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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $3,262 in Ibiza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $4,199 in Ibiza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $5,136 in Ibiza.

Living in Madrid costs roughly 31% less than in Ibiza, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Ibiza 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$17.66 €15.19

-3.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$70.5 €60.6

-2.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$11.62 €9.99

0.95%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$2.67 €2.30

14.61%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$2.83 €2.44

13.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.47 €1.27

48.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.39 €2.91

16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$3.63 €3.12

28.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.38 €1.19

-13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$3.54 €3.05

-52.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.43 €1.23

18.18%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$2.84 €2.44

17.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$21.23 €18.26

-29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$8.47 €7.29

5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$14.84 €12.76

13.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.51 €2.16

8.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.97 €1.69

7.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.97 €1.69

28.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.58 €2.22

2.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.72 €1.48

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.01 €1.73

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.33 €1.14

1.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.34 €0.29

185.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$5.45 €4.69

25.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.43 €1.23

-2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.66 €1.43

31.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.41 €2.07

-26.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$33.78 €29.06

45.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$4.54 €3.90

-11.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.23 €1.05

8.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$25.97 €22.34

12.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.85 €1.60

4.32%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$39.0K €33.5K

-4.64%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$30.0K €25.8K

14.52%

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

$195 €167

$233 €201

-16.56%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$23.44 €20.17

-7.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$32.32 €27.80

9.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$88.1 €75.8

-38.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$15.19 €13.07

18.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$10.05 €8.64

14.93%

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

$676 €582

$409 €352

65.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$7,510 €6,460

61.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$72.0 €61.9

30.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$57.1 €49.08

-25.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$82.6 €71.0

27.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$159 €137

-15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$2,287 €1,967

-31.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$2,065 €1,777

-44.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$2,702 €2,324

4.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$2,498 €2,149

-24.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$7,163 €6,161

26.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$2,828 €2,433

59.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$1,971 €1,695

33.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.5

-2.00%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ibiza: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $2,287 in Ibiza. 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $71.0 in Ibiza. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $291, 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

Madrid vs Ibiza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid and Ibiza differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,253 vs $3,262 including rent). Madrid is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Madrid pays 33% 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $2,287 in Ibiza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Madrid runs roughly 45% less than in Ibiza. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $676 in Madrid versus $409 in Ibiza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,253 in Madrid versus $3,262 in Ibiza, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madrid but tight or insufficient in Ibiza. The gap between the two cities makes Madrid the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Madrid and Ibiza 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 45% less than in Ibiza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.