Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Madeira Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Madeira

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,621 in Madeira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,384 in Madeira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,148 in Madeira.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 43% more expensive than in Madeira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Madeira 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.48

$11.60 €10.17

52.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.1

$46.26 €40.56

50.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.42

$9.37 €8.22

51.12%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.18 €1.91

28.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.47

$1.87 €1.64

50.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.38 €1.21

49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.36 €2.07

94.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.55 €3.11

32.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.09 €0.96

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.59 €1.39

27.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.66 €1.46

19.28%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$3.15 €2.76

10.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.07

$11.14 €9.76

64.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.62

$7.56 €6.63

30.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.77

$13.99 €12.27

36.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.30 €2.01

18.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.49 €1.31

59.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.77 €1.55

17.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.51 €2.20

9.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.48 €1.30

32.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.85 €1.62

-3.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.60 €1.40

-7.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.80 €0.70

13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.26

$6.18 €5.42

15.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.91

$5.33 €4.68

47.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.31 €1.15

5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.10

$2.33 €2.04

2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$2.29 €2.01

31.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.74

$41.94 €36.77

-30.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.25 €3.72

2.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.82 €0.72

159.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.96

$17.49 €15.34

69.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.90 €1.66

-4.21%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.9K €33.2K

$34.4K €30.2K

10.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K €28.4K

$38.8K €34.0K

-16.56%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €166

$133 €117

41.75%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.29 €19.55

$21.25 €18.63

4.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.58

$42.37 €37.15

-12.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.9

$44.86 €39.33

29.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.12

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.53

$8.28 €7.26

31.28%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 €619

$464 €407

52.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$8,467 €7,424

75.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.4

$72.8 €63.8

22.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.09

$39.07 €34.26

-6.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.2

$93.4 €81.9

11.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$92.2 €80.8

29.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,384

$921 €808

71.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,086

$738 €647

67.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,378

$1,470 €1,289

84.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,788

$1,161 €1,018

75.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,599

$2,988 €2,619

151.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,594

$2,359 €2,068

122.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,073

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.01

-32.34%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Madeira: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $921 in Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $46.00 in Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $245 per month, with Madeira cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Madeira differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,621 including rent). Madeira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $2,431 in Madeira to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $921 in Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $464 in Madeira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,621 in Madeira versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Madeira but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Madeira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Madeira are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.