón de Ardoz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.5 €77.5
$91.1 €81.6
-5.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.65 €37.30
$39.78 €35.63
4.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.8
$100 €89.8
7.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €100.0
$111 €99.2
0.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Torrejón de Ardoz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 €1,351
$873 €782
72.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,210 €1,083
$673 €603
79.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,829 €2,534
$1,333 €1,194
112.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,004 €1,795
$1,033 €925
93.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,002 €8,062
$3,262 €2,922
175.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,710 €4,218
$2,173 €1,946
116.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Torrejón de Ardoz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,453 €2,197
$1,483 €1,328
65.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.14
-

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Torrejón de Ardoz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Torrejón de Ardoz
$673 44.3% $536
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$304
Torrejón de Ardoz
$312 2.5% $7.8
Eating Out
Madrid
$264
Torrejón de Ardoz
$249 5.9% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$244
Torrejón de Ardoz
$231 5.5% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$157
Torrejón de Ardoz
$154 1.7% $2.7
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$70
Torrejón de Ardoz
$63 9.7% $6.8
Getting Around
Madrid
$55
Torrejón de Ardoz
$50 10.6% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $873 in Torrejón de Ardoz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $56 in Torrejón de Ardoz. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $312, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Torrejón de Ardoz
🕒 Local time
15:24 3:24 PM
15:24 3:24 PM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
137,711
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Torrejón de Ardoz 20 km
From you
  • Madrid
  • Torrejón de Ardoz

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 Torrejón de Ardoz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Madrid or Torrejón de Ardoz?
Torrejón de Ardoz wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Torrejón de Ardoz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Madrid or in Torrejón de Ardoz?
Average pay runs 65% higher in Madrid, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Madrid compared to Torrejón de Ardoz?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,508 in Madrid versus $873 in Torrejón de Ardoz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Madrid and in Torrejón de Ardoz?
Childcare runs $687 in Madrid versus $510 in Torrejón de Ardoz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Madrid and in Torrejón de Ardoz?
Dining out is cheaper in Torrejón de Ardoz – a meal for two runs $56 versus $67 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Madrid or in Torrejón de Ardoz?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Torrejón de Ardoz gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Madrid or Torrejón de Ardoz?
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.
How safe is Madrid compared to Torrejón de Ardoz?
Safety-wise, Madrid and Torrejón de Ardoz are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Madrid or to Torrejón de Ardoz?
It comes down to priorities – Torrejón de Ardoz wins on affordability, Madrid on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Madrid vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?