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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Madrid is roughly 1% more expensive than Kilkenny, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.71

$16.36 €14.10

4.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$70.0 €60.3

-0.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.27

$10.34 €8.91

15.28%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.66

$4.32 €3.72

-28.47%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.38 €2.05

30.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.76 €1.52

19.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.57

$6.22 €5.36

-33.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.96

$6.90 €5.95

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.19 €1.03

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.09 €1.80

-18.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.67 €1.44

1.80%

Eggs

$3.48 €3.00

$3.26 €2.81

6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 €12.69

$9.51 €8.19

54.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €7.82

$9.21 €7.93

-1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.44

$8.36 €7.20

100.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.29 €1.97

13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.66 €1.43

33.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$3.55 €3.06

-29.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.06 €1.77

33.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.23 €1.06

73.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.18 €1.01

80.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.05 €0.91

32.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$1.06 €0.91

-8.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$19.57 €16.86

-65.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$13.90 €11.97

-42.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.96 €2.55

-51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.96 €2.55

-23.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.35 €2.02

-25.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €42.63

$100 €86.2

-50.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.55

$5.35 €4.61

-23.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.15 €0.99

20.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 €25.00

$35.61 €30.68

-18.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.00 €1.73

-6.50%

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

$37.6K €32.4K

$38.0K €32.8K

-1.12%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$21.9K €18.8K

55.86%

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

$195 €168

$162 €139

20.48%

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

$21.25 €18.31

$21.52 €18.54

-1.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 €30.80

$49.15 €42.35

-27.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €45.47

$56.1 €48.35

-5.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 €15.44

$11.35 €9.78

57.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 €10.09

$13.92 €11.99

-15.80%

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

$680 €586

$1,023 €882

-33.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$7,412 €6,386

65.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €82.6

$76.7 €66.1

24.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €36.62

$23.08 €19.89

84.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$82.6 €71.1

28.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$81.4 €70.1

67.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,386

$1,469 €1,265

9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 €980

$1,216 €1,048

-6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 €2,405

$2,448 €2,109

14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,650

$1,665 €1,435

15.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,893 €7,662

$8,383 €7,222

6.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,347 €3,745

$2,279 €1,963

90.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,226

$2,735 €2,356

-5.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

4.27

-19.67%

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

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Last update for Kilkenny: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Madrid and $1,469 in Kilkenny. 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $70.0 in Kilkenny. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $270, 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

Madrid vs Kilkenny: 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.

On paper, Kilkenny earns 6% less. 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: $1,609 in Madrid versus $1,469 in Kilkenny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $680 in Madrid versus $1,023 in Kilkenny. 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, Madrid and Kilkenny 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.