Cost of Living: Madrid vs Perth (2026)

Spain vs Australia — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Madrid

Perth

$1,498/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,821/mo

$9k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$31k/yr

5 yr

PR path

—

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 Trader with ABN

VAT-free under €46k
€600/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRMadrid is 18% cheaper on rent ($1,498/mo vs $1,821/mo). Perth has milder winters (48°F vs 34°F lows). 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 Perth might suit you better depending on your priorities.

How the livability score breaks down

Madrid

Perth

14.4/25

💰 Affordability

11.3/25

14.4/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.2/15

7.1/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

5.8/10

7.1/15

⚡ Internet

5.3/15

12.2/15

🗳️ Democracy

13.3/15

6.3/10

🗣️ English

10/10

6.8/10

☀️ Climate

8.2/10

7.2/10

📊 Stability

6.8/10

9.7/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.1/10

7.7/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

5.9/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇪🇸 Madrid

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇦🇺 Perth

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Barcelona vs Madrid

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Madrid

Metric

Perth

$627/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$611/mo

✓$7,448

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$11,432

87 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

86 / 100

✓0.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.8 / 100k

✓3.5 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.5 / 100k

✓71 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

58 / 100

88°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

84°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

48°F

94 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

—

9.1 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

5.3 μg/m³✓

86 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

86 / 100

8.1 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.8 / 10✓

7.4 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

8.3 / 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

$72k✓

✓2.8% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

3.2% · Boringly steady

70/100 — Mostly stable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

—

90/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

95/100✓

A median Software Engineer in Madrid takes home $4,068/mo under Standard employee. In Perth: $6,333/mo under Standard employee.

$2,266/mo more in Perth

🎯 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

$107k

−$20k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$27k

−$4k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$4k

$49k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$76k/yr✓

$6k/mo

−$40k

🏠

Cost of living

−$45k

$9k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$31k/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

$323/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Perth

8.8/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

88°F vs 84°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

62% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

78% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

9.3h

Shortest day

Dec

14.2h

15.1h

Longest day

Jun

10.1h

Sun clocks out early in Madrid's winter. Plan accordingly.

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

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

financeconsultingtechmedia

Industries

—

hub

Startup ecosystem

—

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

—

Easy

EU visa

—

Complex

RU visa

—

Moderate

UA visa

—

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

—

Conditional (1+ yr)

pareja de hecho

Partner pathway

—

€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

24 wk

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

Legal in all states/territories; gestational limits vary by state (16-24 weeks on request).

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 Perth — Common Questions

Is Madrid cheaper than Perth?▾

Madrid is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1498/month there vs $1821/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Madrid or Perth?▾

Madrid is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Madrid has a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 and Perth has 0.83 per 100,000.

Should I move to Madrid or Perth?▾

Too close to call — 72 vs 69. Madrid has a slight edge, but Perth 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 Madrid or Perth?▾

Madrid: Spain Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (renewable to 5)). Perth: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Madrid or Perth?▾

Madrid is warmer in summer (88°F vs 84°F). Perth 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 Perth without speaking the local language?▾

Perth 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 Perth?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1498/month in Madrid, $1821/month in Perth (Numbeo). That's 18% cheaper rent in Madrid.

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

Perth scores 8.8/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.1/10 for Madrid. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.