Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Kilkenny

For one person, living costs are similar in Madrid and in Kilkenny: $2,304 and $2,340 a month, rent and utilities included.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
Learn more

Madrid Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Kilkenny
Learn more

Kilkenny Living Index

Jump to prices

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Kilkenny

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Kilkenny

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 Kilkenny actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $2,340 in Kilkenny.

Madrid $2,304
Kilkenny $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $3,280 in Kilkenny.

Madrid $3,389
Kilkenny $3,280

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $4,221 in Kilkenny.

Madrid $4,475
Kilkenny $4,221

Monthly costs are close between Madrid and Kilkenny; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Kilkenny 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.93

$16.55 €14.87

7.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €60.1

$67.4 €60.5

-0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.15

$10.02 €9.00

12.77%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$4.28 €3.85

-28.97%

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

$3.36 €3.02

$2.98 €2.68

12.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.18 €1.96

7.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.50

$6.57 €5.90

-40.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.31

$6.50 €5.84

-26.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.33 €1.20

-0.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$2.35 €2.11

-30.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.55

$1.53 €1.37

12.42%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.78

$4.38 €3.94

-4.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.29

$10.50 €9.43

51.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.41

$5.72 €5.14

63.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.46

$6.82 €6.13

152.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.27 €2.04

12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.23 €2.00

-6.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$3.03 €2.72

-15.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.85 €2.56

-9.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$1.23 €1.11

87.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.14 €1.03

90.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$0.85 €0.76

76.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.83 €1.65

-41.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.90

$20.42 €18.34

-67.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.07

$14.18 €12.74

-44.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$3.82 €3.43

-68.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.95

$4.37 €3.93

-50.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$2.71 €2.44

-38.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.38

$5.34 €4.79

-29.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.41 €1.27

5.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.10

$56.4 €50.7

-46.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.04 €1.83

-9.31%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$38.2K €34.3K

-11.40%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$38.4K €34.5K

-13.19%

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

$192 €172

$181 €162

6.12%

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

$17.66 €15.86

$20.72 €18.62

-14.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.51

$51.8 €46.55

-32.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.46

$69.4 €62.4

-31.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.37

$22.38 €20.10

-18.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.14

$13.53 €12.16

-16.56%

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

$687 €617

$877 €788

-21.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.7

$102 €91.4

-14.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.41

$36.88 €33.13

12.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.1

$111 €100

-2.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$94.0 €84.5

18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,355

$1,534 €1,378

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,087

$1,252 €1,125

-3.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,541

$2,620 €2,353

7.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,800

$1,818 €1,633

10.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,086

$8,172 €7,341

10.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,231

$2,279 €2,047

106.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,204

$2,765 €2,484

-11.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.68

-14.67%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kilkenny: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Kilkenny

$1.3K 53.5% 3.5% $42

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Kilkenny

$280 12% 8% $24

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Kilkenny

$280 12% 6.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Kilkenny

$253 10.8% 3.6% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Kilkenny

$155 6.6% 1.1% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Kilkenny

$96 4.1% 38.1% $27

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Kilkenny

$23 * 1% 58.1% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $1,534 in Kilkenny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kilkenny pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $67 in Kilkenny. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $280, with Kilkenny cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇮🇪 Kilkenny

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

22:12 10:12 PM

1 h behind Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

26,500

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madrid Kilkenny 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
Kilkenny

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 Kilkenny: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Madrid. 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $1,534 in Kilkenny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Madrid versus $877 in Kilkenny. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kilkenny pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Madrid is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Kilkenny are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Madrid wins on affordability, Kilkenny on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.