Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Valencia

For one person, living is cheaper in Valencia: $2,078 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
Learn more

Madrid Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Valencia
Learn more

Valencia Living Index

Jump to prices

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Valencia

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,078

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Valencia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $2,078 in Valencia.

Madrid $2,265
Valencia $2,078

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Madrid versus $3,034 in Valencia.

Madrid $3,311
Valencia $3,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Madrid versus $3,990 in Valencia.

Madrid $4,356
Valencia $3,990

Living in Madrid is roughly 9% more expensive than in Valencia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 67% above, Valencia 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 €16.06

$19.28 €17.15

-6.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$67.1 €59.7

-0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.14

$12.24 €10.89

-6.86%

Cappuccino

$3.03 €2.69

$2.64 €2.34

14.77%

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

$3.25 €2.89

$2.50 €2.22

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.00 €1.78

16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$3.46 €3.08

11.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 €4.29

$4.40 €3.92

9.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.19 €1.05

10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.35 €1.20

19.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.79 €1.59

-2.23%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$3.52 €3.13

15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.54

$10.81 €9.62

51.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.55

$8.07 €7.18

19.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.50

$16.06 €14.29

8.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.52 €2.24

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.93

$1.91 €1.70

14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.86 €1.66

34.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.62 €2.33

-0.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.70 €1.51

32.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.77 €1.57

17.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.15 €1.02

35.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.75 €0.66

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 €5.96

$6.55 €5.82

2.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.95

$5.49 €4.89

42.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.34 €1.19

-8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.65 €1.47

36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.18 €1.94

-25.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.72 €33.56

$38.84 €34.55

-2.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$4.46 €3.97

-14.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.33 €1.19

12.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 €26.68

$23.56 €20.96

27.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.81 €1.61

-1.10%

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

$33.7K €29.9K

$33.8K €30.0K

-0.34%

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

$33.3K €29.6K

$31.7K €28.2K

4.74%

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

$190 €169

$157 €140

21.22%

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

$17.57 €15.63

$16.29 €14.49

7.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 €31.43

$34.31 €30.52

3.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 €44.04

$42.78 €38.05

15.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.20 €16.19

$8.69 €7.73

109.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.87

$10.81 €9.61

2.59%

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

$684 €609

$584 €519

17.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €16.2K

$9,663 €8,595

88.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €78.1

$90.8 €80.7

-3.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €37.41

$41.38 €36.81

1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.3

$94.1 €83.7

17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$120 €107

-6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,342

$1,405 €1,250

7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 €1,034

$1,069 €951

8.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 €2,494

$2,314 €2,058

21.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,661

$1,673 €1,488

11.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,017 €8,021

$5,572 €4,956

61.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,294 €3,819

$3,316 €2,950

29.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,495 €2,219

$1,862 €1,656

33.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.41

-7.92%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Last update for Valencia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.3%

Valencia

$1.1K 51.5% 8% $93

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.6%

Valencia

$255 12.3% 16.9% $52

Eating Out

Madrid

$266 11.8%

Valencia

$267 12.8% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$243 10.7%

Valencia

$208 10% 14.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$159 7%

Valencia

$156 7.5% 1.9% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

Valencia

$64 3.1% 10.2% $7.3

Getting Around

Madrid

$56 2.5%

Valencia

$59 2.8% 5.7% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,509 in Madrid and $1,405 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 34% 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: $66.0 in Madrid vs $67.0 in Valencia. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $255, with Valencia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Valencia

🕒 Local time

02:58 2:58 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

807,693

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madrid Valencia 300 km

From you

Madrid
Valencia

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 Valencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valencia wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Valencia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $1,509 in Madrid versus $1,405 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Valencia – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $66.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,078 in Valencia versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Valencia but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Valencia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Valencia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,078 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Valencia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Valencia 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 Valencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.