The Costs of Living in Madrid

Madrid, the Spanish capital is famous for its spectacular nightlife, cultural attractions and good climate. No wonder many are making plans for a more permanent stay in the hectic city.

Madrid has a quite large expat-community. It's not as big as the one in more international Barcelona, but still, it's possible to hang out with your own people while staying in the city. If you are more interested in learning Spanish and to meet the Spaniards, Madrid is a better choice than Barcelona because it's the capital of Spain, while many Barcelona-residents want to break out of Spain and the a tangible amount of locals prefer to speak Catalan.

But, enough of the Madrid vs. Barcelona debate. If you want to move to Madrid you will want to know that the costs of a place to stay starts at 250 euros a month.

Whether you're planning to hang out for 3 months or 3 years, you'll need to get yourself a place to stay. Your best bet is to rent a room in a shared flat, which, depending on the size and location could cost you between 250 and 500 euros a month. This is by far the best option, as assuming you don't live with crazy people, shared flats are very fun. Renting your own place can be quite expensive, as apartments in the center (and even outside of the center) usually start at around 700 euro, and can require deposits of up to a year at times (insane, I know).

Financing your stay? Your best bet for making some cash is teaching English, and there are no shortage of offers. Read the classifieds in the local newspapers and phone around.

Dirt Cheap Madrid [http://www.dirtcheapmadrid.com/] show you how to have an inexpensive stay in the Spanish capital. Visit to get more tips about the expat life and moving to Madrid.