How to Grocery Shop Like a Madrileño: Student’s Guide to Spanish Supermarkets

Your first time in a Spanish supermarket is confusing. Everything’s in Spanish (obviously), the layout makes no sense, and why are there 47 types of jamón but only one peanut butter option?

Welcome to grocery shopping in Madrid. It’s different, it’s overwhelming at first, and once you figure it out, you’ll be eating well for €30-40/week while everyone else is broke by day 15.

Why Spanish Supermarkets Feel Different

The Reality:

Smaller stores (no American-style mega-marts)
Different products (goodbye, familiar brands)
Different organization (logic is… optional)
Different shopping culture (expect crowds)
Way cheaper than eating out (€3-4 per meal vs €10-12)

The Opportunity:
Learn to shop like locals do, and suddenly your student budget stretches way further.

The Big Players: Spanish Supermarket Breakdown

Mercadona: The People’s Champion

Vibe: Spain’s most popular supermarket, and for good reason
Price Level: Mid-range (affordable but not cheapest)
Best For: Everything. Seriously, just go here.

Why Students Love It:

Consistent quality
Store brand (Hacendado) is actually good
Prepared foods section (rotisserie chicken = 3 meals for €4.95)
Found everywhere in Madrid
Clean, well-organized
Good produce section

What to Buy at Mercadona:

Rotisserie chicken (€4.95, meal prep gold)
Store brand products (Hacendado label = quality + cheap)
Fresh bread daily
Prepared salads when you’re lazy
Their pizza dough (€1.50, add your own toppings)
Yogurt (huge selection, super cheap)
Cleaning supplies (good quality, low prices)

Pro Tips:

Go after 8pm for red sticker discounts (30-50% off items expiring soon)
The “listo para comer” (ready to eat) section is your friend
Download the Mercadona app for digital receipts
Monday mornings = freshly restocked, empty aisles

Avoid:

International food section (overpriced)
Pre-cut fruit (pay double for convenience)
Brand name products (store brand is same quality)

Carrefour: The One-Stop Shop

Vibe: French chain, bigger stores, more variety
Price Level: Mid to slightly higher
Best For: When you need non-food items too

Why It’s Useful:

Bigger selection than Mercadona
Clothing, electronics, household items
Some locations open Sundays
Carrefour Express (small format) all over Madrid

What to Buy at Carrefour:

International products (biggest selection)
Bulk items (if you have storage)
Random household needs
Their store brand is decent

Carrefour Express vs. Regular:

Express: Small, convenient, slightly pricier
Regular: Big, better prices, worth the trip

Student Hack: Get the Carrefour Club card (free) for discounts and points.

Día: The Budget King

Vibe: Discount supermarket, no frills
Price Level: Cheapest of the major chains
Best For: When money is TIGHT

The Deal:

Lowest prices in Madrid
Smaller stores, limited selection
Quality varies (some products great, some meh)
Perfect for basics

What to Buy at Día:

Pasta, rice, canned goods (basics are basics)
Snacks (chips, cookies, chocolate)
Drinks (cheapest water and soft drinks)
Bread (fresh daily, under €1)
Eggs (always cheap)

What to Skip:

Fresh produce (quality inconsistent)
Meat and fish (go elsewhere)
Prepared foods (limited options)

Real Talk: Día is fine for pantry staples, but mix it with Mercadona for fresh stuff.

Lidl: The German Efficiency

Vibe: German discount chain with cult following
Price Level: Very affordable
Best For: Weekly “special buys” and German products

Why Students Like It:

Cheap prices, decent quality
Random weekly deals (kitchen items, clothes, electronics)
Good bakery section
International products (especially German)
Their croissants are €0.39 and delicious

What to Buy at Lidl:

Bakery items (seriously good, seriously cheap)
Weekly special items (if you need them)
Cheese selection (surprisingly good)
Frozen vegetables (cheap meal prep base)
German products (if you’re homesick for Northern Europe)

The Catch:

Fewer locations in central Madrid
Smaller product range than Mercadona
Can feel chaotic during busy times

Aldi: Lidl’s Cousin

Vibe: Similar to Lidl, another German discount chain
Price Level: Very cheap
Best For: Basics and budget shopping

The Truth:
Aldi is fine, but there are fewer locations in Madrid. If you pass one, it’s worth checking out. If not, Lidl or Día serve the same purpose.

Supermercados Maxi Dia, Simply, and Other Small Chains

What They Are: Smaller neighborhood stores, often family-run
Price Level: Varies (usually mid-range)
Best For: Convenience, last-minute needs

When to Use Them:

Emergency ingredient runs
You live right next door
Need something at 10pm (some stay open late)

Reality Check: Convenient but usually pricier than the big chains.

How to Actually Save Money: The Strategy

The €30/Week Shopping Plan

Staples to Always Have (Buy Every 2-3 Weeks):

Rice (€1-2 for 1kg)
Pasta (€0.50-1 per package)
Olive oil (€3-4, lasts forever)
Onions, garlic (€1-2)
Canned tomatoes (€0.50-1)
Eggs (€1.50-2 for dozen)
Bread (€0.50-1 daily)

Weekly Fresh Items:

Chicken (€3-5)
Seasonal vegetables (€3-4)
Fruit (€2-3)
Milk/yogurt (€2-3)
Cheese (€2-3)

Total: €25-30/week for one person eating breakfast and dinner at home, lunch out.

The Meal Prep Game Plan

Sunday Shopping Strategy:

Go to Mercadona Sunday evening (quieter)
Buy rotisserie chicken (€4.95)
Buy pasta, rice, vegetables (€10-12)
Buy yogurt, fruit, bread (€5-6)
Buy eggs, cheese (€3-4)

Meal Prep That Actually Works:

Chicken: Day 1-2 as is, Day 3-4 in pasta/rice, Day 5 in sandwiches
Pasta + Tomato Sauce: Make big batch Sunday, eat Monday-Wednesday
Rice + Vegetables: Thursday-Friday dinners
Eggs: Emergency meals anytime
Bread + Olive Oil: Spanish breakfast classic

Cost: €30 for 5 days of dinners = €6/day (vs €10-15 eating out)

The Red Sticker Hunt

How It Works:
Spanish supermarkets discount products near expiration with red “descuento” stickers (usually 30-50% off).

Best Times to Find Them:

8-9pm: Mercadona marks down prepared foods, fresh items
Morning: Day-old bread, bakery items
Weekends: More volume = more discounts

What to Look For:

Rotisserie chicken (already cheap, now €2-3)
Fresh pasta
Prepared salads
Meat and fish
Bakery items

Pro Move: Go at 8pm, load up on discounted items, cook that night or freeze immediately.

Store Brand vs. Name Brand

The Secret:
Store brands in Spain are actually good. Like, really good. Not “I guess this is okay” good—actually good.

Mercadona’s Hacendado:

Often made by same factories as name brands
Quality is comparable or better
Prices are 30-50% less
Try it once, you’ll be converted

Examples:

Name brand cookies: €2.50
Hacendado cookies: €1.20
Difference: €1.30 you can spend on cheap tapas

Rule: Always try store brand first. If you don’t like it, then buy name brand.

Decoding Spanish Products

The Language Barrier

Essential Spanish Supermarket Vocabulary:

Basics:

Leche = Milk
Huevos = Eggs
Pan = Bread
Queso = Cheese
Pollo = Chicken
Carne = Meat
Pescado = Fish
Verduras = Vegetables
Fruta = Fruit

Dairy:

Entera = Whole milk
Semidesnatada = Semi-skimmed (most common)
Desnatada = Skim milk
Sin lactosa = Lactose-free
Yogur = Yogurt (duh, but pronunciation is different)

Meat:

Cerdo = Pork
Ternera = Beef/veal
Cordero = Lamb
Pechuga = Chicken breast
Muslos = Chicken thighs

Confusing Ones:

Mantequilla = Butter (not to be confused with manteca = lard)
Nata = Cream (not natillas = custard)
Judías = Beans (also called alubias)
Guisantes = Peas (not garbanzos = chickpeas)

Download: Google Translate app with offline Spanish dictionary. Take photos of labels.

Products That Don’t Exist (Or Are Hard to Find)

American Things That Aren’t Really Here:

Peanut butter (exists but expensive and limited)
Ranch dressing (make your own)
Root beer (forget about it)
American-style bacon (Spanish bacon is different)
Mac and cheese boxes (not a thing)
Maple syrup (€8+ for tiny bottle)
Graham crackers (no)
Chocolate chips (hard to find, expensive)

What to Do:

Adapt to Spanish products (olive oil > peanut butter for breakfast)
Specialty stores exist (but expensive)
Bring some comfort items from home when you visit
Learn to cook with what’s available here

Spanish Alternatives That Are Actually Better:

Jamón serrano > American deli meat
Spanish cheese > Whatever you’re used to
Fresh bread daily > Sliced bread in bags
Olive oil everything > Butter everything
Cola Cao > Hot chocolate mix from home

The Jamón Section (Overwhelming But Important)

Types You’ll See:

Jamón Serrano: Cured ham, cheaper, everyday eating
Jamón Ibérico: Premium cured ham, expensive, special occasions
Loncheado: Pre-sliced (convenient)
En pieza: Whole piece (cheaper per kilo)

Student Budget Reality:

Buy jamón serrano loncheado (sliced serrano ham)
Cost: €2-4 for package
Use: Sandwiches, pasta, with melon, emergency protein

Skip: Jamón Ibérico (unless someone else is paying)

Milk in Spain: A Weird Situation

The Confusion:
Most milk in Spanish supermarkets sits on regular shelves, not refrigerated. It’s UHT (ultra-high temperature) processed and shelf-stable until opened.

Types:

Refrigerated fresh milk: Exists, costs more, in the cold section
UHT milk in boxes: Most common, cheaper, tastes slightly different
Students usually buy: UHT (it’s fine, and you won’t use it fast enough anyway)

Pro Tip: Once opened, all milk goes in the fridge.

Shopping Culture & Etiquette

Bring Your Own Bags (Seriously)

The Situation:
Plastic bags cost €0.05-0.15 each. Paper bags cost more. Nobody gives you bags for free.

Solutions:

Buy a reusable bag once (€0.50-2)
Keep it in your backpack always
Use your backpack (just pack carefully)
Get a wheeled shopping cart if you’re fancy (€10-15)

Don’t Be That Person: The one holding up the checkout line asking for bags, then complaining about the charge.

The Checkout Dance

How Spanish Supermarket Checkout Works:

Cashier scans items at light speed
You bag your own items (quickly)
Next person’s items are already coming down the belt
You’re blocking the belt if you’re slow
Everyone behind you is judging

Survival Strategy:

Have bags ready before checkout
Start bagging while they’re still scanning
Move items to bagging area fast
Pay quickly (card ready, know your PIN)
Don’t try to organize beautifully—just get it in the bag

Cultural Note: Spanish checkout is FAST. No small talk, no slow and careful bagging. Speed is expected.

Fruit & Vegetable Section Protocol

The System:

Grab produce
Weigh it yourself at the scales
Press button for item type
Sticker prints out
Stick it on your produce
Bring to checkout

Important: You MUST weigh and sticker before checkout. Cashiers won’t do it for you.

Pro Tip: Watch a local do it once, then copy exactly. Don’t improvise.

Store Hours Reality Check

Typical Supermarket Hours:

Monday-Saturday: 9am-9pm (approximately)
Sunday: CLOSED (or limited hours)
Some Carrefour Express: Open Sundays
Nothing opens on January 1, December 25

The Sunday Problem:
Most supermarkets close Sundays. Plan ahead or find the rare ones that open.

Student Panic Moment: Sunday night, no food, everything’s closed. Solution: Chinese restaurants or order delivery.

Budget Breakdowns: What Actually Costs What

Sample Weekly Shopping (One Person)

Bare Minimum Survival (€20/week):

Pasta x2 (€1)
Rice (€1)
Canned tomatoes x2 (€1)
Eggs (€1.50)
Bread x3 (€2)
Chicken pieces (€3)
Onions, garlic (€1)
Seasonal vegetables (€3)
Apples (€2)
Milk (€1)
Olive oil every 2-3 weeks (€3)

Comfortable Living (€35-40/week):

Everything above +
Better cuts of meat/fish (€5-7)
More variety of vegetables (€5)
Cheese (€3)
Yogurt (€2)
Snacks (€3)
Coffee (€3)
Treats (€3)

Living Well (€50/week):

All of the above +
Nice cheese (€5)
Fresh fish (€6)
International products (€5)
Wine (€4)
Desserts (€3)
Fancy olive oil (€6)

Reality Check: Most students spend €30-40/week and supplement with occasional menú del día or cheap tapas.

Price Comparisons: Madrid vs. Home

Generally Cheaper in Spain:

Fresh bread (€0.50-1)
Olive oil (€3-4 for good stuff)
Wine (€3 gets you decent quality)
Ham and cheese (€2-4)
Fresh produce (seasonal)

About the Same:

Eggs
Pasta and rice
Milk
Basic proteins

More Expensive:

Peanut butter (€4-6)
International products
Out-of-season produce
“American” brands

Advanced Shopping Strategies

The Multi-Store System

What Locals Do:
Different stores for different things, not one-stop shopping.

Strategic Shopping:

Mercadona: Prepared foods, dairy, staples
Día: Dry goods, snacks, drinks
Local frutería (fruit shop): Better produce, same price
Carnicería (butcher): Better meat than supermarket
Panadería (bakery): Fresh bread, pastries

Student Reality:
You probably don’t have time for 5 stores. Mercadona covers 90% of needs. But knowing the options helps.

The Carrefour Club Card Hack

What It Is: Free loyalty card
Benefits:

Discounts on marked items
Points toward future discounts
Special promotions
Personalized coupons

How to Get It:

Ask at checkout: “¿Puedo tener la tarjeta Club?”
They’ll give you one
Register online (optional but gets more benefits)

Worth It? Yes, if there’s a Carrefour near you. No signup fee, occasional good discounts.

Meal Planning for Lazy Students

The Rotation System:

Week 1:

Chicken + rice + vegetables (prep Sunday, eat Mon-Wed)
Pasta with tomato sauce (Thu-Fri)

Week 2:

Ground meat + pasta (Mon-Wed)
Chicken fajitas (Thu-Fri)

Week 3:

Repeat Week 1 (you’re already bored)

Emergency Meals to Always Have Ingredients For:

Pasta aglio e olio: Pasta + olive oil + garlic (€1 total)
Tortilla española: Eggs + potatoes + onion (€2 total)
Fried rice: Leftover rice + egg + whatever vegetables (€1.50)
Toast + tomato + olive oil: Spanish breakfast (€0.50)

The Freezer Is Your Friend

What to Freeze:

Bread (seriously, freeze half the loaf)
Cooked chicken (portion it out)
Cooked rice and pasta (in portions)
Vegetables (buy frozen, it’s cheaper and lasts)
Sauces (make big batch, freeze in portions)

Student Advantage:
Make big batches Sunday, freeze portions, microwave throughout the week. You just meal-prepped like an adult.

Common Shopping Mistakes

Mistakes Every Student Makes:

1. Shopping Hungry

You’ll buy everything
Your budget dies
You don’t need 3 types of cookies

2. Not Checking Prices Per Kilo

Bigger package isn’t always cheaper
Check the small price tag (€/kg)
Sometimes smaller is better deal

3. Buying Ingredients Without a Plan

“I’ll figure out what to make later”
Later never comes
Food goes bad
Money wasted

4. Ignoring Expiration Dates

Fresh items expire fast in Spain
Buy what you’ll actually eat this week
Use the red sticker discounts strategically

5. Shopping at the Tourist Mini-Marts

Those tiny stores near Puerta del Sol?
Triple the prices
Walk 5 more minutes to real supermarket

When You’re Really Broke

The €15/Week Challenge:

What to Buy:

Rice (€1)
Pasta (€0.50)
Eggs (€1.50)
Bread (€1.50 for 3 loaves)
Canned tomatoes (€0.50)
Onions (€0.50)
Potatoes (€1)
Lentils (€1)
Oil and garlic (€2)
Apples (€2)
Milk (€1)
Carrots (€1)

What You Can Make:

Pasta with tomato sauce
Fried rice with egg
Tortilla española
Lentil stew
Toast with tomato
Potato soup

Reality Check: It’s possible to survive on €15/week. It’s not fun, but it’s doable. Hopefully you’re only doing this for one week between money transfers.

Better Solution: Budget €30-40/week and actually enjoy your food.

Combining Grocery Shopping with Other Student Life

The Sunday Routine:

10am: Late breakfast at affordable brunch spot
11am: El Rastro vintage shopping (if it’s Sunday)
1pm: Lunch at cheap menú del día
5pm: Mercadona for weekly groceries
6pm: Meal prep for the week
7pm: Free museum evening hours
9pm: Dinner from your meal prep

Cost: €25 for the whole day (food + groceries)

The Study Break Shop:

Studying at Casa Victoria or library
Need a break around 5pm
Walk to nearest Mercadona
Pick up tonight’s dinner ingredients
Walk back, refocused
Cook later

Social Shopping:

Grocery shop with roommates
Split bulk items
Cook together
Build friendships over shared meals
Everyone saves money

The Bottom Line

What You’ll Spend:

Eating every meal out: €300-400/month
Cooking most meals: €120-160/month
Savings: €180-240/month for cheap tapas, nightlife, travel

What You’ll Learn:

How to cook basic meals
Spanish products and brands
Meal planning skills
Budget management
Independence

What You’ll Gain:

More money for actually enjoying Madrid
Healthier eating than constant restaurant food
Life skills that outlast your semester abroad
Appreciation for menú del día when you do eat out

That’s the Como Local difference.

Quick Reference: Shopping Cheat Sheet

Best Overall: Mercadona
Cheapest: Día or Lidl
Biggest Selection: Carrefour
Best Prepared Foods: Mercadona
Best Bakery: Lidl
Best Store Brand: Hacendado (Mercadona)

Budget: €30-40/week for one person
Best Shopping Time: Sunday evening or weekday mornings
Must Have: Reusable bags
Must Know: How to use the produce scales

Ready to shop like a local? Grab your reusable bag, learn 10 Spanish food words, and discover why cooking at home means more money for experiencing Madrid.

Share your grocery shopping tips and recipes with other students in our community. Tag Como Local with your Mercadona hauls!

Como Local – Because learning to grocery shop here is half the experience. 🛒