The two districts across the Manzanares that have changed most without stopping being affordable. Carabanchel has three metro lines and artists' studios; Usera has Madrid's most interesting food and Madrid Río along its edge.
People who want to stay in Madrid city, need room to work from home and don't want to pay the premium for living inside the M-30, the inner ring road.
People who want rent to take a small share of their budget without leaving Madrid city — or giving up good food.
Prices have risen faster than in neighboring districts, precisely because of all of the above. They are still below the Madrid city average, but the gap narrows every year.
The housing is old and the flats are small. A spacious two-bedroom is harder to find here than in the southern suburbs.
Public transport, arriving before 9:00 on a weekday, from Carabanchel (Oporto) and from Usera (Usera). The faster one is in green.
| Destination | Carabanchel | Usera |
|---|---|---|
| Puerta del Sol | 19 minL5L2 | 20 minL6C5C4 |
| Nuevos Ministerios · AZCA | 26 minL6C5C10 | 22 minL6C10 |
| Cuatro Torres | 43 minL6L10 | 41 minL6C5C4L10 |
| Distrito Telefónica | 55 minL5L10 | 53 minL6C5C4L10 |
| Atocha station | 18 minL6C5 | 15 minL6C5 |
| Airport T4 | 51 minL6C5C10L8 | 45 minL6C5C10L8 |
| IFEMA | 48 minL5L2C3L8 | 40 minL6C5C10L8 |
| Ciudad Universitaria (UCM · UPM) | 28 minL6 | 33 minL6 |
| Cantoblanco campus (UAM) | 57 minL6C5C4 | 53 minL6C5C4 |
| American School of Madrid | 31 minL5C10 | 35 minL6C10 |
| King's College, Soto de Viñuelas | No reasonable metro or rail | No reasonable metro or rail |
| Lycée Français de Madrid | 49 minL6L4 | 43 minL6L4 |
The district that has changed most over the last decade while staying affordable. Three Metro lines, artists' studios and a park few outsiders know about.
People who want to stay in Madrid city, need room to work from home and don't want to pay the premium for living inside the M-30, the inner ring road.
Read the Carabanchel guideThe district with the most interesting food in Madrid and some of the lowest rents in the city. Madrid Río is both its border and its park.
People who want rent to take a small share of their budget without leaving Madrid city — or giving up good food.
Read the Usera guideAccording to rental contracts declared in 2024, Usera is cheaper: its price-per-square-metre index is 80, against 84 in Carabanchel (city of Madrid = 100).
Carabanchel has 13 stations inside the area with 3 lines (L5, L6, L11); Usera has 3 stations inside the area with 2 lines (L6, C5). To see which suits you, check how long each takes to your destination in the journeys table.
Within a kilometre of each area's centre, Carabanchel has 18 supermarkets, 39 schools and 142 bars, cafés and restaurants; Usera has 24, 21 and 147.
Rent: SERPAVI (2024). Journeys: CRTM GTFS Metro de Madrid (05-27-2025), CRTM GTFS Metro Ligero (07-22-2026), Renfe GTFS Cercanías (09-23-2026). Services: OpenStreetMap (ODbL), extracto de Geofabrik del 2026-09-24. Shapes: OpenStreetMap (ODbL) vía Nominatim · INE (secciones censales de La Moraleja). Calculated on 2026-09-24.
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