Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilkenny and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilkenny and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Kilkenny versus $2,270 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,174 in Kilkenny versus $3,352 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,098 in Kilkenny versus $4,434 in Madrid.

Living in Kilkenny costs roughly 1% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kilkenny 67% above, Madrid 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.36 €14.10

$17.07 €14.71

-4.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 €60.3

$69.5 €59.9

0.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 €8.91

$11.92 €10.27

-13.26%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.72

$3.09 €2.66

39.81%

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

$2.38 €2.05

$3.10 €2.67

-23.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.11 €1.82

-16.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.22 €5.36

$4.14 €3.57

50.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 €5.95

$4.60 €3.96

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.19 €1.02

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.70 €1.46

22.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.70 €1.46

-1.76%

Eggs

$3.26 €2.81

$3.48 €3.00

-6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 €8.19

$14.73 €12.69

-35.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 €7.93

$9.07 €7.82

1.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 €7.20

$16.75 €14.44

-50.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.61 €2.25

-12.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.22 €1.91

-25.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 €3.06

$2.51 €2.16

41.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.75 €2.37

-25.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.06

$2.14 €1.84

-42.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$2.13 €1.84

-44.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.39 €1.19

-24.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.97 €0.84

9.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.57 €16.86

$6.79 €5.85

188.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 €11.97

$8.02 €6.91

73.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.55

$1.44 €1.24

105.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.55

$2.25 €1.94

31.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.76 €1.52

33.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 €86.2

$49.48 €42.63

102.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.61

$4.11 €3.55

30.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.39 €1.20

-17.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.61 €30.68

$29.01 €25.00

22.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.87 €1.61

6.95%

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

$38.0K €32.8K

$37.6K €32.4K

1.13%

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

$21.9K €18.8K

$34.1K €29.3K

-35.84%

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

$162 €139

$195 €168

-17.00%

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

$21.52 €18.54

$21.25 €18.31

1.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.15 €42.35

$35.75 €30.80

37.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 €48.35

$52.8 €45.47

6.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 €9.78

$17.91 €15.44

-36.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.92 €11.99

$11.72 €10.09

18.77%

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

$1,023 €882

$680 €586

50.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,412 €6,386

$12.3K €10.6K

-39.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 €66.1

$95.8 €82.6

-19.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.08 €19.89

$42.50 €36.62

-45.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 €71.1

$106 €91.4

-22.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 €70.1

$137 €118

-40.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,265

$1,609 €1,386

-8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,048

$1,138 €980

6.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 €2,109

$2,792 €2,405

-12.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 €1,435

$1,915 €1,650

-13.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,383 €7,222

$8,893 €7,662

-5.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,279 €1,963

$4,347 €3,745

-47.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,735 €2,356

$2,584 €2,226

5.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

3.43

24.49%

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

Last update for Kilkenny: June 7, 2026

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in Kilkenny and $1,609 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kilkenny pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Kilkenny vs $69.0 in Madrid. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $295, with Kilkenny 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

Kilkenny vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kilkenny is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kilkenny pays 6% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,469 in Kilkenny versus $1,609 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,023 in Kilkenny versus $680 in Madrid. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,251 in Kilkenny versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kilkenny but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Kilkenny the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kilkenny is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Madrid, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.