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Madrid vs Porto cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ช๐ธ Madrid
๐ต๐น Porto
At a glance
- Where Porto is clearly cheaper: Cocktail & wine (44%โ), Bottled water (42%โ), Haircut (33%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Madrid 1 vs Porto 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Madrid | Porto | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 10$11.6 | Porto โ29% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 5$5.81 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 23$26.7 | Porto โ23% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | โฌ 2$2.33 | Porto โ20% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 2.7$3.14 | Porto โ32% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | โฌ 5$5.81 | Porto โ44% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | โฌ 0.7$0.81 | Porto โ42% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Porto โ17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 8$9.3 | Porto โ27% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 7$8.14 | โฌ 5$5.81 | Porto โ29% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 1.4$1.63 | Porto โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 25$29.1 | Porto โ29% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 120$140 | โฌ 100$116 | Porto โ17% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | โฌ 850$988 | Porto โ32% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3$3.49 | โฌ 3$3.49 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 15$17.4 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 18$20.9 | โฌ 12$14 | Porto โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 50$58.1 | โฌ 40$46.5 | Porto โ20% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Porto โ14% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 12$14 | Porto โ20% |
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, Madrid or Porto?
Porto is 25% cheaper than Madrid. Daily budget $267 vs $211; a month $5,187 vs $3,648.
Which is easier to travel, Madrid or Porto?
About the same: Madrid 1.8/5, Porto 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Madrid and Porto?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Madrid is about $5,187 and Porto about $3,648 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.