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: $2,293 in Madrid versus $2,236 in Swieqi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $3,398 in Swieqi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $4,559 in Swieqi.

Living in Madrid is roughly 3% more expensive than in Swieqi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Swieqi 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.16

$17.54 €15.35

-1.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$70.0 €61.2

-1.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.46

$9.79 €8.56

22.06%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.67 €2.33

16.10%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$2.68 €2.35

19.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.72 €1.50

24.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$4.49 €3.93

-8.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$5.23 €4.57

-13.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.37 €1.20

-13.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.41 €1.23

21.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$3.41 €2.99

-49.56%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$3.16 €2.77

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.11

$9.14 €8.00

63.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.73

$10.46 €9.15

-15.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.65

$14.17 €12.39

18.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.29 €2.88

-20.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.06 €1.80

7.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.79 €2.44

-12.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$3.34 €2.93

-20.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.78 €1.56

16.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.86 €2.50

-24.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.79 €1.56

-25.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.79 €0.69

25.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.11

$6.35 €5.56

10.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.80

$6.10 €5.33

27.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.35 €2.06

-39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$1.76 €1.54

23.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$2.25 €1.97

-20.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.68

$15.16 €13.26

221.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$4.60 €4.02

-10.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.95 €1.70

-28.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.93

$58.1 €50.8

-50.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.53 €1.34

25.49%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$25.8K €22.5K

46.22%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$40.2K €35.2K

-15.16%

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

$193 €169

$158 €138

22.39%

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

$21.55 €18.86

$23.19 €20.29

-7.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.47

$33.04 €28.91

8.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.10

$69.2 €60.6

-23.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.44

$22.39 €19.59

-21.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.01

$9.32 €8.15

22.75%

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

$669 €585

$524 €459

27.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$12.5K €11.0K

-5.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.8

$76.6 €67.0

23.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.46

$38.47 €33.66

11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.7

$142 €124

-26.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$101 €88.4

30.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,180 €1,033

36.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,007

$1,148 €1,004

0.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,483

$2,915 €2,550

-2.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,644

$2,114 €1,850

-11.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,907

$3,993 €3,494

126.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,729

$4,308 €3,769

-1.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,156

$1,450 €1,268

69.94%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $1,180 in Swieqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 70% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $70.0 in Swieqi. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 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

Swieqi wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Swieqi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 70% 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: $1,607 in Madrid versus $1,180 in Swieqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

At $2,236 in Swieqi versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Swieqi but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Swieqi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Swieqi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,236 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Swieqi 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 Swieqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.