Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Swieqi Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Swieqi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $2,268 in Swieqi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $3,401 in Swieqi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $4,534 in Swieqi.

Living in Madrid costs roughly 1% less than in Swieqi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Swieqi 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.68

$17.64 €15.19

-3.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$69.9 €60.2

-1.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.10

$9.92 €8.54

18.25%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.64

$2.63 €2.26

16.35%

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

$3.21 €2.77

$2.74 €2.36

17.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.73 €1.49

26.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$4.38 €3.77

-10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$5.31 €4.57

-12.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.31 €1.13

-8.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.37 €1.18

22.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$3.52 €3.03

-51.99%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$3.19 €2.75

4.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.84

$8.82 €7.60

69.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.69

$10.35 €8.91

-13.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.50

$14.21 €12.24

18.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$3.37 €2.90

-18.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.06 €1.77

2.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.77 €2.39

-8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$3.20 €2.75

-17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.87 €1.61

14.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.86 €2.46

-26.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.86 €1.60

-27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.82 €0.71

18.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.88

$6.52 €5.61

4.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.02

$6.32 €5.44

28.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.38 €2.05

-41.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.86 €1.60

17.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.34 €2.02

-24.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.26

$15.16 €13.05

223.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$4.60 €3.96

-12.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.90 €1.63

-30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.13

$58.7 €50.6

-50.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.59 €1.37

21.38%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$26.0K €22.4K

42.98%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$41.1K €35.4K

-16.46%

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

$195 €168

$158 €136

22.84%

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

$21.66 €18.66

$22.98 €19.78

-5.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.57

$32.97 €28.39

7.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.31

$68.5 €59.0

-21.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.46

$22.59 €19.45

-20.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.95

$9.19 €7.91

25.68%

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

$676 €582

$510 €439

32.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$12.9K €11.1K

-6.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$75.1 €64.7

25.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.83

$58.2 €50.2

-26.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.0

$143 €123

-26.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$168 €144

-19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,348

$1,195 €1,029

31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €989

$1,139 €981

0.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,433

$2,988 €2,573

-5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,622

$2,112 €1,818

-10.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,816

$4,973 €4,282

82.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,884

$4,325 €3,724

4.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,261

$1,446 €1,245

81.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

4.34

-20.97%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $1,195 in Swieqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 82% 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 $70.0 in Swieqi. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $288, with Swieqi 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 Swieqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Swieqi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Madrid the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 82% more on average, 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $1,195 in Swieqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Swieqi pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Madrid – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $70.0 in Swieqi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,253 in Madrid versus $2,268 in Swieqi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madrid but tight or insufficient in Swieqi. The gap between the two cities makes Madrid the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Madrid delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,253 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Madrid hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Swieqi 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 1% less than in Swieqi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.