Starting June 1, the Madrid Metro will have a single fare of 1.5 euros for a one-way ticket, regardless of how many stations you travel within the network. The measure does away with the tiered system that allowed a long trip to cost as much as 2 euros, and restores the flat rate the metro had fifteen years ago.
The goal is to “simplify” the fare structure and make it more predictable for occasional travelers, who will no longer have to calculate how many stations they will pass throughbefore swiping their card. President Isabel Díaz Ayuso has emphasized that this represents an effective price reduction for millions of trips and that the price “will not change” because it is considered affordable relative to the service.
How the single-ride ticket works and what remains the same
The new flat rate of 1.5 euros applies to single-ride tickets on the Madrid Metro in Zone A and on lines such as MetroEste, MetroNorte, and MetroSur, which are also set at that same amount. TFM tickets and the Metro combo ticket (for travel across the entire metro and light rail network) remain separate and retain higher prices, as does the airport surcharge, which is added to the single-ride fare when the origin or destination is Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas.
This change affects only single-ride tickets, not monthly passes or 10-ride tickets, whose fares continue to be regulated by state discounts and decisions by the Regional Transport Consortium. In fact, alongside the freeze on single-ride fares, 30-day passes have been gradually increasing in price following the end of the 60% discounts.
Card and mobile payments at all stations
The change comes with another new feature: the expansion of bank card and mobile payment to all stations on the network. According to the Community of Madrid, starting June 1, all Metro turnstiles will allow passengers to validate their tickets directly with a card or mobile device, without needing to purchase a ticket from a machine—a feature that fits perfectly with a single-price, single-fare ticket.
For users, this means that a Metro ride will increasingly resemble what already happens in other major cities: tap your card, pay 1.5 euros, and forget about how many stations you’ll travel. A small fare revolution that, this time, is moving in the direction preferred by travelers: less hassle, less fine print, and a simple ticket… finally simple.