Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Vitoria-Gasteiz Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Vitoria-Gasteiz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,939 in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,651 in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,362 in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Living in Madrid is roughly 18% more expensive than in Vitoria-Gasteiz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Vitoria-Gasteiz 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.16

$17.17 €15.02

0.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$52.6 €46.02

30.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.46

$11.93 €10.43

0.17%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.16 €1.89

43.52%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$2.90 €2.54

10.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.06 €1.80

3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$3.19 €2.79

28.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$4.54 €3.97

0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.30 €1.14

-8.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.81 €1.59

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.32 €1.15

30.30%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$2.95 €2.58

19.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.11

$12.25 €10.72

22.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.73

$7.75 €6.78

13.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.65

$13.24 €11.58

26.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.65 €2.32

-1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.06 €1.80

7.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.23 €1.95

9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.38 €2.08

11.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.65 €1.44

25.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.32 €2.03

-7.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.05 €0.92

27.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.79 €0.69

25.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.11

$6.29 €5.50

11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.80

$5.52 €4.83

40.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.16 €1.01

23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.10 €1.84

3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.58 €1.38

12.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.68

$40.44 €35.38

20.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$4.68 €4.09

-11.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.31 €1.15

6.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.93

$28.10 €24.58

1.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.87 €1.63

2.67%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$38.1K €33.3K

-1.08%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$29.0K €25.4K

17.71%

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

$193 €169

$130 €114

48.75%

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

$21.55 €18.86

$19.20 €16.80

12.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.47

$28.42 €24.86

26.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.10

$46.80 €40.95

12.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.44

$9.63 €8.42

83.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.01

$9.62 €8.41

18.92%

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

$669 €585

$489 €428

36.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$6,979 €6,106

70.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.8

$91.8 €80.3

3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.46

$31.97 €27.97

33.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$93.5 €81.8

12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$126 €110

4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,167 €1,021

37.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,007

$970 €849

18.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,483

$1,383 €1,210

105.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,644

$1,151 €1,007

63.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,907

$4,179 €3,656

116.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,729

$3,187 €2,788

33.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,156

$2,808 €2,457

-12.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.5

-2.00%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Vitoria-Gasteiz: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $1,167 in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vitoria-Gasteiz pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $53.0 in Vitoria-Gasteiz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $254 per month, with Vitoria-Gasteiz 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 Vitoria-Gasteiz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vitoria-Gasteiz wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vitoria-Gasteiz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Vitoria-Gasteiz. 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: $1,607 in Madrid versus $1,167 in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Vitoria-Gasteiz – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,939 in Vitoria-Gasteiz versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Vitoria-Gasteiz but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Vitoria-Gasteiz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vitoria-Gasteiz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,939 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vitoria-Gasteiz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Vitoria-Gasteiz 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 Vitoria-Gasteiz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.