Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Perth Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Perth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,376 in Madrid versus $2,256 in Perth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in Madrid versus $3,296 in Perth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,482 in Madrid versus $4,336 in Perth.

Living in Madrid is roughly 5% more expensive than in Perth, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 74% above, Perth 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 €15.76

$22.04 £16.46

-17.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.0

$81.8 £61.1

-14.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.37

$16.34 £12.20

-27.05%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.73

$4.22 £3.15

-25.59%

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

$3.24 €2.82

$2.45 £1.83

32.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.72 £1.28

34.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.60

$6.36 £4.75

-34.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 €4.61

$5.81 £4.34

-8.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.42 £1.06

-0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.40 £1.04

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.90 £1.42

-5.79%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.69

$2.41 £1.80

75.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.25 €15.01

$8.38 £6.26

105.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 €8.51

$8.78 £6.56

11.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 €15.82

$13.65 £10.19

33.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.59 £1.94

0.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.65 £1.23

42.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$2.58 £1.93

1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.34

$3.26 £2.44

-17.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.51 £1.13

49.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.79 £1.34

24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.07 £0.80

45.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.49 £1.11

-25.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.99

$21.08 £15.74

-67.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 €6.92

$11.46 £8.56

-30.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.06

$3.13 £2.34

-61.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.02

$3.14 £2.35

-26.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.49

$3.58 £2.68

-52.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.76 €32.86

$93.8 £70.0

-59.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 €3.34

$5.54 £4.14

-30.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.37

$2.60 £1.94

-39.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.11 €27.07

$24.36 £18.19

27.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.96 £1.47

-7.65%

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

$36.5K €31.7K

$35.5K £26.5K

2.85%

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

$34.0K €29.5K

$42.3K £31.6K

-19.67%

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

$196 €171

$630 £471

-68.87%

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

$18.80 €16.36

$13.75 £10.27

36.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.32 €30.74

$36.03 £26.91

-1.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 €44.11

$47.68 £35.60

6.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.91 €17.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.68 €10.16

$14.93 £11.15

-21.77%

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

$715 €623

$1,242 £928

-42.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €15.9K

$22.9K £17.1K

-20.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €76.6

$91.6 £68.4

-3.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 €38.32

$44.76 £33.42

-1.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.2

$68.4 £51.1

58.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.5

$140 £105

-19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 €1,364

$716 £535

118.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,062

$574 £429

112.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 €2,454

$1,243 £928

126.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,629

$1,115 £833

67.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,963 €7,800

$5,201 £3,884

72.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,322 €3,761

$4,037 £3,015

7.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,568 €2,235

$2,427 £1,812

5.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

5.07

-39.05%

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

Last update for Madrid: September 12, 2026

Last update for Perth: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,567 in Madrid and $716 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 6% 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 $82.0 in Perth. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $280, with Perth 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 Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perth wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Perth the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Madrid, 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: $1,567 in Madrid versus $716 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Perth – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,256 in Perth versus $2,376 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Perth but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Perth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Perth delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Perth hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Perth 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 Perth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.