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: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,777 in Zaragoza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,608 in Zaragoza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,438 in Zaragoza.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Zaragoza 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.14

$17.07 €14.91

1.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.0

$58.4 €51.0

17.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.44

$10.63 €9.28

12.42%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.18 €1.91

42.20%

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

$3.21 €2.80

$3.05 €2.67

5.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.88 €1.64

13.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$4.25 €3.71

-3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$3.53 €3.09

28.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.38 €1.21

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.37 €2.07

-27.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.21 €1.06

42.15%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.07

$2.59 €2.26

35.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.09

$17.07 €14.92

-12.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.72

$7.78 €6.80

13.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.63

$21.07 €18.41

-20.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.64 €2.30

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.07 €1.81

7.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.53 €2.21

-3.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$3.46 €3.02

-23.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.08 €1.81

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.35 €2.05

-8.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.90 €1.66

-29.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.78 €0.68

26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.10

$6.41 €5.60

9.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.79

$4.42 €3.86

75.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.17 €1.02

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.90

$2.40 €2.10

-9.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.76 €1.54

1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.62

$34.90 €30.49

39.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.60

$2.38 €2.08

73.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.00 €0.88

39.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.90

$30.88 €26.98

-7.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.81 €1.58

6.08%

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

$37.7K €32.9K

$38.3K €33.4K

-1.56%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$30.5K €26.6K

11.91%

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

$193 €169

$114 €99.9

68.89%

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

$21.55 €18.83

$20.72 €18.10

4.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.42

$36.13 €31.56

-0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.04

$41.27 €36.06

27.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.42

$11.08 €9.68

59.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.00

$9.95 €8.69

14.97%

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

$669 €584

$515 €450

29.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$8,340 €7,287

42.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.7

$74.6 €65.2

26.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.41

$42.02 €36.72

1.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.6

$89.7 €78.4

16.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$111 €96.8

19.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,404

$861 €752

86.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,006

$794 €693

45.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,480

$1,125 €983

152.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,642

$1,173 €1,025

60.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,896

$3,213 €2,807

181.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,724

$1,960 €1,713

117.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,153

$1,986 €1,735

24.08%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $861 in Zaragoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 24% 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 $293 vs $306, 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.

Average pay runs 24% 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 $861 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 $1,777 in Zaragoza versus $2,293 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 $1,777 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.