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: $2,262 in Madrid versus $2,301 in Kilkenny.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,324 in Madrid versus $3,172 in Kilkenny.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Madrid versus $4,043 in Kilkenny.

Living in Madrid costs roughly 2% less than in Kilkenny, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.43

$16.12 €14.05

9.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.8

$69.3 €60.4

0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 €10.43

$10.27 €8.96

16.46%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.75

$4.19 €3.65

-24.82%

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

$3.11 €2.71

$2.27 €1.98

37.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.75 €1.53

26.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.15 €3.62

$6.03 €5.25

-31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 €3.92

$6.82 €5.94

-34.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.15 €1.01

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.06 €1.79

-17.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.74 €1.52

-2.30%

Eggs

$3.51 €3.06

$3.25 €2.83

8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.07 €13.14

$9.54 €8.32

57.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 €8.06

$9.30 €8.11

-0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 €14.88

$8.16 €7.11

109.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.39

$2.27 €1.98

21.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.74 €1.51

22.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.17

$3.43 €2.99

-27.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$2.02 €1.76

36.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.22 €1.07

75.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.90

$1.19 €1.03

83.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.01 €0.88

36.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.80

$1.02 €0.89

-9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.95 €6.06

$19.49 €16.99

-64.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 €6.90

$13.40 €11.69

-40.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.92 €2.55

-52.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.96

$2.81 €2.45

-20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.38 €2.07

-24.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.65 €42.41

$100 €87.2

-51.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 €3.52

$5.16 €4.50

-21.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.16 €1.01

14.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.16 €25.42

$35.25 €30.73

-17.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$2.07 €1.80

-11.11%

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

$38.1K €33.2K

$37.5K €32.7K

1.42%

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

$33.4K €29.2K

$21.6K €18.8K

55.07%

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

$189 €165

$157 €137

20.40%

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

$21.62 €18.85

$22.01 €19.19

-1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 €31.35

$50.1 €43.70

-28.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 €46.28

$55.5 €48.41

-4.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.13 €15.80

$11.59 €10.11

56.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 €10.00

$13.80 €12.03

-16.88%

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

$662 €578

$1,015 €885

-34.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.3K

$7,393 €6,445

60.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 €84.7

$74.9 €65.3

29.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.05 €37.53

$23.28 €20.29

84.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.2

$81.4 €71.0

28.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €116

$80.7 €70.4

64.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 €1,361

$1,484 €1,294

5.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 €985

$1,208 €1,053

-6.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,850 €2,484

$2,410 €2,101

18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 €1,629

$1,648 €1,437

13.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,099 €7,933

$8,217 €7,163

10.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,243 €3,699

$2,298 €2,003

84.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,471 €2,154

$2,760 €2,407

-10.47%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Kilkenny: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,561 in Madrid and $1,484 in Kilkenny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kilkenny pays 12% 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 Madrid vs $69.0 in Kilkenny for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $267 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

Madrid vs Kilkenny: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Kilkenny. 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: $1,561 in Madrid versus $1,484 in Kilkenny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $662 in Madrid versus $1,015 in Kilkenny. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kilkenny pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,262 in Madrid versus $2,301 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, 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 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.