Popular cities
Berlin vs Madrid cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฉ๐ช Berlin
๐ช๐ธ Madrid
At a glance
- Where Madrid is clearly cheaper: Transit (62%โ), Laundry (50%โ), Coffee (34%โ)
- Where Berlin is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (66%โ), Half-day tour (29%โ), SIM card (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: payments โ Berlin 3 vs Madrid 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Berlin | Madrid | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 14$16.3 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 7$8.14 | โฌ 5$5.81 | Madrid โ29% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Berlin โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 3.8$4.42 | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | Madrid โ34% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 4$4.65 | Madrid โ20% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Madrid โ18% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.3$1.51 | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | Madrid โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 2$2.33 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | Madrid โ10% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 16$18.6 | โฌ 11$12.8 | Madrid โ31% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 7$8.14 | Madrid โ12% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Madrid โ62% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 35$40.7 | Berlin โ66% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 110$128 | โฌ 120$140 | Berlin โ8% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,100$1,279 | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | Berlin โ12% |
| Laundry | โฌ 6$6.98 | โฌ 3$3.49 | Madrid โ50% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Berlin โ20% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 22$25.6 | โฌ 18$20.9 | Madrid โ18% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 55$64 | โฌ 50$58.1 | Madrid โ9% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 35$40.7 | Berlin โ29% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 18$20.9 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Madrid โ17% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Berlin or Madrid?
Berlin and Madrid cost about the same. Daily budget $265 vs $267; a month $4,937 vs $5,187.
Which is easier to travel, Berlin or Madrid?
About the same: Berlin 2.0/5, Madrid 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Berlin and Madrid?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Berlin is about $4,937 and Madrid about $5,187 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.