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: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,925 in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,595 in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,264 in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Living in Madrid is roughly 17% more expensive than Vitoria-Gasteiz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Vitoria-Gasteiz 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.68

$17.20 €14.81

-0.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$53.1 €45.72

29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.10

$12.03 €10.36

-2.49%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.64

$2.24 €1.93

36.61%

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

$3.21 €2.77

$2.81 €2.42

14.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.09 €1.80

4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.18 €2.73

23.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.47 €3.85

4.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.24 €1.07

-3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.79 €1.54

-6.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.31 €1.13

29.01%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$2.91 €2.51

14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.84

$12.42 €10.70

20.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.69

$7.85 €6.76

13.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.50

$12.93 €11.13

30.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.61 €2.25

4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.05 €1.76

2.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.21 €1.90

14.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.36 €2.03

12.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.58 €1.36

36.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.26 €1.95

-7.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.04 €0.90

29.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.84 €0.72

15.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.88

$6.05 €5.21

12.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.02

$5.86 €5.05

39.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.20 €1.04

15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.11 €1.82

3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.63 €1.41

8.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.26

$41.23 €35.51

19.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$4.70 €4.04

-14.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.27 €1.09

4.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.13

$27.36 €23.56

6.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.85 €1.59

4.32%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$38.8K €33.4K

-4.08%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$28.2K €24.3K

21.73%

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

$195 €168

$131 €113

48.94%

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

$21.66 €18.66

$19.16 €16.50

13.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.57

$28.16 €24.25

26.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.31

$46.70 €40.21

15.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.46

$9.75 €8.40

84.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.95

$9.50 €8.18

21.58%

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

$676 €582

$495 €427

36.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$6,985 €6,015

73.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$90.1 €77.6

4.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.83

$32.34 €27.85

32.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.0

$92.8 €79.9

13.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$125 €108

7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,348

$1,144 €985

36.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €989

$1,001 €862

14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,433

$1,410 €1,214

100.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,622

$1,163 €1,001

62.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,816

$4,263 €3,671

112.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,884

$3,223 €2,775

39.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,261

$2,587 €2,227

1.52%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Vitoria-Gasteiz: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $1,144 in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 2% 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 $53.0 in Vitoria-Gasteiz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 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 17% 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.

Madrid pays 2% more on average, 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $1,144 in Vitoria-Gasteiz. 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 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 $1,925 in Vitoria-Gasteiz versus $2,253 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 $1,925 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 17% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.