Cost of Living: Amsterdam vs Madrid (2026)

Netherlands vs Spain — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Amsterdam

Madrid

$2,602/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,498/mo

$15k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$9k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Beckham Law (Régimen Especial), Startups Law — Entrepreneur & Freelancer Route into Beckham

Freelance setup

ZZP'er

VAT-free under €20k
5.3% social
€1200/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Autónomo

No VAT exemption
€1800/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRMadrid is 42% cheaper on rent ($1,498/mo vs $2,602/mo). Madrid summers average 88°F vs 68°F. Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Too close to call — 72 vs 69. Madrid has a slight edge, but Amsterdam might suit you better depending on your priorities.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇪🇸 Madrid

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Barcelona vs Madrid

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Amsterdam

Metric

Madrid

$937/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$627/mo✓

$10,705

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$7,448✓

89 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

87 / 100

0.7 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.6 / 100k✓

3.4 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

3.5 / 100k

74 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

71 / 100

68°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

88°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

34°F

✓122 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

94 Mbps

11.2 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

9.1 μg/m³✓

86 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

86 / 100

✓9.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.1 / 10

7.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

7.4 / 9

59 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

76 / 100✓

✓76/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

38/100

✓$86k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$58k

3.3% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.8% · Boringly steady✓

✓94/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

70/100 — Mostly stable

✓97/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

90/100

A median Software Engineer in Amsterdam takes home $6,417/mo under Standard employee. In Madrid: $4,068/mo under Standard employee.

$2,350/mo more in Amsterdam

🎯 Amsterdam's 30% Ruling (expatriateregeling) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $8,212/mo instead.

🎯 Madrid's Beckham Law (Régimen Especial) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $4,280/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$128k

💰

Gross income

$73k

−$39k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$20k

−$12k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$4k

✓$77k/yr

$6k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$49k/yr

$4k/mo

−$62k

🏠

Cost of living

−$40k

✓$15k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$9k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Madrid

$1,104/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Amsterdam

9.0/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

68°F vs 88°F summers

🗣️

English

Amsterdam

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

44% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

62% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

7.7h

Shortest day

Dec

9.3h

16.8h

Longest day

Jun

15.1h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

fintechlogisticssemiconductorsagri-food-tech

Industries

financeconsultingtechmedia

hub

Startup ecosystem

hub

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend

Partner pathway

Conditional (1+ yr)

pareja de hecho

—

Retiree visa

€2,400/mo

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

24 wk

Gestational limit

14 wk

On request up to 24 weeks. 5-day reflection period removed in 2023.

On request up to 14 weeks. 2023 reform removed mandatory waiting period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Amsterdam vs Madrid — Common Questions

Is Amsterdam cheaper than Madrid?▾

Madrid is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1498/month there vs $2602/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Amsterdam or Madrid?▾

Madrid is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Amsterdam has a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 and Madrid has 0.61 per 100,000.

Should I move to Amsterdam or Madrid?▾

Too close to call — 72 vs 69. Madrid has a slight edge, but Amsterdam might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Amsterdam or Madrid?▾

Amsterdam: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). Madrid: Spain Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (renewable to 5)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Amsterdam or Madrid?▾

Madrid is warmer in summer (88°F vs 68°F). Amsterdam has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Amsterdam or Madrid without speaking the local language?▾

Amsterdam is easier for street-level English (76/100) than Madrid (38/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Amsterdam vs Madrid?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1498/month in Madrid, $2602/month in Amsterdam (Numbeo). That's 42% cheaper rent in Madrid.

Is Amsterdam or Madrid better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Amsterdam scores 9.0/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.1/10 for Madrid. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.