Cost of Living Comparison Between Vaughan and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Vaughan and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,551 in Vaughan versus $2,253 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,782 in Vaughan versus $3,329 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,013 in Vaughan versus $4,404 in Madrid.

Living in Vaughan is roughly 13% more expensive than Madrid, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vaughan 90% above, Madrid 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.57 CA$20.26

$17.05 €14.68

-14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 CA$105

$68.6 €59.0

10.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 CA$14.48

$11.73 €10.10

-11.25%

Cappuccino

$3.54 CA$4.92

$3.06 €2.63

15.69%

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

$2.10 CA$2.92

$3.21 €2.77

-34.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.37

$2.18 €1.87

-21.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 CA$8.77

$3.94 €3.39

60.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 CA$7.18

$4.67 €4.02

10.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 CA$2.44

$1.20 €1.03

46.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 CA$3.13

$1.68 €1.45

33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.29

$1.69 €1.46

124.85%

Eggs

$3.41 CA$4.74

$3.34 €2.88

2.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 CA$12.04

$14.91 €12.84

-41.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.04

$8.93 €7.68

21.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 CA$9.18

$16.84 €14.50

-60.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.14

$2.73 €2.35

9.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$2.11 €1.82

-27.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.88

$2.54 €2.19

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.72

$2.65 €2.28

28.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.70

$2.15 €1.85

-9.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 CA$2.84

$2.10 €1.81

-2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$1.35 €1.17

32.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$0.97 €0.84

74.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 CA$18.07

$6.82 €5.87

90.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CA$16.69

$8.15 €7.02

47.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 CA$2.98

$1.39 €1.20

53.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 CA$2.97

$2.19 €1.88

-2.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.92

$1.77 €1.52

59.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$154

$49.07 €42.25

125.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.40

$4.01 €3.45

-20.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.90

$1.33 €1.15

3.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.62 CA$31.46

$29.19 €25.13

-22.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$1.93 €1.67

-40.41%

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

$24.8K CA$34.5K

$37.2K €32.0K

-33.33%

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

$19.7K CA$27.4K

$34.4K €29.6K

-42.58%

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

$132 CA$184

$195 €168

-31.94%

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

$33.47 CA$46.55

$21.66 €18.65

54.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 CA$71.0

$35.51 €30.57

43.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.59 CA$45.33

$53.8 €46.30

-39.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.71 CA$30.19

$17.95 €15.46

20.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.72 CA$14.91

$11.55 €9.95

-7.19%

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

$815 CA$1,133

$676 €582

20.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K CA$25.8K

$12.1K €10.4K

53.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 CA$60.6

$94.2 €81.1

-53.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.06 CA$51.5

$42.77 €36.82

-13.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 CA$83.5

$106 €91.0

-43.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$146

$134 €116

-21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 CA$2,380

$1,566 €1,348

9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,513 CA$2,104

$1,149 €989

31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,092 CA$4,300

$2,826 €2,433

9.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 CA$3,453

$1,884 €1,622

31.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,784 CA$12.2K

$9,077 €7,814

-3.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,361 CA$8,846

$4,511 €3,884

41.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,036 CA$4,222

$2,626 €2,261

15.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

3.43

96.21%

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

Last update for Vaughan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,712 in Vaughan and $1,566 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaughan pays 16% 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: $76.0 in Vaughan vs $69.0 in Madrid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $294 per month, with Madrid 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

Vaughan vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Vaughan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Madrid the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Vaughan pays 16% 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: $1,712 in Vaughan versus $1,566 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Vaughan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Madrid – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $76.0 in Vaughan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,253 in Madrid versus $2,551 in Vaughan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madrid but tight or insufficient in Vaughan. The gap between the two cities makes Madrid the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Madrid delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,253 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Madrid hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Vaughan 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 Madrid gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Vaughan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.