Madrid

The prices of official student accommodation in Madrid tend to be at least 800€ a month – while it’s possible to get much cheaper rooms, they tend not to be bills inclusive, and it is worth choosing accommodation where as much is taken care of as possible! That way, you can focus more on getting your degree, settling into the city, and making lifelong friends!

A lot of students live in Aravaca, which is one of our favourite neighbourhoods in the city! It’s close to a lot of the international universities and has great transport links to get to the city centre. It also borders on the casa de campo park, Madrid’s largest green space, which is a great place to relax in or sit doing coursework. Other neighbourhoods we think are some of the best places for students to live include Chueca, Salamanca and La Latina.

Although everyone’s needs are different, we think a student should have anywhere from 500-800 euros a month (after rent) to live comfortably. This is enough to be able to eat nutritionally balanced meals and cover utilities, leisure activities, clothes, and travel expenses. Of course, we recommend that you budget carefully to understand what you can afford.

We think Madrid is an amazing place for students! If you’re looking to study somewhere exciting, Madrid is incomparably rich with culture and history. Characterised by stunning, colourful architecture and flanked by beautiful green spaces, Madrid is a delight to explore. The cost of living is also much lower in Madrid than other European cities – it’s 40% cheaper to live in Madrid than London!

As of 2023, Madrid is considered a very safe place for students. Based on reports from the last three years, crime rates are low and students consider themselves to be very safe walking around at night. We would always recommend, however, exercising reasonable caution to keep yourself safe.

Yes, it is definitely possible to live in Madrid without speaking Spanish – there are plenty of English-language university courses available to international students, and a lot of people will speak enough English for you to get by. However, you will be saved a lot of inconvenience if you learn some conversational Spanish before moving to Madrid – that way, you would at least be able to order in restaurants and bars without stress, and you might be able to make some Spanish friends! Knowing the language helps enormously with feeling comfortable in a new country.

Absolutely! In fact, we recommend exploring Madrid on foot to get to know the city! However, if your university campus is quite far from your student accommodation or you’re exploring new neighbourhoods, Madrid has excellent transport links to help you out. The metro is cheap, clean and efficient, a great way of getting from place to place, and you could also use the “metro ligero” (light rail) or any of the frequent bus routes to help you get around Madrid without a car. Have a look at all the transport discount options if you think you’ll need to use public transport regularly!