Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Madrid

Name: Madrid
Address: Madrid, ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,613 per month in Brisbane vs $2,368 in Madrid, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,966 per month in Brisbane vs $3,435 in Madrid, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,318 per month in Brisbane vs $4,502 in Madrid, rent included.

Brisbane costs about 10% more than Madrid, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Brisbane and Madrid sit above the global median – Brisbane by 90%, Madrid by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.77 A$24.66

$18.78 €16.16

-5.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 A$115

$68.5 €58.9

20.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 A$15.85

$11.98 €10.31

-4.67%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.15

$3.22 €2.77

37.58%

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

$3.03 A$4.21

$3.37 €2.90

-10.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 A$3.61

$2.29 €1.97

13.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$11.86

$3.97 €3.42

115.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 A$11.70

$5.10 €4.38

65.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 A$2.38

$1.35 €1.16

27.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 A$3.75

$1.64 €1.41

64.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.35

$1.73 €1.49

39.31%

Eggs

$5.10 A$7.08

$4.42 €3.80

15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 A$12.90

$17.22 €14.82

-45.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$12.64

$9.82 €8.45

-7.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 A$19.62

$18.22 €15.68

-22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 A$5.96

$2.73 €2.35

57.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.31

$2.36 €2.03

31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 A$4.12

$2.59 €2.23

14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 A$6.90

$2.68 €2.31

85.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 A$3.99

$2.29 €1.97

25.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.38

$2.27 €1.95

7.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 A$3.53

$1.58 €1.36

60.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.69

$1.12 €0.96

8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.99 A$55.5

$6.79 €5.85

488.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 A$17.61

$8.33 €7.17

52.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.37

$1.23 €1.06

331.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 A$7.09

$2.25 €1.93

127.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 A$0.48

$1.71 €1.47

-79.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.53 A$29.89

$37.94 €32.65

-43.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 A$4.25

$3.97 €3.42

-22.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.55

$1.58 €1.36

16.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.92 A$59.6

$30.36 €26.13

41.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.98

$1.84 €1.58

-22.28%

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

$27.7K A$38.5K

$37.0K €31.8K

-24.95%

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

$29.1K A$40.4K

$34.1K €29.4K

-14.62%

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

$172 A$239

$195 €167

-11.44%

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

$27.89 A$38.71

$19.08 €16.41

46.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 A$88.3

$36.32 €31.26

75.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.6 A$88.3

$51.2 €44.07

24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.02 A$29.18

$19.35 €16.65

8.63%

Cinema Ticket

$16.39 A$22.75

$11.39 €9.80

43.90%

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

$2,166 A$3,006

$696 €599

211.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K A$18.1K

$18.0K €15.5K

-27.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 A$119

$89.1 €76.7

-3.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.31 A$61.5

$44.57 €38.36

-0.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$161

$108 €93.0

7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$113 €97.2

-3.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 A$2,769

$1,583 €1,362

26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 A$1,952

$1,225 €1,054

14.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,433 A$4,765

$2,813 €2,420

22.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,404 A$3,337

$1,871 €1,610

28.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,276 A$11.5K

$9,303 €8,006

-11.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,834 A$8,097

$4,251 €3,658

37.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,250 A$5,898

$2,584 €2,223

64.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

3.09

89.32%

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

Last update for Brisbane: August 31, 2026

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,995 in Brisbane versus $1,583 in Madrid. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 64% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Brisbane versus $68.0 in Madrid. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $320 – making Madrid the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Brisbane vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 10% more than Madrid, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,919 per month in Brisbane and $3,552 in Madrid. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madrid, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Brisbane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Brisbane and $68.0 in Madrid. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,613 in Brisbane and $2,368 in Madrid. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Madrid costs $2,368 versus $2,613 in Brisbane. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Madrid. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.