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 $2,300 per month in Brisbane vs $2,265 in Madrid, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,347 per month in Brisbane vs $3,314 in Madrid, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,395 per month in Brisbane vs $4,362 in Madrid, rent included.

Brisbane costs about 2% more than Madrid, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Brisbane and Madrid sit above the global median – Brisbane by 72%, Madrid by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 A$22.66

$17.39 €14.77

-6.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 A$100

$68.5 €58.1

5.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 A$13.24

$11.66 €9.90

-18.27%

Cappuccino

$3.69 A$5.13

$3.09 €2.62

19.42%

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

$2.74 A$3.81

$3.06 €2.60

-10.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$2.96

$2.21 €1.88

-3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 A$9.28

$4.01 €3.40

66.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 A$10.94

$4.53 €3.85

73.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 A$2.22

$1.20 €1.02

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 A$3.21

$1.68 €1.42

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 A$2.54

$1.72 €1.46

6.40%

Eggs

$4.50 A$6.26

$3.40 €2.88

32.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 A$11.70

$15.03 €12.76

-43.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 A$11.43

$8.78 €7.45

-6.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 A$18.72

$17.18 €14.59

-21.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 A$4.71

$2.64 €2.24

28.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.02

$2.15 €1.82

34.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.63

$2.55 €2.16

2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 A$5.88

$2.76 €2.34

53.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.49

$2.12 €1.80

18.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.17

$2.13 €1.81

7.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.09

$1.38 €1.17

60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 A$1.80

$0.97 €0.82

34.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.02 A$44.51

$7.11 €6.04

350.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.31 A$19.90

$8.10 €6.88

76.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.71 A$6.55

$1.38 €1.17

241.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.71

$2.16 €1.83

90.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$1.69 €1.43

-79.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.34 A$38.01

$48.75 €41.39

-43.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 A$3.23

$4.16 €3.53

-44.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.22

$1.32 €1.12

20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 A$47.31

$28.53 €24.22

19.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.72

$1.92 €1.63

-35.94%

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

$28.4K A$39.4K

$37.8K €32.1K

-25.03%

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

$22.6K A$31.4K

$33.3K €28.2K

-32.20%

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

$147 A$205

$188 €160

-21.89%

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

$25.93 A$36.04

$21.76 €18.48

19.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 A$75.4

$35.31 €29.98

53.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.36 A$68.6

$52.8 €44.84

-6.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.40 A$24.19

$18.10 €15.37

-3.87%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 A$18.36

$11.60 €9.84

13.88%

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

$1,595 A$2,217

$677 €575

135.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,929 A$12.4K

$12.1K €10.3K

-26.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 A$99.6

$94.9 €80.5

-24.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.94 A$59.7

$41.98 €35.64

2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 A$129

$104 €88.6

-11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$142

$135 €115

-24.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 A$2,274

$1,578 €1,339

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 A$1,726

$1,115 €946

11.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,631 A$3,657

$2,765 €2,348

-4.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 A$2,684

$1,879 €1,596

2.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.4K

$9,202 €7,813

-11.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,407 A$7,516

$4,488 €3,811

20.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,271 A$5,937

$2,586 €2,195

65.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

3.43

81.92%

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

Last update for Brisbane: April 22, 2026

Last update for Madrid: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,636 in Brisbane versus $1,578 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 65% 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 $72 in Brisbane versus $68 in Madrid. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $295 – 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 2% 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 $3,450 per month in Brisbane and $3,398 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 13% 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 $72.0 in Brisbane and $68.0 in Madrid. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Madrid, where all-in costs run around $2,265, than in Brisbane at $2,300. In Madrid it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Madrid costs $2,265 versus $2,300 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.