City comparison
Cost of living in Vienna vs Madrid
One person needs about €1,856 a month in Vienna and €1,909 in Madrid, rent included — Vienna is 3% 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 Vienna on €3,000, you need
€3,086/ month net
3% more than today (+€86)
- Vienna today
- Basket €1,856 · left over €1,144 (38%)
- Madrid at the matched salary
- Basket €1,909 · left over €1,177 (38%)
Local pay context: average tech net pay covers the basket 157% over in Madrid (adequate) vs 216% in Vienna. Purchasing power index · How we calculate this
🇦🇹 Vienna
Huge subsidised housing stock keeps rents unusually sane for a rich capital.
Monthly budget: €1,856
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 Vienna or Madrid?
On salary, Vienna pays more for tech roles (€4,000 versus €3,000 a month), so the money left over after costs is €2,144 in Vienna at the top end.
Rent drives most of the gap: €1,150 in Vienna against €1,300 in Madrid. Groceries, transport and utilities move far less between the two.
For remote workers, the nomad index scores Vienna at 75 and Madrid at 80 — see the full nomad index and our data methodology.