Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarragona and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarragona and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,752 in Tarragona versus $2,253 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,515 in Tarragona versus $3,329 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Tarragona versus $4,404 in Madrid.

Living in Tarragona costs roughly 22% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tarragona 31% above, Madrid 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 €14.76

$17.05 €14.66

0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 €39.22

$68.6 €59.0

-33.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €8.82

$11.73 €10.09

-12.62%

Cappuccino

$2.41 €2.08

$3.06 €2.63

-21.24%

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

$2.41 €2.07

$3.21 €2.76

-24.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.18 €1.87

-20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.02

$3.94 €3.39

-10.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 €3.00

$4.67 €4.02

-25.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.20 €1.03

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.68 €1.45

19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.69 €1.45

-0.59%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.56

$3.34 €2.88

-10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 €12.40

$14.91 €12.83

-3.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €7.84

$8.93 €7.68

2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.27

$16.84 €14.49

5.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$2.73 €2.34

13.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.11 €1.82

39.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.54 €2.19

16.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.65 €2.28

13.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.15 €1.85

-32.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$2.10 €1.81

-32.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.35 €1.17

15.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.60

$0.97 €0.84

-28.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 €5.50

$6.82 €5.87

-6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.30 €4.56

$8.15 €7.01

-34.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.39 €1.20

51.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.19 €1.88

-3.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.77 €1.52

-0.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.96 €24.91

$49.07 €42.21

-40.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 €3.45

$4.01 €3.45

0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.33 €1.14

-9.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.55 €19.40

$29.19 €25.11

-22.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.93 €1.66

-5.18%

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

$36.9K €31.8K

$37.2K €32.0K

-0.68%

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

$30.4K €26.1K

$34.4K €29.6K

-11.58%

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

$119 €102

$195 €167

-39.11%

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

$20.16 €17.34

$21.66 €18.64

-6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.65 €32.38

$35.51 €30.54

6.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 €45.46

$53.8 €46.26

-1.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 €21.45

$17.95 €15.44

38.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.32 €8.02

$11.55 €9.94

-19.31%

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

$328 €282

$676 €582

-51.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,882 €5,920

$12.1K €10.4K

-43.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.3 €82.9

$94.2 €81.1

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 €29.91

$42.77 €36.79

-18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 €68.0

$106 €90.9

-25.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 €85.4

$134 €116

-26.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 €702

$1,566 €1,347

-47.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 €683

$1,149 €988

-30.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,049

$2,826 €2,431

-56.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 €977

$1,884 €1,621

-39.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,764 €2,377

$9,077 €7,808

-69.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,265 €1,088

$4,511 €3,880

-71.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,183 €1,878

$2,626 €2,259

-16.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

3.43

9.33%

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

Last update for Tarragona: June 1, 2026

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $816 in Tarragona and $1,566 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 20% 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: $46.00 in Tarragona vs $69.0 in Madrid. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $294, 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

Tarragona vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, Madrid earns 20% 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: $816 in Tarragona versus $1,566 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tarragona – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,752 in Tarragona versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tarragona but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Tarragona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tarragona delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,752 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tarragona hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tarragona 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 Tarragona 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.