Where should you live if you're studying at ICADE or Comillas?

Comillas Pontifical University has two campuses in Madrid that are relevant to this question, and they are about an hour apart by public transportation: Alberto Aguilera 23 (ICADE and ICAI, in Argüelles) and Cantoblanco (C/ Universidad Comillas 3-5, to the north, next to the Autonomous University). If you’re studying at ICADE or ICAI, live in Argüelles, Moncloa, or the Plaza de España area and walk to campus. If your degree program is offered at Cantoblanco, live in Cantoblanco or near a station on the C4 line of the Cercanías commuter rail.

Before you start looking at apartments or dorms, check your class schedule to see which building your classes are in. It seems obvious. Every September, someone registers at Argüelles and finds out during the first week that their program is actually at Cantoblanco.

Comillas also has the San Rafael campus (P.º de la Habana 70 bis, Nursing and Physical Therapy) and the Ciempozuelos campus. If you study there, this article is less useful to you: the times listed below are for Alberto Aguilera and Cantoblanco.

A note about the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: The faculty is based in Cantoblanco, but check your degree program guide (Psychology, Education, Social Work, Translation, International Relations) to see where your classes are held.

Alberto Aguilera is right on the border between Argüelles and Chamberí. Anything within a 15-minute walk counts as “close by”: Argüelles, the Conde Duque area, Moncloa, Plaza de España, and the lower part of Chamberí. Beyond that, you’ll have to take the metro, and it’s not worth the trouble for a daily commute to class.

If you want to compare neighborhoods in detail, we've already done that for another university in the same area: in Where to Live If You’re Studying at Nebrija , Argüelles, Moncloa, and Princesa are the quieter options. The same applies almost exactly to ICADE.

StepHouse Plaza de España is located on Plaza de Cristino Martos, between Plaza de España and Conde Duque. ICADE and ICAI are about a 10-minute walk away via Conde Duque. During exam weeks, it offers private study rooms and coworking spaces, as well as a gym and laundry facilities managed through an app. Access is via an electronic card, and there is 24-hour video surveillance; the front desk is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Rates start at 975 €/month for a shared twin room. You can find room types and availability on the StepHouse Plaza de España listing.

Comillas’ Cantoblanco campus is located to the north, next to the Autonomous University. It’s possible to live downtown and commute there every day, but it takes about 50 minutes each way: take the metro to Sol or Nuevos Ministerios, and then the C4.

The alternative is to live there. StepHouse Cantoblanco is located next to the UAM campus, about an 8-minute walk from Comillas Cantoblanco (3 minutes by bike) and close to the Cantoblanco Universidad station, making it easy to head down to Madrid on the weekend. It features the DO EAT restaurant inside the building, with a half-board option if you don’t want to cook every day, as well as study rooms, a library, a gym, and a pool. Prices and studio types are listed in the StepHouse Cantoblanco page.

In the same area, Comillas also lists the Resa residence, and other websites feature options in Alcobendas and Valdebebas. It’s worth comparing them using the same criterion: walking time to your specific building, not to the “campus” in general.

Approximate door-to-door travel times on weekdays. During rush hour, use the upper limit.

The conclusion is simple. For ICADE and ICAI, the metro doesn’t save you any time if you live in the area—you’ll just walk. For Cantoblanco, living downtown takes almost two hours a day round-trip. Choose based on where you spend the most time, not on where the university is located on Google Maps.

The Comillas housing page groups the options into three sections:

• On-campus residence hall: the Loyola University Residence Hall, run by the Society of Jesus, with capacity for 200 students, a dining hall, library, gym, swimming pool, and 24-hour reception desk. It emphasizes community life and student support.
• Affiliated college dormitories: Berrospe, Santa María del Pino, and Vedruna.
• College dorms: MiCampus, StepHouse, and Resa. It also links to platforms for apartments and rooms (Spotahome, Homiii, Aluni, and others), and one of them, Floweal, offers a 3% discount to Comillas students.

One thing to keep in mind: the website itself clarifies that Comillas has no contractual relationship with the companies on that list. Any contract is signed directly with the residence or the platform, under their terms and conditions.

How to Choose Between a College Dorm and a Student Residence:

• Residence Hall if you're looking for a structured community, organized activities, and meals provided, and you're willing to follow the rules of coexistence. Ask each one about pricing, meal plans, schedules, and the admission process; the Comillas website doesn't list this information.
• Dormitory if you prefer more independence, want to set your own schedule, and want to live with students from other universities.

1. Confirm your degree program and academic year. Some students change buildings between semesters or during internships.
2. Calculate the route to your first class—not to the university in general.
3. If you're assigned to Cantoblanco, check the C4 frequency at the time you log in.
4. Compare what's included in each price: meals, cleaning, and supplies.
5. Ask about available spots for the second semester if you're arriving in January as an exchange student.

ICADE is located at 23 Alberto Aguilera Street, 28015 Madrid, on the border between Argüelles and Chamberí. The nearest metro stations are Argüelles, San Bernardo, and Ventura Rodríguez.

Yes. The two schools share the Alberto Aguilera campus (numbers 21 and 23). The Cantoblanco campus is a separate one, located north of Madrid, and is primarily home to the departments of Theology, Canon Law, and Humanities and Social Sciences.

Take the C4 commuter train line to the Cantoblanco Universidad station, and walk from there. From Sol or Nuevos Ministerios, it takes about 50 minutes door-to-door, depending on where you live.

Yes. The Loyola University Residence Hall is university-owned and can accommodate 200 students. It also has affiliated residence halls (Berrospe, Santa María del Pino, and Vedruna) and lists private residence halls such as MiCampus, StepHouse, and Resa.

For residence halls, prices in the Argüelles, Moncloa, and Plaza de España areas range from approximately 800 to 2,000 € per month, depending on the type of room. At StepHouse Plaza de España, prices start at 975 € per month for a twin room.

The most convenient option is to live in Cantoblanco, near the Autonomous University, so you can walk or bike to campus. If you prefer the city center, look for a place near Sol, Nuevos Ministerios, or Chamartín, which are served by a direct C4 line.

Check out the StepHouse residences in Plaza de España and in Cantoblanco and reserve your spot for the second semester.