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Madrid vs Vienna cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ช๐ธ Madrid
๐ฆ๐น Vienna
At a glance
- Where Vienna is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (49%โ), Studio rent (month) (24%โ), SIM card (20%โ)
- Where Madrid is clearly cheaper: Transit (53%โ), Coffee (48%โ), Entry ticket (38%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Madrid | Vienna | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 16$18.6 | Madrid โ12% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 5$5.81 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 35$40.7 | Madrid โ14% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | โฌ 4.8$5.58 | Madrid โ48% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 5.5$6.4 | Madrid โ27% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | โฌ 12$14 | Madrid โ25% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | Madrid โ28% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Madrid โ27% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 7$8.14 | โฌ 8$9.3 | Madrid โ12% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 3.2$3.72 | Madrid โ53% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 18$20.9 | Vienna โ49% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 120$140 | โฌ 125$145 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | โฌ 950$1,105 | Vienna โ24% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3$3.49 | โฌ 4$4.65 | Madrid โ25% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 12$14 | Vienna โ20% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 18$20.9 | โฌ 22$25.6 | Madrid โ18% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 50$58.1 | โฌ 70$81.4 | Madrid โ29% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 45$52.3 | Madrid โ22% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 24$27.9 | Madrid โ38% |
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 Vienna?
Madrid and Vienna cost about the same. Daily budget $267 vs $302; a month $5,187 vs $4,819.
Which is easier to travel, Madrid or Vienna?
About the same: Madrid 1.8/5, Vienna 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Madrid and Vienna?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Madrid is about $5,187 and Vienna about $4,819 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.