Cost of Living: Madrid vs Montreal (2026)

Spain vs Canada — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Madrid

Montreal

$1,498/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,309/mo

$9k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$22k/yr

5 yr

PR path

3 yr

Beckham Law (Régimen Especial), Startups Law — Entrepreneur & Remote-Worker Route into Beckham (Limited)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

—

Freelance setup

Autónomo

No VAT exemption
€1800/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sole Proprietorship

VAT-free under €20k
12% social
€800/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRMontreal is 13% cheaper on rent ($1,309/mo vs $1,498/mo). Canada gets you to permanent residency 2 years faster (3 vs 5 years). Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Montreal edges ahead 78 to 72. Madrid isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

How the livability score breaks down

Madrid

Montreal

14.4/25

💰 Affordability

16.3/25

14.4/15

🔒 Violent Crime

12.7/15

7.1/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

6.7/10

7.1/15

⚡ Internet

8.4/15

12.2/15

🗳️ Democracy

13/15

6.3/10

🗣️ English

10/10

6.8/10

☀️ Climate

10/10

7.2/10

📊 Stability

7.6/10

9.7/10

🚗 Road Safety

9/10

7.7/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇨🇦 Montreal

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇪🇸 Madrid

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Barcelona vs Madrid

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Madrid

Metric

Montreal

$627/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$616/mo

$7,448

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$4,288✓

87 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

83 / 100

✓0.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

2.3 / 100k

✓3.5 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.7 / 100k

✓71 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

67 / 100

88°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

77°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

14°F

94 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

112 Mbps✓

✓9.1 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

11 μg/m³

86 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

85 / 100

8.1 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.7 / 10✓

7.4 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

8.5 / 9✓

76 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

78 / 100

38/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

100/100✓

$58k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$65k✓

2.8% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.4% · Boringly steady✓

70/100 — Mostly stable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

92/100 — Reliable✓

90/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

97/100✓

A median Software Engineer in Madrid takes home $4,068/mo under Standard employee. In Montreal: $4,922/mo under Standard employee.

$854/mo more in Montreal

🎯 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.

$73k

💰

Gross income

$98k

−$20k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$35k

−$4k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$3k

$49k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$59k/yr✓

$5k/mo

−$40k

🏠

Cost of living

−$37k

$9k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$22k/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

Montreal

$189/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Madrid

0.6 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Montreal

8.7/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

88°F vs 77°F summers

📋

Residency

Montreal

PR in 3 years

Sun

How much sky you actually get

62% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

47% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

9.3h

Shortest day

Dec

8.7h

15.1h

Longest day

Jun

15.7h

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

declining ↓

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

financeconsultingtechmedia

Industries

aigamingaerospacepharma

hub

Startup ecosystem

hub

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Easy

EU visa

Moderate

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Conditional (1+ yr)

pareja de hecho

Partner pathway

Recognized (1+ yr)

common-law partner / conjoint de fait

€2,400/mo

Retiree visa

—

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

14 wk

Gestational limit

—

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

No legal gestational limit. Fully decriminalized since 1988.

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

Madrid vs Montreal — Common Questions

Is Madrid cheaper than Montreal?▾

Montreal is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1309/month there vs $1498/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Madrid or Montreal?▾

Madrid is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Madrid has a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 and Montreal has 2.27 per 100,000.

Should I move to Madrid or Montreal?▾

Montreal edges ahead 78 to 72. Madrid isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. 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 Madrid or Montreal?▾

Madrid: Spain Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (renewable to 5)). Montreal: Canada Express Entry (complex process, Permanent residence). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Madrid or Montreal?▾

Madrid is warmer in summer (88°F vs 77°F). Montreal 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 Madrid or Montreal without speaking the local language?▾

Montreal is easier for street-level English (100/100) 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 Madrid vs Montreal?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1309/month in Montreal, $1498/month in Madrid (Numbeo). That's 13% cheaper rent in Montreal.

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

Montreal scores 8.7/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.1/10 for Madrid. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.