Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Tokyo Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Tokyo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Madrid versus $1,653 in Tokyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Madrid versus $2,585 in Tokyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Madrid versus $3,517 in Tokyo.

Living in Madrid is roughly 43% more expensive than in Tokyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Tokyo 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 €16.16

$7.31 ¥1,142

156.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.9

$37.11 ¥5,798

84.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 €10.31

$4.98 ¥777

140.56%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.77

$3.65 ¥570

-11.78%

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

$3.37 €2.90

$1.69 ¥263

99.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$0.92 ¥144

148.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 €3.42

$3.65 ¥570

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.38

$5.06 ¥791

0.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.55 ¥243

-12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.72 ¥269

-4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$5.92 ¥925

-70.78%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.80

$2.23 ¥349

98.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.82

$11.36 ¥1,775

51.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 €8.45

$7.67 ¥1,199

28.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.68

$20.11 ¥3,142

-9.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$5.18 ¥809

-47.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.51 ¥393

-5.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$4.64 ¥725

-44.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$5.91 ¥923

-54.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.54 ¥553

-35.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$3.44 ¥538

-34.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.22 ¥190

29.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.86 ¥134

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.97 ¥621

71.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.17

$9.53 ¥1,489

-12.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.78 ¥278

-30.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.93

$3.03 ¥474

-25.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.23 ¥192

39.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.94 €32.65

$67.6 ¥10.6K

-43.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.42

$3.16 ¥494

25.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.36

$3.04 ¥475

-48.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 €26.13

$18.14 ¥2,834

67.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.04 ¥162

76.92%

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

$37.0K €31.8K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

70.40%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$14.7K ¥2.3M

131.80%

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

$195 €167

$157 ¥24.5K

23.94%

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

$19.08 €16.41

$22.07 ¥3,448

-13.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 €31.26

$30.21 ¥4,720

20.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.07

$62.5 ¥9,770

-18.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 €16.65

$25.32 ¥3,955

-23.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.80

$12.30 ¥1,921

-7.40%

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

$696 €599

$1,300 ¥203.0K

-46.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €15.5K

$17.7K ¥2.8M

1.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.7

$51.2 ¥8,000

74.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 €38.36

$32.35 ¥5,054

37.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.0

$62.6 ¥9,777

72.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.2

$74.6 ¥11.6K

51.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,230 ¥192.2K

28.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,054

$660 ¥103.0K

85.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 €2,420

$2,368 ¥369.9K

18.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,610

$1,357 ¥212.1K

37.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,303 €8,006

$8,747 ¥1.4M

6.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,658

$3,944 ¥616.2K

7.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,223

$2,843 ¥444.2K

-9.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

1.93

60.10%

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

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Madrid and $1,230 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Madrid vs $37.00 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $354, 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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tokyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Tokyo. 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: $1,583 in Madrid versus $1,230 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tokyo – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,653 in Tokyo versus $2,368 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tokyo but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Tokyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tokyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,653 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tokyo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Tokyo 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 Tokyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.