City comparison
Cost of living in Milan vs Madrid
One person needs about €2,149 a month in Milan and €1,909 in Madrid, rent included — Madrid is 11% cheaper overall.
Salary you'd need to keep the same lifestyle
Enter your current net monthly pay. We scale it by the full cost basket — rent, groceries, transport, utilities, eating out and internet.
To live in Madrid the way you live in Milan on €3,000, you need
€2,665/ month net
11% less than today (-€335)
- Milan today
- Basket €2,149 · left over €851 (28%)
- Madrid at the matched salary
- Basket €1,909 · left over €756 (28%)
Local pay context: average tech net pay covers the basket 157% over in Madrid (adequate) vs 149% in Milan. Purchasing power index · How we calculate this
🇮🇹 Milan
Italy's business capital: better salaries than Rome, and rents to match.
Monthly budget: €2,149
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
🇪🇸 Madrid
Spain's highest local salaries and endless nightlife, with rents climbing fast in the centre.
Monthly budget: €1,909
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
Should you move to Milan or Madrid?
On salary, Milan pays more for tech roles (€3,200 versus €3,000 a month), so the money left over after costs is €1,091 in Madrid at the top end.
Rent drives most of the gap: €1,450 in Milan against €1,300 in Madrid. Groceries, transport and utilities move far less between the two.
For remote workers, the nomad index scores Milan at 71 and Madrid at 80 — see the full nomad index and our data methodology.