Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Port Alberni Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Port Alberni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Madrid versus $1,689 in Port Alberni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Madrid versus $2,883 in Port Alberni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Madrid versus $4,078 in Port Alberni.

Living in Madrid is roughly 40% more expensive than in Port Alberni, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Port Alberni 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 €16.16

$18.24 CA$25.23

2.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.9

$63.1 CA$87.3

8.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 €10.31

$10.75 CA$14.88

11.44%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.77

$4.06 CA$5.62

-20.69%

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

$3.37 €2.90

$2.11 CA$2.91

59.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.46 CA$2.02

56.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 €3.42

$3.68 CA$5.10

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.38

$5.57 CA$7.71

-8.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.19 CA$3.03

-38.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.38 CA$3.30

-31.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.85 CA$3.94

-39.30%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.80

$3.95 CA$5.47

11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.82

$9.20 CA$12.73

87.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 €8.45

$4.43 CA$6.13

121.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.68

$20.20 CA$27.94

-9.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.81 CA$3.89

-2.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.06 CA$1.46

122.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$3.52 CA$4.87

-26.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$3.63 CA$5.02

-26.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.14 CA$2.96

7.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.93 CA$2.68

17.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$2.20 CA$3.04

-28.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.69 CA$0.95

62.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$10.62 CA$14.69

-36.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.17

$10.86 CA$15.03

-23.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$2.67 CA$3.69

-53.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.93

$3.10 CA$4.29

-27.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.47 CA$2.04

16.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.94 €32.65

$34.36 CA$47.54

10.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.42

$2.80 CA$3.88

41.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.63 CA$2.26

-3.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 €26.13

$32.70 CA$45.24

-7.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.16 CA$1.61

58.62%

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

$37.0K €31.8K

$28.6K CA$39.5K

29.45%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$19.6K CA$27.2K

73.90%

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

$195 €167

$80.2 CA$111

142.59%

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

$19.08 €16.41

$35.79 CA$49.52

-46.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 €31.26

$51.4 CA$71.2

-29.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.07

$44.07 CA$61.0

16.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 €16.65

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.80

$11.87 CA$16.43

-4.04%

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

$696 €599

$1,123 CA$1,553

-38.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €15.5K

$21.2K CA$29.3K

-14.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.7

$61.1 CA$84.6

45.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 €38.36

$35.14 CA$48.62

26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.0

$88.3 CA$122

22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.2

$97.6 CA$135

15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,362

$810 CA$1,121

95.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,054

$729 CA$1,009

67.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 €2,420

$1,748 CA$2,418

60.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,610

$1,705 CA$2,359

9.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,303 €8,006

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,658

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,223

$3,089 CA$4,274

-16.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

4.23

-26.95%

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

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Last update for Port Alberni: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Madrid and $810 in Port Alberni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Alberni pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Madrid vs $63.0 in Port Alberni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $305 per month, with Port Alberni 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 Port Alberni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Alberni wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Alberni the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Port Alberni. 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: $1,583 in Madrid versus $810 in Port Alberni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Alberni – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,689 in Port Alberni versus $2,368 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Port Alberni but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Port Alberni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Port Alberni delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,689 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Port Alberni hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Port Alberni 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 Port Alberni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.