Prices, Apartments, Hangouts: The Best Neighborhoods in Madrid for Students
Coming up: cheap drinks, shared houses, work-friendly cafes, all-night parties, making friends with locals, and everything you need to know about where to live in Madrid as a student!
You’re a student.
(… or you will be soon…)
And you want to move to Madrid.
So:
Where are the city’s best neighborhoods? Where will you make friends? Which areas will save you some money? Where can you eat on a budget? Are there any cute and cozy cafes to work from? And why do Homelike love questions so much?
Coming up, all that and more: here are the best neighborhoods in Madrid for students!
Note, before we begin: broadly speaking, you can expect to pay around €500-€800 for a shared room in a Madrid house share. If you want to live alone, expect to spend around 3 times as much. We’ve given some specific figures for each neighborhood below. Let’s go!
Malasaña
The very center of Madrid’s center is the ‘Sol’ neighborhood.
(which, cute fact: translates to’sun’).
In Sol, you’ll find tourists, touristy hangouts, lots of bars and restaurants, and many famous attractions. So: living in Sol can be fun.
But it’s super expensive, and most people here are vacationers and short-term stayers. Therefore: if you’re a long-term student, you don’t want to live here.
The solution? Living in Malasaña (which borders Sol).
Although Malasaña is very central, most people here are locals. And most of them are young.
One of the most hip and happening parts of the city, Malasaña is home to great clubs and bars, many hipsters, endless brunch spots, loads of vintage stores, and countless late-night DJ sets. It’s known as the city’s most fun studenty hangout.
And because it’s central, you get good proximity to all the fun, busy-ness, and tourist attractions. If you’re looking for a bustling and fun-packed neighborhood, Malasaña is for you.
Rental Prices in Malasaña
Malasaña is pretty expensive.
A room in a Malasaña house share will cost you between €500 and €1000; usually around €900. To live alone, many apartments here cost €2000 or more.
Affordable Eateries in Malasaña
Your question: where to live in Madrid as a student if I want lots of cheap tasty food?
The answer? Malasaña.
Here are some of the city’s best spots for low-cost eats:
- Carmencita Brunch: breakfasts, burgers, cocktails, cakes, a laid-back atmosphere, and a very non-Spanish menu.
- Toy Panda: popular with students and young locals, this cafe-style joint specializes in bao buns and steamed Chinese dumplings.
- Healthy Poke: here, you get a deli counter with a bunch of poke-bowl ingredients. Make your own, or choose something from the menu. Whatever you eat, it’s healthy and affordable.
Study-Friendly Cafes and Libraries in Malasaña
For finding fun places to study, Malasaña is one of the best neighborhoods in Madrid for students:
- Café Federal: another brunch spot with excellent coffee; Café Federal is airy, naturally-lit, and very friendly. To work here, come outside of meal times.
- Gosto Café: laptop-friendly, relatively quiet, and great specialty coffee. Only some tables are work-allocated… so come early!
Malasaña is also home to many more cafes, and Benito Pérez Galdós Public Library. The library is spacious and popular, and you’ll always find students studying here.
Fitness Facilities and Parks in Malasaña
Malasaña isn’t particularly green, but there are many parks within a 10-minute walk—and the massive Casa De Campo park is only 5km (3 miles) away.
For indoor exercise, Malasaña is home to gyms, studios, and a Crossfit gym. Body Factory is particularly popular.
Justicia
Bordering Malasaña to the east, Justicia is very similar to its nearby neighbor.
… so it’s another of the best neighborhoods in Madrid for students.
But Justicia isn’t quite as famous (and it’s slightly more upmarket). So if you want the Malasaña vibe without all the Malasaña tourists, this is the place for you.
Justicia is also home to Chueca, Madrid’s super-popular LGBTQ area. So it’s very inclusive, very welcoming, and excellent for nightlife.
Rental Prices in Justicia
Broadly speaking, rental prices here are around 10% higher than those in Malasaña.
Affordable Eateries in Justicia
Some of Justicia’s top cheap-eat spots include:
- Wok To Walk Chueca: a counter-serve spot offering noodles, stir-fries, and spicy rice.
- Revoltosa Plaza del Rey: an unpretentious tapas bar, it’s great for hanging with friends, sitting outside, and traditional Spanish food without big prices.
- Billy Brunch: more brunch, more low prices, and a very comfy vibe.
Study-Friendly Cafes and Libraries in Justicia
For finding work-friendly cafes, Justicia is one of the best places to live in Madrid for students. Top spots include:
- Bucólico Café: sparse, minimal, and excellent coffee and cakes. It’s one of the most well-known work-friendly cafes in (relatively-)central Madrid.
- La Bicicleta: this bicycle-themed place offers mismatched furniture, tasty espressos, and designated work tables. Super-spacious, it’s another of the most well-known work spots in the city.
- Café Merienda: cute and minimalistic, with lots of little tables. It’s not the biggest place in the world—but so long as you’re only working here for 2 or 3 hours, you’ll totally be welcome.
Fitness Facilities and Parks in Justicia
Justicia isn’t very green… but El Retiro Park is a 15-minute walk east, and Campo del Moro is a 20-minute walk west. Both are huge.
For Justicia indoor workouts, you’ll find dance studios, a boxing gym, and many personal trainers. But for a wide selection of good-quality ‘normal’ gyms, you’ll want to head outside the district.
Las Tablas
Ideal for a quiet life!
Sitting a 30-minute ride northeast of the city center, Las Tablas is home to Madrid School of Marketing, Villanueva University, and the physical office of UNED (the city’s open university).
(all other neighborhoods we’ve brought you are instead close to Universidad Complutense de Madrid—the biggest university in Spain).
Las Tablas is also home to low(ish) prices, friendly locals, a large Asian community, and a major train station. And because many major companies have their offices here, it’s a great spot for finding a post-graduation job.
In short, for a low-key life with little nightlife, Las Tablas is one of the best neighborhoods in Madrid for students.
Rental Prices in Las Tablas
This is the lowest-cost neighborhood we’ve brought you. You can expect to pay around €400-500 for a room in a house share, and around €1200-1500 for a small but homely apartment of your own.
Affordable Eateries in Las Tablas
Honestly, this isn’t the city’s best spot for eating and drinking. But some of its top joints include the fancy-but-not-fancy Empanadas Malvón, the fiercely-local La Taberna de Pepe, and the simple-sandwich-serving Rodilla.
Study-Friendly Cafes and Libraries in Las Tablas
Family-friendly The Chatter Cafe is spacious and large, while there are two work-friendly Starbucks just on the outskirts of the neighborhood.
There are no libraries in Las Tablas, but María Lejárraga Public Library is a 15-minute walk from the neighborhood’s center.
For finding places to work, this really isn’t among the best neighborhoods in Madrid for students. But if you have a work-friendly apartment (like one of ours!), that’s not a problem.
Fitness Facilities and Parks in Las Tablas
Las Tablas is home to many gyms (the neighborhood’s branch of VivaGym is massive, well-equipped, and particularly popular), while you’ll also find a yoga studio and a pilates studio here.
There are many little parks in the district (the viewpoint at Monte Las Tablas is a popular sunset spot), while the dam and forests of EL Pardo are only a little walk away.
Chamberí
Bordering both Justicia and Malasaña to the north, Chamberí is a nice combo between central, upmarket, and laid-back. It has many nice homes, and a very welcoming atmosphere.
It’s largely residential, but it’s close to all the fun stuff—so if you want to live close to all the action without having to live inside it, Chamberi is one of the best neighborhoods in Madrid for students.
(oh, and because Chamberí is home to a diverse range of people, it’s a good neighborhood for making friends… and for being surrounded by more than just students)
Rental Prices in Chamberí
Usually, you’ll pay between €600 and €900 per month for a room in a house share here—and around €2000 (or a little less if you’re lucky!) for your own place.
Affordable Eateries in Chamberí
Top cheap eats in Chamberí include:
- Bar El Refugio: it’s tough to find real local spots in Madrid. But this is one of them—frequented by wrinkle-faced lifelong residents, the food is traditional and the prices are low.
- Asiatico Ksam: the Asian food here is very affordable and very authentic, and the staff are super friendly. The ramen is particularly popular.
- Mercado de Vallehermoso: a trendy indoor venue with vintage markets and lots of casual food, you can eat big street-food-style portions here for around €10. You’ll fall in love with the place, like everyone else does.
Study-Friendly Cafes and Libraries in Chamberí
Some of the area’s best work-friendly cafes include:
- The Little Big Cafe, with its cakes and healthy breakfasts
- The hyper-trendy Panther (which actually lies juuuust on the outskirts of the district)
- ARYA, which has outdoor seating
You also get a huge number of libraries and study rooms in Chamberí—to work from libraries, this is one of the best neighborhoods in Madrid for students.
Fitness Facilities and Parks in Chamberí
Chamberí is surrounded by loads of green spaces.
They include Casa de Campo (one of the biggest urban parks in Europe, and home to a cable car, a zoo, and an aquarium)…
… and Tercer Depósito Park (which has tennis courts, football fields, and a running track).
In Chamberí, you get a wide range of gyms (Smart Club is a big favorite), along with yoga studios, pilates places, and functional-fitness options.
Overall, if you want to prioritize health and fitness, Chamberí is one of the best neighborhoods to live in Madrid as a student.
Argüelles
Just west of Malasaña and Chamberí, Argüelles is both central and residential.
One of Madrid’s greenest neighborhoods, it offers tapas joints, casual bars, excellent nightlife, good proximity to lots more parties, and plenty of other students.
Rental Prices in Argüelles
For a room in a house share, you’ll usually pay around €500 to €700.
It’s also possible to find a low-price place of your own in Argüelles, but prices for apartments vary massively (you can find places for €1000, €3000, and everything in between).
Affordable Eateries in Argüelles
For low-cost eats and treats (in the city’s central area), this is one of the best neighborhoods in Madrid for students. Top picks include:
- Los Bocadillos: well-known for its sandwiches and calamari, this laid-back hole-in-the-wall spot is a neighborhood favorite.
- VIPS: sitting where Chamberí meets Argüelles, this fast-food joint is most famous for its burgers. But it also serves up breakfasts, pancakes, milkshakes, salads, ribs, and more.
- WARAKU: not quite as affordable as most restaurants we’ve brought you, but very popular. Possibly the best Japanese food in Madrid.
Study-Friendly Cafes and Libraries in Argüelles
- The Fix: one of Madrid’s most well-known specialty-coffee shops, this brunch-serving cafe has a popular laptop-friendly area in its basement.
- Café 31 Panadería y Cafetería: again, you’ll often find people with laptops here. It’s home to many small tables—so you won’t feel guilty sitting for hours.
- Seara Café: great bread, pastries, and bagels. It’s small, so you can’t sit for a while—but if you want to eat while working, it’s a good spot.
… and at the eastern side of the neighborhood, you’ll find a big work-friendly Starbucks.
Fitness Facilities and Parks in Argüelles
The parks that Chamberí, Justicia and Malasaña are close to…
… Argüelles is even closer to them all!
So: by living here, you get good proximity to loads of outdoor workout spots. Expect running tracks, cycling routes, sports courts, and more.
Argüelles is also home to a kickboxing gym, and some yoga and pilates studios. But to find a well-equipped ‘normal’ gym, you’ll want to head outside the neighborhood.
For getting lifting gear and running vests and whatever else you need, there’s a mid-sized branch of Decathlon right inside the neighborhood.
Best Neighborhoods in Madrid for Students: Final Thoughts
And that’s us done! They’re the best neighborhoods in Madrid for students.
In summary: to save money and have a quiet life, head to Las Tablas…
… but if you’d prefer to live a big and bustling party life, head to any of the other four districts we’ve brought you.
Before you go: because Madrid is a massively-popular relocation hub, you might struggle to find a place to live. If you do, here’s a top tip: Get an apartment in Madrid with us!
We have comfy cozy homes in all the neighborhoods we’ve brought you—and in many other areas of the city. They’re all ready to move in today, they’re all perfect for living and working, and all utilities (including internet!) are covered and provided. So you can move to Madrid with no stress and no hassle. Easy! We have both short term rentals in Madrid as well as long term rentals.
For more, here’s our complete guide to ALL the best neighborhoods in Madrid.
Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Homelike, and we’ll see you again soon. Adiós!
