Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Vilagarcia de Arousa Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Vilagarcia de Arousa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,454 in Vilagarcia de Arousa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,071 in Vilagarcia de Arousa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $2,688 in Vilagarcia de Arousa.

Living in Madrid is roughly 58% more expensive than in Vilagarcia de Arousa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Vilagarcia de Arousa 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.16

$11.60 €10.15

49.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$38.94 €34.06

76.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.46

$8.21 €7.18

45.55%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$1.72 €1.50

80.23%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$2.32 €2.03

38.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.62 €1.42

32.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$2.86 €2.50

43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$3.42 €2.99

33.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.07 €0.93

11.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.63 €1.43

4.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.97 €1.72

-12.69%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$1.92 €1.68

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.11

$7.86 €6.88

90.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.73

$7.00 €6.12

26.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.65

$9.37 €8.20

78.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.28 €2.00

14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.33 €2.04

-4.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.14 €1.87

14.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.27 €1.99

16.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.25 €1.97

-8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.34 €2.05

-8.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.68 €1.47

-20.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.84 €0.73

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.11

$6.46 €5.66

8.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.80

$4.50 €3.94

72.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.83 €0.72

72.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.46 €2.15

-11.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.66 €1.46

7.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.68

$34.73 €30.39

40.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$5.33 €4.66

-22.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.21 €1.05

14.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.93

$21.82 €19.09

30.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.73 €1.51

10.98%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$39.0K €34.1K

-3.42%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$31.8K €27.8K

7.20%

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

$193 €169

$92.5 €80.9

108.89%

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

$21.55 €18.86

$11.62 €10.16

85.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.47

$25.79 €22.57

39.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.10

$31.46 €27.53

67.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.44

$15.20 €13.30

16.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.01

$5.90 €5.16

93.90%

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

$669 €585

$327 €286

104.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$6,826 €5,972

74.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.8

$75.9 €66.4

24.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.46

$31.64 €27.68

35.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$76.2 €66.7

37.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$109 €95.6

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,406

$838 €733

91.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,007

$702 €615

63.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,483

$1,325 €1,159

114.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,644

$1,004 €878

87.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,907

$1,463 €1,280

517.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,729

$855 €748

398.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,156

$2,319 €2,029

6.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

4.26

-19.48%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Vilagarcia de Arousa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $838 in Vilagarcia de Arousa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 6% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $39.00 in Vilagarcia de Arousa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $221 per month, with Vilagarcia de Arousa 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 Vilagarcia de Arousa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vilagarcia de Arousa wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vilagarcia de Arousa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,607 in Madrid versus $838 in Vilagarcia de Arousa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Vilagarcia de Arousa – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,454 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vilagarcia de Arousa but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Vilagarcia de Arousa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vilagarcia de Arousa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,454 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vilagarcia de Arousa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Vilagarcia de Arousa 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 Vilagarcia de Arousa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.