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: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,701 in Tokyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,691 in Tokyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,682 in Tokyo.

Living in Madrid is roughly 35% more expensive than in Tokyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Tokyo 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.17

$8.09 ¥1,314

114.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.2

$48.77 ¥7,923

40.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.47

$5.48 ¥891

118.07%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.72

$3.60 ¥584

-13.89%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$1.27 ¥206

152.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.88

$0.86 ¥140

148.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.59

$4.08 ¥662

0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.99

$5.44 ¥883

-16.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.62 ¥264

-26.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.51 ¥245

13.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$5.34 ¥868

-67.79%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$2.32 ¥377

51.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.12

$15.96 ¥2,593

-6.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.74

$8.12 ¥1,319

8.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.67

$22.55 ¥3,664

-25.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.28

$5.52 ¥897

-52.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.59 ¥421

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.15

$5.92 ¥962

-58.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$6.07 ¥987

-56.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$3.24 ¥527

-36.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$3.39 ¥551

-36.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.45 ¥235

-7.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.87

$0.87 ¥142

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.12

$4.25 ¥691

64.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.81

$9.31 ¥1,513

-16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.05 ¥334

-30.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.87 ¥466

-24.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.48 ¥241

20.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.73

$84.6 ¥13.7K

-42.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$3.38 ¥548

21.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$2.91 ¥473

-52.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.96

$26.24 ¥4,264

8.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.20 ¥195

60.00%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

59.83%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

98.39%

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

$193 €169

$168 ¥27.2K

15.20%

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

$21.55 €18.88

$25.82 ¥4,195

-16.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.50

$33.50 ¥5,444

7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.15

$70.9 ¥11.5K

-25.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.45

$20.25 ¥3,289

-12.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.02

$13.07 ¥2,124

-12.47%

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

$669 €586

$495 ¥80.3K

35.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$15.7K ¥2.6M

-24.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.9

$61.5 ¥10,000

53.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.50

$41.66 ¥6,769

2.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.8

$65.9 ¥10.7K

59.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$91.1 ¥14.8K

44.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,120 ¥182.0K

43.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,008

$606 ¥98.5K

89.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,486

$2,680 ¥435.5K

5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,646

$1,342 ¥218.0K

40.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,915

$10.4K ¥1.7M

-12.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,733

$4,986 ¥810.1K

-14.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,158

$2,330 ¥378.5K

5.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

1.72

99.42%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $1,120 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 6% 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 $49.00 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $383, 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 35% 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.

Average pay runs 6% 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 $1,120 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 30% 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 $49.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,701 in Tokyo versus $2,293 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 $1,701 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 35% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.