Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Tres Cantos Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Tres Cantos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,376 in Madrid versus $1,732 in Tres Cantos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in Madrid versus $2,493 in Tres Cantos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,482 in Madrid versus $3,254 in Tres Cantos.

Living in Madrid is roughly 37% more expensive than in Tres Cantos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 74% above, Tres Cantos 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 €15.79

$17.57 €15.32

3.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$59.0 €51.4

18.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.39

$11.82 €10.30

0.85%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.74

$2.43 €2.12

29.22%

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

$3.24 €2.82

$2.48 €2.17

30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.86 €1.62

24.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.61

$3.51 €3.06

17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 €4.62

$3.71 €3.23

42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.22 €1.06

15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.44 €1.26

11.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.69 €1.47

5.92%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.69

$3.37 €2.94

25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.25 €15.04

$14.19 €12.37

21.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 €8.53

$8.22 €7.16

18.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 €15.84

$16.46 €14.34

10.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.55 €2.22

1.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.07 €1.80

13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$2.22 €1.93

18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.35

$2.59 €2.26

3.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.92 €1.68

17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$2.17 €1.89

2.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.43 €1.25

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.78 €0.68

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €6.00

$6.51 €5.68

5.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 €6.93

$5.85 €5.10

35.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.26 €1.10

-3.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.02

$2.17 €1.89

6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.68 €1.46

1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.76 €32.91

$33.72 €29.40

11.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 €3.35

$4.15 €3.62

-7.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.38 €1.20

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.11 €27.12

$24.11 €21.02

29.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.73 €1.51

4.62%

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

$36.5K €31.8K

$36.9K €32.2K

-1.20%

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

$34.0K €29.6K

$30.7K €26.8K

10.64%

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

$196 €171

$154 €134

27.34%

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

$18.80 €16.39

$18.67 €16.28

0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.32 €30.79

$31.40 €27.37

12.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 €44.18

$45.72 €39.85

10.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.91 €17.36

$16.97 €14.79

17.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.68 €10.18

$10.05 €8.76

16.22%

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

$715 €624

$491 €428

45.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €15.9K

$8,884 €7,744

105.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €76.7

$87.3 €76.1

0.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 €38.38

$36.90 €32.17

19.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.3

$93.2 €81.2

16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.7

$111 €96.4

2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 €1,366

$928 €809

68.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$702 €612

73.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 €2,458

$1,410 €1,229

100.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,631

$1,052 €917

77.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,963 €7,813

$3,384 €2,950

164.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,322 €3,767

$2,330 €2,031

85.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,568 €2,238

$3,347 €2,917

-23.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.3

-6.36%

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

Last update for Madrid: September 12, 2026

Last update for Tres Cantos: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,567 in Madrid and $928 in Tres Cantos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tres Cantos pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Madrid vs $59.0 in Tres Cantos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $274 per month, with Tres Cantos 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 Tres Cantos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tres Cantos wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tres Cantos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Tres Cantos. 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: $1,567 in Madrid versus $928 in Tres Cantos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tres Cantos – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,732 in Tres Cantos versus $2,376 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tres Cantos but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Tres Cantos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tres Cantos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,732 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tres Cantos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Tres Cantos 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 Tres Cantos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.