✦ Compare
Madrid vs
Barcelona
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Barcelona, ES, you'd need
$76,529 / year
Barcelona, ES is 2% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Barcelona, ES vs Madrid, ES)
- Housing+4%
- Food & groceries0%
- Transport0%
- Utilities0%
- Healthcare0%
- Goods & services+2%
▤ Full comparison
| Madrid, ES | Barcelona, ES | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 103 | 105 |
| Housing | 120 | 125 |
| Food | 100 | 100 |
| Transport | 80 | 80 |
| Utilities | 110 | 110 |
| Healthcare | 80 | 80 |
| Goods & services | 100 | 102 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,300/mo | $1,350/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $950/mo | $1,000/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $2,600/mo | $2,700/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $6,000 | $5,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $971 | $951 |
| Inexpensive meal | $14 | $15 |
| Monthly transit pass | $60 | $60 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 47% | 47% |
| VAT / sales tax | 21% | 21% |
| Social security (employee) | 6.4% | 6.4% |
| Corporate tax | 25% | 25% |
| Capital gains | 28% | 28% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $1,900/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,300/mo | $1,300/mo |
| GDP per capita | $34,000 | $34,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| English proficiency | Low | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 70 | 80 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 62 | 55 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 45 | 50 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 88 | 90 |
| Public transport | 90 | 88 |
| Family-friendly | 68 | 66 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 83 yr | 83 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +6 °C | +10 °C |
| July avg | +25 °C | +25 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 250 | 250 |
| Rainfall / year | 420 mm | 640 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Spain vs Spain. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is Madrid cheaper than Barcelona?
Barcelona is about 2% more expensive than Madrid overall — its cost-of-living index is 105 versus 103 for Madrid.
How much do you need to earn in Barcelona to live like in Madrid?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Madrid is worth about $76,529 in Barcelona. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Madrid or Barcelona?
Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (47%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.
◷ More comparisons from Madrid
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.