Guide

Madrid's abono: the zone table nobody quotes correctly

By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026

Madrid's system runs on the personal public transport card loaded with the abono 30 días: per the CRTM's own fare table, €32.70 for zone A, rising through €38.20 (B1), €43.20 (B2) and €49.20 (B3-C2) to €66.30 and €79.00 at the E zones, with listed prices from €28.70 and discount programmes periodically layered on top. One caveat straight from the source: the zone-A pass is not valid on intercity buses, even for journeys entirely inside zone A.

The fare table, from the consortium

The CRTM's abono page prices the 30-day pass by zone: zone A €32.70 · B1 €38.20 · B2 €43.20 · B3, C1 and C2 €49.20 · E1 €66.30 · E2 €79.00, with interzonal combinations listed alongside and the finder quoting prices from €28.70 across profiles; Madrid has also run substantial temporary discounts by age bracket, which is why the printed table and the charged price can differ pleasantly. The pass loads onto the personal Tarjeta Transporte Público and renews via the card apps and machines.

The caveat the CRTM prints and movers miss: the zone-A abono is not valid on intercity buses even within zone A — commuter-town readers should price their real zone, not the postcard one.

Source: CRTM, abono 30 días — tarifas por zona, read 5 September 2026.

Which zone is your life actually in?

Madrid's zones radiate from A (the city) through B and C rings to the E edges reaching Castilla-La Mancha; the commuter towns expats favour often sit in B1-B3, putting the honest budget line at €38-49 rather than €32.70. Against the city's other costs — our grocery and cost-of-living pages carry the sourced numbers — transport stays one of Madrid's kindest line items.

The personal card itself is an early-arrival errand (application plus photo), slotting neatly next to the padrón in week one.

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Common questions

How much is Madrid's monthly transport pass?

By zone, per the CRTM: €32.70 for zone A, €38.20-49.20 through the B and C rings, €66.30-79.00 at the E zones — loaded on the personal transport card, with periodic discount programmes on top.

Does the zone A pass cover everything inside zone A?

Not quite — the CRTM's own caveat: it is not valid on intercity buses, even for journeys entirely within zone A. Metro, EMT buses and light rail are its home turf.

Do I need the personal transport card first?

Yes — the abono loads onto the personal Tarjeta Transporte Público, so the card application is the first errand, then the 30-day pass rides on it.