Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de Compostela and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de Compostela and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,430 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,273 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,188 in Santiago de Compostela versus $3,389 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,947 in Santiago de Compostela versus $4,505 in Madrid.

Living in Santiago de Compostela costs roughly 37% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santiago de Compostela 7% above, Madrid 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.67 €11.70

$17.64 €15.10

-22.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 €46.34

$70.5 €60.3

-23.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 €8.40

$11.66 €9.98

-15.87%

Cappuccino

$1.87 €1.60

$3.10 €2.65

-39.68%

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

$2.48 €2.12

$3.06 €2.62

-18.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.79

$2.10 €1.80

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 €2.66

$4.07 €3.48

-23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.13

$4.52 €3.87

-19.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.25 €1.07

-11.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 €1.04

$1.69 €1.44

-27.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$1.65 €1.41

-2.42%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.61

$3.35 €2.87

-8.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 €7.87

$14.57 €12.47

-36.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 €5.40

$9.12 €7.80

-30.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 €15.08

$16.67 €14.27

5.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$2.66 €2.28

-32.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.83

$2.21 €1.89

-3.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$2.47 €2.11

-38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.50

$2.71 €2.32

7.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.11 €1.81

0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.27

$2.14 €1.83

-30.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.41 €1.20

-19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.97 €0.83

-27.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 €5.06

$7.08 €6.06

-16.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.41 €4.63

$8.12 €6.95

-33.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.39 €1.19

8.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.05

$2.25 €1.92

6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 €1.03

$1.78 €1.52

-32.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.28 €29.35

$48.86 €41.82

-29.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.05

$4.16 €3.56

13.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.38 €1.18

-7.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.27 €19.06

$28.62 €24.50

-22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.88 €1.61

-3.19%

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

$29.1K €24.9K

$38.3K €32.8K

-24.05%

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

$30.8K €26.3K

$34.4K €29.4K

-10.48%

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

$166 €143

$192 €164

-13.34%

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

$21.52 €18.42

$21.59 €18.48

-0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.46 €28.64

$35.26 €30.19

-5.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.50 €35.53

$53.4 €45.71

-22.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.26 €1.94

$17.72 €15.17

-87.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.84

$11.78 €10.08

-12.31%

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

$353 €302

$674 €577

-47.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,207 €7,025

$12.2K €10.5K

-32.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 €65.7

$95.7 €81.9

-19.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.26 €26.76

$41.61 €35.61

-24.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 €75.5

$104 €89.4

-15.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 €81.7

$133 €114

-28.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 €642

$1,595 €1,365

-52.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 €441

$1,109 €949

-53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 €871

$2,858 €2,446

-64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 €748

$1,890 €1,618

-53.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,271 €2,800

$9,394 €8,042

-65.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 €1,907

$4,583 €3,923

-51.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,934 €1,655

$2,602 €2,227

-25.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

3.43

-2.92%

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

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: April 27, 2026

Last update for Madrid: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Santiago de Compostela and $1,595 in Madrid. 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: $54.0 in Santiago de Compostela vs $70.0 in Madrid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $294 per month, with Santiago de Compostela 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

Santiago de Compostela vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de Compostela wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago de Compostela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Madrid earns 35% less. 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: $750 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,595 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago de Compostela – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,430 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,273 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago de Compostela but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de Compostela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santiago de Compostela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,430 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santiago de Compostela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santiago de Compostela and Madrid 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 Santiago de Compostela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.