Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Madrid: $2,265 a month against $2,518 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Brisbane

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madrid and in Brisbane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Madrid vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Madrid $2,265
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Madrid vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Madrid $3,311
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $4,356 per month in Madrid vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Madrid $4,356
Brisbane $4,922

Madrid is about 10% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Madrid and Brisbane sit above the global median – Madrid by 67%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 €16.06

$17.39 A$25.02

3.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$70.9 A$102

-6.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.14

$11.09 A$15.95

2.80%

Cappuccino

$3.03 €2.69

$4.43 A$6.38

-31.60%

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

$3.25 €2.89

$2.90 A$4.17

12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.43 A$3.49

-4.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$8.42 A$12.12

-54.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 €4.29

$8.31 A$11.96

-42.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.67 A$2.40

-20.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$2.72 A$3.92

-40.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.29 A$3.29

-23.58%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.82 A$6.94

-15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.54

$9.06 A$13.03

80.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.55

$9.18 A$13.21

4.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.50

$14.21 A$20.45

22.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$4.31 A$6.20

-38.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.93

$3.04 A$4.38

-28.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$3.00 A$4.32

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$4.75 A$6.84

-45.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.72 A$3.92

-17.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.34 A$3.37

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$2.42 A$3.48

-35.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.19 A$1.71

-9.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 €5.96

$38.67 A$55.7

-82.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.95

$12.66 A$18.21

-38.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.08

$5.40 A$7.77

-77.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$5.13 A$7.38

-56.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.37 A$0.53

340.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.72 €33.56

$20.72 A$29.81

82.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$2.92 A$4.20

30.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.86 A$2.68

-19.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 €26.68

$41.05 A$59.1

-26.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.40 A$2.01

27.86%

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

$33.7K €29.9K

$29.7K A$42.8K

13.12%

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

$33.3K €29.6K

$26.0K A$37.4K

28.07%

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

$190 €169

$159 A$229

19.58%

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

$17.57 €15.63

$26.52 A$38.16

-33.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 €31.43

$60.6 A$87.2

-41.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 €44.04

$60.9 A$87.6

-18.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.20 €16.19

$22.22 A$31.97

-18.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.87

$14.14 A$20.34

-21.57%

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

$684 €609

$1,952 A$2,808

-64.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €16.2K

$12.7K A$18.3K

43.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €78.1

$83.3 A$120

5.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €37.41

$43.69 A$62.9

-3.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.3

$113 A$163

-2.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$111 A$160

1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,342

$1,939 A$2,790

-22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 €1,034

$1,322 A$1,902

-12.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 €2,494

$3,408 A$4,904

-17.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,661

$2,242 A$3,226

-16.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,017 €8,021

$8,271 A$11.9K

9.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,294 €3,819

$5,920 A$8,518

-27.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,495 €2,219

$4,183 A$6,020

-40.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

5.81

-45.96%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.3%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 13.7% $160

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.6%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 18% $55

Eating Out

Madrid

$266 11.8%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 14.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$243 10.7%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 1.2% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$159 7%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 0.6% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 24.3% $17

Getting Around

Madrid

$56 2.5%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 38% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,509 in Madrid versus $1,939 in Brisbane. 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 68% 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 $66.0 in Madrid versus $71.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $308 vs $363 – making Madrid the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

11:31 11:31 AM

8 h ahead of Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Madrid Brisbane 17,440 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
Brisbane

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Madrid vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 11% more than Madrid, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Madrid and $3,777 in Brisbane. 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 18% 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 $66.0 in Madrid and $71.0 in Brisbane. 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 $2,518. 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 $2,518 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.