Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Swieqi

For one person, living is cheaper in Swieqi: $2,082 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
Learn more

Madrid Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Swieqi
Learn more

Swieqi Living Index

Jump to prices

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Swieqi

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Swieqi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madrid and in Swieqi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $2,082 in Swieqi.

Madrid $2,304
Swieqi $2,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $3,327 in Swieqi.

Madrid $3,389
Swieqi $3,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $4,571 in Swieqi.

Madrid $4,475
Swieqi $4,571

Living in Madrid is roughly 11% more expensive than in Swieqi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Swieqi 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.82

$16.71 €14.91

6.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.7

$68.1 €60.8

-1.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.08

$10.94 €9.76

3.29%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.71

$3.19 €2.85

-4.70%

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

$3.36 €3.00

$2.33 €2.08

44.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.82 €1.62

29.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.47

$3.64 €3.25

6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.28

$4.44 €3.96

8.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.36 €1.21

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.45 €1.29

13.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$3.59 €3.20

-52.09%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.75

$3.19 €2.85

31.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.19

$8.53 €7.61

86.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.35

$9.92 €8.85

-5.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.36

$18.11 €16.15

-4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$3.86 €3.44

-33.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.26 €2.02

-7.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.87 €2.56

-11.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$3.74 €3.34

-31.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.95 €1.74

18.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.45 €2.19

-11.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.81 €1.61

-17.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.89 €0.79

20.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.86

$6.35 €5.66

3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.02

$6.04 €5.39

30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$2.47 €2.20

-51.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.32 €2.07

-6.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.49

$2.22 €1.98

-24.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.49

$14.72 €13.14

154.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.36

$3.99 €3.56

-5.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.77 €1.58

-15.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €26.92

$33.28 €29.69

-9.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.46 €1.30

26.71%

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

$33.9K €30.2K

$28.5K €25.4K

18.96%

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

$33.3K €29.7K

$39.0K €34.8K

-14.54%

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

$192 €171

$121 €108

58.21%

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

$17.66 €15.75

$22.20 €19.81

-20.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.29

$29.85 €26.63

17.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.17

$66.6 €59.4

-28.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.26

$16.07 €14.34

13.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.08

$8.98 €8.01

25.72%

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

$687 €613

$221 €197

211.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.0K

$12.3K €11.0K

45.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.2

$56.7 €50.6

52.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.16

$55.1 €49.18

-24.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.5

$112 €99.7

-3.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.6

$128 €114

-12.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,346

$1,259 €1,123

19.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,079

$1,076 €960

12.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,524

$3,105 €2,770

-8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,788

$2,199 €1,962

-8.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,031

$3,969 €3,541

126.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,202

$2,882 €2,571

63.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,189

$1,397 €1,246

75.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

4.01

-21.70%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Swieqi

$1.1K 51.7% 11% $133

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Swieqi

$305 14.7% 0.4% $1.2

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Swieqi

$249 11.9% 5.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Swieqi

$173 8.3% 29.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Swieqi

$158 7.6% 1% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Swieqi

$85 4.1% 21% $15

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Swieqi

$36 1.8% 34.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $1,259 in Swieqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 76% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $68 in Swieqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $305 per month, with Madrid cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇲🇹 Swieqi

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

14,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madrid Swieqi 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
Swieqi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 10% 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 76% 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $1,259 in Swieqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,304 per month in Madrid versus $2,082 in Swieqi – Swieqi is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Swieqi runs roughly 61% less than in Madrid. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Swieqi is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Swieqi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Swieqi wins on affordability, Madrid on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.