Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibiza and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibiza and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,739 in Ibiza versus $2,368 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,837 in Ibiza versus $3,435 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,935 in Ibiza versus $4,502 in Madrid.

Living in Ibiza is roughly 16% more expensive than in Madrid, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ibiza 99% above, Madrid 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.20 €20.01

$18.78 €16.20

23.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €80.8

$68.5 €59.1

36.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 €11.05

$11.98 €10.33

6.93%

Cappuccino

$3.40 €2.93

$3.22 €2.78

5.59%

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

$2.74 €2.36

$3.37 €2.91

-18.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.26

$2.29 €1.97

13.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.97 €3.43

-12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 €3.59

$5.10 €4.39

-18.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.35 €1.16

4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 €3.08

$1.64 €1.41

117.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

Eggs

$4.42 €3.81

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.59 €17.76

$17.22 €14.86

19.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 €8.47

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.71

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.24

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.86

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.23 €1.06

13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.71 €1.47

35.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.94 €32.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.97 €3.42

16.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.58 €1.36

-9.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.30 €22.68

$30.36 €26.19

-13.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.84 €1.58

-4.35%

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

$36.6K €31.6K

$37.0K €31.9K

-1.01%

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

$29.9K €25.8K

$34.1K €29.4K

-12.40%

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

$219 €189

$195 €168

12.58%

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

$20.85 €17.98

$19.08 €16.45

9.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.56 €28.94

$36.32 €31.33

-7.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$113 €97.1

$51.2 €44.18

119.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.9 €50.8

$19.35 €16.69

204.29%

Cinema Ticket

$16.52 €14.25

$11.39 €9.82

45.04%

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

$867 €748

$696 €600

24.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €19.7K

$18.0K €15.6K

26.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.13 €36.34

$89.1 €76.9

-52.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 €38.45

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 €59.4

$108 €93.2

-36.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.4

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 €1,835

$1,583 €1,366

34.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,776 €1,532

$1,225 €1,057

45.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,130 €3,562

$2,813 €2,426

46.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,736 €2,360

$1,871 €1,613

46.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,175 €6,189

$9,303 €8,024

-22.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,863 €2,469

$4,251 €3,667

-32.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,946 €1,679

$2,584 €2,229

-24.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

3.09

7.77%

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

Last update for Ibiza: August 29, 2026

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,128 in Ibiza and $1,583 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Ibiza vs $68.0 in Madrid. Groceries flip the comparison at $119 vs $320, with Ibiza cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ibiza vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibiza and Madrid differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,739 vs $2,368 including rent). Madrid is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Madrid. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,128 in Ibiza versus $1,583 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $867 in Ibiza versus $696 in Madrid. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Madrid – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $94.0 in Ibiza. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Madrid is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Ibiza and Madrid 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 Madrid gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Ibiza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.