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: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,849 in Port Alberni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,314 in Madrid versus $2,907 in Port Alberni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,362 in Madrid versus $3,965 in Port Alberni.

Living in Madrid is roughly 22% more expensive than Port Alberni, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Port Alberni 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 €14.77

$17.00 CA$23.29

2.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.1

$56.0 CA$76.7

22.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 €9.90

$11.13 CA$15.25

4.76%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.62

$4.19 CA$5.74

-26.25%

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

$3.06 €2.60

$2.14 CA$2.93

42.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.88

$1.12 CA$1.54

97.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.40

$3.70 CA$5.06

8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.75 CA$7.88

-21.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.02

$2.57 CA$3.52

-53.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.42

$1.81 CA$2.48

-7.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.46

$2.96 CA$4.06

-41.89%

Eggs

$3.40 €2.88

$3.64 CA$4.98

-6.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €12.76

$5.78 CA$7.92

160.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 €7.45

$4.51 CA$6.18

94.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 €14.59

$24.36 CA$33.37

-29.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.24

$3.00 CA$4.11

-12.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.82

$1.12 CA$1.54

91.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.16

$3.02 CA$4.14

-15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.34

$3.38 CA$4.63

-18.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$2.17 CA$2.97

-2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.81

$1.93 CA$2.64

10.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.17

$2.27 CA$3.11

-39.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.82

$0.75 CA$1.03

29.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.04

$10.98 CA$15.05

-35.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 €6.88

$11.19 CA$15.33

-27.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.17

$3.80 CA$5.21

-63.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.83

$3.91 CA$5.35

-44.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.43

$1.45 CA$1.99

16.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.75 €41.39

$35.89 CA$49.17

35.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.53

$2.83 CA$3.87

47.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.12

$1.49 CA$2.04

-11.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.53 €24.22

$28.39 CA$38.90

0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.63

$1.25 CA$1.71

53.60%

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

$37.8K €32.1K

$25.3K CA$34.7K

49.36%

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

$33.3K €28.2K

$21.0K CA$28.7K

58.80%

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

$188 €160

$187 CA$257

0.56%

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

$21.76 €18.48

$37.19 CA$51.0

-41.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.31 €29.98

$66.3 CA$90.8

-46.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €44.84

$41.76 CA$57.2

26.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 €15.37

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 €9.84

$12.69 CA$17.38

-8.59%

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

$677 €575

$907 CA$1,243

-25.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.3K

$12.5K CA$17.1K

-3.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 €80.5

$56.3 CA$77.1

68.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.98 €35.64

$53.4 CA$73.1

-21.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.6

$105 CA$144

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €115

$94.4 CA$129

43.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 €1,339

$723 CA$991

118.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 €946

$739 CA$1,013

50.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,765 €2,348

$1,696 CA$2,323

63.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,596

$1,631 CA$2,235

15.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,202 €7,813

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,488 €3,811

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,586 €2,195

$3,168 CA$4,341

-18.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

6.54

-47.55%

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

Last update for Madrid: April 20, 2026

Last update for Port Alberni: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,578 in Madrid and $723 in Port Alberni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Alberni pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Madrid vs $56 in Port Alberni. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $312, with Madrid 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 Port Alberni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Alberni wins on cost – living expenses run 22% 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, Port Alberni earns 23% 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: $1,578 in Madrid versus $723 in Port Alberni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Alberni – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,849 in Port Alberni versus $2,265 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 $1,849 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 22% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.