Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Zaragoza Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Zaragoza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,742 in Zaragoza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,588 in Zaragoza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,434 in Zaragoza.

Living in Madrid is roughly 29% more expensive than Zaragoza, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Zaragoza 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.68

$17.65 €15.20

-3.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$57.9 €49.86

18.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.10

$10.44 €8.99

12.36%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.64

$2.19 €1.88

39.73%

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

$3.21 €2.77

$3.06 €2.64

4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.96 €1.69

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$4.40 €3.78

-10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$3.39 €2.92

37.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.39 €1.20

-13.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$2.37 €2.04

-29.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.22 €1.05

38.52%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$2.71 €2.33

23.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.84

$16.74 €14.42

-10.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.69

$7.97 €6.86

12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.50

$20.48 €17.63

-17.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.65 €2.29

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.06 €1.77

2.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.45 €2.11

3.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$3.39 €2.92

-21.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.02 €1.74

6.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.33 €2.01

-9.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.88 €1.62

-28.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.74 €0.63

31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.88

$6.40 €5.51

6.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.02

$4.54 €3.91

79.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.21 €1.04

14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.40 €2.07

-8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.77 €1.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.26

$34.98 €30.12

40.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$2.50 €2.15

60.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.96 €0.83

38.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.13

$30.82 €26.54

-5.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.78 €1.54

8.43%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$38.0K €32.7K

-2.12%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$30.2K €26.0K

13.90%

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

$195 €168

$116 €99.8

67.98%

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

$21.66 €18.66

$20.73 €17.85

4.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.57

$35.80 €30.83

-0.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.31

$40.26 €34.67

33.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.46

$11.26 €9.70

59.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.95

$9.67 €8.33

19.44%

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

$676 €582

$515 €443

31.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$8,151 €7,019

48.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$75.4 €64.9

24.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.83

$42.30 €36.42

1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.0

$89.2 €76.8

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$113 €97.3

19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,348

$850 €732

84.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €989

$795 €685

44.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,433

$1,154 €994

144.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,622

$1,165 €1,003

61.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,816

$3,260 €2,807

178.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,884

$1,979 €1,704

127.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,261

$1,951 €1,680

34.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.75

-8.53%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $850 in Zaragoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 35% 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 $58.0 in Zaragoza. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $304, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaragoza wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zaragoza the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 35% 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 $850 in Zaragoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaragoza – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,742 in Zaragoza versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zaragoza delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,742 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zaragoza hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.