Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,919 in Topeka, KS versus $2,282 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,043 in Topeka, KS versus $3,376 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,167 in Topeka, KS versus $4,470 in Madrid.

Living in Topeka, KS costs roughly 16% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Topeka, KS 42% above, Madrid 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 $13.29

$17.19 €14.63

-22.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 $53.6

$70.4 €59.9

-23.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 $9.80

$12.06 €10.26

-18.74%

Cappuccino

$3.58 $3.58

$3.15 €2.68

13.65%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$3.21 €2.73

-30.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.11 €1.80

-25.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.96 €3.37

29.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 $5.91

$4.53 €3.85

30.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.25 €1.06

-32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.68 €1.43

85.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.71 €1.46

28.07%

Eggs

$4.44 $4.44

$3.40 €2.89

30.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 $8.77

$14.93 €12.71

-41.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.83 $10.83

$8.95 €7.62

21.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$17.18 €14.62

-25.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.60 €2.22

109.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.19 €1.87

-10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.56 €2.18

82.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.64 €2.25

62.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.12 €1.80

76.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.10 €1.78

17.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.41 €1.20

28.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.96 €0.82

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 $9.17

$7.06 €6.01

29.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 $11.85

$8.28 €7.05

43.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.45 €1.24

21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.27 €1.93

-26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 $4.63

$1.77 €1.50

161.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 $50.6

$49.35 €41.99

2.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.94 €3.35

-28.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.33 €1.14

1.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 $32.88

$28.57 €24.32

15.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.90 €1.62

-60.00%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$38.4K €32.6K

-37.31%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.1K €29.0K

-27.25%

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

$113 $113

$196 €167

-42.28%

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

$48.84 $48.84

$21.30 €18.13

129.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$35.85 €30.51

78.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 $58.0

$53.9 €45.90

7.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 $15.45

$17.54 €14.93

-11.92%

Cinema Ticket

$12.31 $12.31

$11.36 €9.66

8.36%

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

$441 $441

$671 €571

-34.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$11.9K €10.1K

100.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.10 $22.10

$94.1 €80.1

-76.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.67 $19.67

$42.46 €36.14

-53.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 $72.2

$104 €88.9

-30.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 $79.8

$133 €113

-39.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 $753

$1,572 €1,338

-52.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 $870

$1,126 €958

-22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,856 $1,856

$2,857 €2,432

-35.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 $1,763

$1,920 €1,634

-8.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,353 $1,353

$9,268 €7,887

-85.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,337 $1,337

$4,531 €3,856

-70.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,458 $3,458

$2,609 €2,220

32.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.11

3.43

78.13%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: April 13, 2026

Last update for Madrid: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Topeka, KS and $1,572 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Topeka, KS pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54 in Topeka, KS vs $70 in Madrid. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $297, 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

Topeka, KS vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Topeka, KS wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Topeka, KS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Topeka, KS pays 33% 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: $753 in Topeka, KS versus $1,572 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Topeka, KS – 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 $1,919 in Topeka, KS versus $2,282 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Topeka, KS but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Topeka, KS the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Topeka, KS delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,919 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Topeka, KS hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Topeka, KS 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 Topeka, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.