Many of us dream of living in the big metropolises. We visualize ourselves in a pent-house in the center of the city, surrounded by all the possible comforts and to walk wherever we want.
Perhaps your wish is to live in the center of a big city like Madrid, among buildings with historical value, but unfortunately, a lot of money is required. Reality makes us see that to achieve this, you have to pay a price, which is high due to the limited supply available and the high real estate demand.
What are the best areas of Madrid to live?
Finding comfortable and affordable places is definitely difficult in Madrid, especially if you are a foreigner and you search before arriving without knowing the city well and guiding yourself by common references. But knowing how to search, you can find interesting and attractive areas where rental demand is not so high and the cost of flats is much lower. The best of all is that these are usually renovated, which provides greater comfort and quality to the property.
Where to look for apartments in Madrid?
Madrid is structured primarily in districts, which in turn are divided into neighborhoods. It is best to start in the most central area of the city: the central almond of Madrid. This area is characterized by covering the Districts and Neighborhoods that are within the M-30 ring road. If you draw this area on the map, you will notice a curious almond shape, hence its name.
Within the M-30 you can move to any place in Madrid in approximately 30 minutes using public transport. In this area all districts and neighborhoods are very safe.
Many areas usually have the name of the nearest Metro station and others are called by some outstanding or iconic cultural characteristic. In total, the M-30 has 7 districts, although the City Council does not implicitly recognize these areas, its inhabitants usually identify them in this way: Chamartín, Tetuán, Chamberí, Salamanca, Centro, Retiro and Arganzuela.
Best known areas in each district of Madrid
At first glance they seem like many areas, however, these are small urban spaces.
The most desired areas to live in (and the most expensive) are: Almagro, Alonso Martínez, Atocha, Bernabéu, Cuzco, Castellana, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Chueca, Cortes, Colón, El Viso, Goya, Justicia, Lista, Niño Jesús, Retiro Park, Sainz de Baranda, Serrano, Sol, Tribunal, Vallehermoso, Velázquez.
Chamartín District: El Viso neighborhood, Castilla, Ciudad Jardín, Latin America, New Spain and Prosperity.
– Useful references : Avenida de América, Bernabéu, Chamartín, Cuzco, Nuevo Ministerios, Plaza Castilla.
Tetuán District: Almenara, Bellas Vistas, Berruguete, Castillejos, Cuatro Caminos and Valdeacederas.
– Useful references : Alvarado, Azca, Cuzco-Castillejos, Estrecho and Ventilla.
Chamberí District: Almagro, Arapiles, Gaztambide, Ríos Rosas, Trafalgar and Vallehermoso.
– Useful references : Canal, Iglesia, Gregorio Marañón and Rubén Darío.
Salamanca District : Castellana, Fuente del Berro, Goya, Guindalera, Lista and Recoletos.
– Useful references : Colón, Diego de León, Lista, Manuel Becerra, Serrano and Velázquez.
Central District: Palace, Ambassadors, Courts, Justice, University and Sun.
– Useful references : Alonso Martínez, Austrias (the Madrid of the Austrias), Bilbao, Chueca, La Latina, Las Vistillas, Lavapiés, Malasaña, Maravillas, Ópera, Puerta of Toledo, Court.
Retiro District: Adelfas, Estrellas, Ibiza, Jerónimos, Niño Jesús and Pacífico.
– Useful references : Círculo de Bellas Artes, Menéndez Pelayo, Pacífico, Parque Retiro and Sainz de Baranda.
Arganzuela District: Atocha, Chopera, Delicias, Imperial, Legazpi and Moguer (Palos de Moguer).
–Useful references: Madrid Río, Méndez Álvaro, Palos de la Frontera, Pyramids and Planetarium.
Below we present some of the best areas of Madrid to live without spending too much.
So, where to live well in Madrid without spending a lot of money?
Knowing the districts and neighbourhoods and their reference areas, you can look for accommodation a few streets away from the most popular areas, where you can find affordable flats.
Cuzco-Castillejo
Crossing the Paseo de la Castellana is the Cuzco-Castillejo area. Here it is easy to find renovated apartments at half price, located not far from the Cuzco and Valdeacederas Metro stations, among others.
Ciudad Jardin y prosperidad
These two areas are located across Principe de Vergara street, near El Viso. Both areas have the conditions to be one of the most sought after thanks to their excellent location, being their price lower than what you find in El Viso.
The apartments are of very good quality and you can also find recently built buildings. Another point in favor is its easy access to public transport, which makes getting around the city much easier.
Fuente del Berro y Guindalera
Area near Goya, Lista or Velázquez , where you can find much more affordable options.
Menendez Pelayo and Pacifico
Although they are little known areas, you can reach Atocha (now the Art Station) and El Retiro in just a few minutes . Although the flats in this area are usually a bit old, they are also very large, cheap and in very good condition. A good option is the Delicias area.
We have traveled with you the best (economic) areas of Madrid, taking you from there to unknown but very interesting places where you will find good quality apartments. Best of all, you don’t need to go far from the center of Madrid and you won’t spend your salary on them either. We know very well that all this information is somewhat complex to digest. Don’t worry, if you plan to spend a season in Madrid you can look at idealista if you find something of interest to you.
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