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: $2,313 in Kilkenny versus $2,273 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Kilkenny versus $3,389 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,170 in Kilkenny versus $4,505 in Madrid.

Living in Kilkenny is roughly 2% more expensive than Madrid, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kilkenny 73% above, Madrid 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.14 €13.78

$17.64 €15.07

-8.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 €59.4

$70.5 €60.2

-1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 €9.06

$11.66 €9.95

-9.01%

Cappuccino

$4.19 €3.58

$3.10 €2.64

35.16%

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

$2.37 €2.02

$3.06 €2.62

-22.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.46

$2.10 €1.79

-18.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 €5.11

$4.07 €3.48

46.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 €5.89

$4.52 €3.86

52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.25 €1.06

-7.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.69 €1.44

20.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.65 €1.41

1.82%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.75

$3.35 €2.86

-3.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$14.57 €12.44

-35.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €8.02

$9.12 €7.79

2.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 €7.34

$16.67 €14.24

-48.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.95

$2.66 €2.27

-13.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.47

$2.21 €1.89

-21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 €3.05

$2.47 €2.11

44.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.71

$2.71 €2.31

-25.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$2.11 €1.80

-44.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.96

$2.14 €1.83

-47.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.87

$1.41 €1.20

-27.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.87

$0.97 €0.83

5.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.08 €16.29

$7.08 €6.04

169.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €11.97

$8.12 €6.94

72.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.39 €1.19

108.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.53

$2.25 €1.92

31.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.93

$1.78 €1.52

26.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 €85.2

$48.86 €41.73

104.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 €4.47

$4.16 €3.55

25.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.38 €1.18

-13.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.96 €30.71

$28.62 €24.44

25.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.77

$1.88 €1.60

10.11%

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

$37.6K €32.1K

$38.3K €32.7K

-1.69%

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

$22.0K €18.7K

$34.4K €29.4K

-36.13%

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

$160 €137

$192 €164

-16.51%

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

$21.79 €18.61

$21.59 €18.44

0.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.91 €42.62

$35.26 €30.12

41.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €46.64

$53.4 €45.60

2.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 €10.04

$17.72 €15.13

-33.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 €11.68

$11.78 €10.06

16.13%

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

$1,012 €864

$674 €576

50.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,370 €6,294

$12.2K €10.4K

-39.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 €64.4

$95.7 €81.7

-21.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.59 €20.14

$41.61 €35.53

-43.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 €71.2

$104 €89.2

-20.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 €70.0

$133 €113

-38.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 €1,250

$1,595 €1,362

-8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 €1,041

$1,109 €947

9.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 €2,114

$2,858 €2,441

-13.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,432

$1,890 €1,614

-11.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,474 €7,236

$9,394 €8,023

-9.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,310 €1,973

$4,583 €3,914

-49.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,859 €2,442

$2,602 €2,222

9.87%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Madrid: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,464 in Kilkenny and $1,595 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kilkenny pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Kilkenny vs $70.0 in Madrid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $294 per month, with Kilkenny 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

Kilkenny vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kilkenny pays 10% 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: $1,464 in Kilkenny versus $1,595 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,012 in Kilkenny versus $674 in Madrid. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kilkenny pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,273 in Madrid versus $2,313 in Kilkenny, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madrid but tight or insufficient in Kilkenny. The gap between the two cities makes Madrid the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Madrid is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kilkenny, 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 Madrid gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Kilkenny. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.