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: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,895 in Port Alberni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,958 in Port Alberni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $4,022 in Port Alberni.

Living in Madrid is roughly 21% more expensive than in Port Alberni, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Port Alberni 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 €15.47

$16.80 CA$23.70

5.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €60.1

$55.6 CA$78.5

23.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.21

$10.97 CA$15.48

6.11%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.73

$4.24 CA$5.99

-26.42%

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

$3.22 €2.83

$2.12 CA$2.99

51.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$1.08 CA$1.53

101.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.15 €3.64

$3.73 CA$5.26

11.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.04

$5.73 CA$8.08

-19.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.09

$2.66 CA$3.75

-53.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.88 CA$2.65

-12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$2.93 CA$4.13

-41.98%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.96

$3.45 CA$4.86

-2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 €13.20

$5.72 CA$8.07

163.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 €7.85

$4.37 CA$6.16

104.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 €14.73

$24.39 CA$34.40

-31.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.00 CA$4.23

-9.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.92

$1.11 CA$1.57

96.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$3.00 CA$4.24

-17.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.37

$3.40 CA$4.79

-20.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.14 CA$3.02

0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.89 CA$2.66

8.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.15 CA$3.03

-36.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.80

$0.71 CA$1.00

29.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.11

$10.93 CA$15.41

-36.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.92

$10.75 CA$15.17

-26.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.28

$3.93 CA$5.55

-62.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.96

$3.96 CA$5.59

-43.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.43 CA$2.02

25.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.65 €42.66

$35.64 CA$50.3

36.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.60

$2.78 CA$3.93

47.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.20

$1.48 CA$2.09

-8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 €25.26

$28.87 CA$40.72

-0.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.69

$1.32 CA$1.86

45.45%

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

$37.0K €32.5K

$25.1K CA$35.5K

47.20%

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

$33.7K €29.5K

$20.9K CA$29.5K

61.11%

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

$195 €171

$190 CA$267

3.06%

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

$21.22 €18.60

$37.39 CA$52.7

-43.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.93 €30.63

$65.4 CA$92.3

-46.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €46.61

$41.27 CA$58.2

28.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.47

Cinema Ticket

$11.67 €10.23

$12.42 CA$17.52

-6.04%

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

$664 €582

$909 CA$1,283

-26.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.8K

$12.5K CA$17.7K

-2.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 €83.8

$55.4 CA$78.1

72.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 €36.62

$54.5 CA$76.8

-23.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.6

$105 CA$148

2.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$93.4 CA$132

45.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,373

$746 CA$1,052

110.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 €978

$723 CA$1,020

54.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,786 €2,443

$1,683 CA$2,374

65.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 €1,638

$1,626 CA$2,293

14.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,189 €8,057

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,356 €3,819

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,480 €2,174

$3,096 CA$4,366

-19.90%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Port Alberni: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $727 in Port Alberni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Alberni pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $55.0 in Port Alberni. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $311, 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 21% 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 26% 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: $1,607 in Madrid versus $727 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 $55.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,895 in Port Alberni versus $2,293 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 $1,895 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 21% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.