← Back

MadridSpain

Population ≈ 3,300,000

How it scores

Cost & housing74
Lifestyle65
Opportunity46
Taxes83

Madrid vs Berlin

sourced · placeholdercountry-level / regional = not city-specific

MetricBerlinMadrid
Cost & housing
Rent, 1-bed in the centre€ / month€1,340 / mo€1,360 / mo
Price levelEU average = 100country-level10991
Lifestyle
Sunshinehours / year1,626 h / yr2,769 h / yr
Air pollution (PM2.5)µg/m³9 µg/m³11 µg/m³
Happy with green spaces% of residents87%69%
Happy with public transport% of residents80%74%
Feel safe walking at night% of residents59%69%
Opportunity
Unemployment%regional6.5%8.0%
Household income€ / year, net, per personregional€26,400€22,600
Job growth% / yearregional-0.6%3.0%
English proficiencyEF EPI scorecountry-level613540
Internet speedMbps median fixed broadbandcountry-level135 Mbps230 Mbps
Taxes
Income tax + social security% of gross, single earner on the average wagecountry-level37%22%
VAT (standard rate)%country-level19%21%
Open in full comparison →

Sources

All 14 metrics are from public sources.

  • Rent, 1-bed in the centre Numbeo — apartment (1 bedroom) in city centre (entered by hand, refreshed quarterly) (2026)
  • Price level Eurostat — price level index, actual individual consumption, EU27=100 (prc_ppp_ind) (2024)
  • Sunshine National meteorological services — climate normals (1991–2020 normal)
  • Air pollution (PM2.5) Open-Meteo Air Quality API — Copernicus CAMS Europe, 2024 annual mean (2024 average)
  • Happy with green spaces EU Quality of life in European cities survey 2023 (Eurostat urb_percep) — satisfied with green spaces (2023)
  • Happy with public transport EU Quality of life in European cities survey 2023 (Eurostat urb_percep) — satisfied with public transport (2023)
  • Feel safe walking at night EU Quality of life in European cities survey 2023 (Eurostat urb_percep) — feel safe walking alone at night (2023)
  • Unemployment Eurostat — unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (ILO concept), by NUTS 2 region (lfst_r_lfu3rt). Comparable across countries; runs several points below nationally-reported registered unemployment. (2025)
  • Household income Eurostat — net disposable income of households, EUR per inhabitant, by NUTS 2 region (nama_10r_2hhinc) (2023)
  • Job growth Eurostat — employed persons by NUTS 2 region (lfst_r_lfe2emp), 2024→2025 (2024–2025)
  • English proficiency EF English Proficiency Index 2023 (2023)
  • Internet speed Speedtest Global Index — median fixed broadband download (2025)
  • Income tax + social security OECD Taxing Wages 2023 — net personal average tax rate (single, 100% of average wage) (2023)
  • VAT (standard rate) European Commission — VAT rates applied in the EU (2025)