Alcalá de Henares vs Madrid
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 71. Alcalá de Henares is stronger on nothing outright; Madrid on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Cervantes' birthplace and UNESCO university town, 35 minutes from Madrid
Full Alcalá de Henares profile →Plan a trip to Alcalá de Henares →High-energy capital with Spain's best transport
Full Madrid profile →Plan a trip to Madrid →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Madrid leads on getting there & around, 74 to 59, against Alcalá de Henares. Non-stop airport destinations: 235 vs 235.
- Internet. Alcalá de Henares leads on internet, 90 to 80, against Madrid. Measured download: 94.1 Mbps vs 59 Mbps.
- Cost of living. Alcalá de Henares leads on cost of living, 36 to 29, against Madrid. Monthly cost, one person: $2,200 vs $2,535.
Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick Alcalá de Henares if you want
- to spend about $335 less a month
- faster internet (94.1 Mbps measured)
Pick Madrid if you want
- more flights and easier getting around
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Alcalá de Henares | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 36 ✓ | 29 |
| Safety | 76 | 76 |
| Healthcare | 90 | 90 |
| Internet | 90 ✓ | 80 |
| Visa ease | 80 | 80 |
| Getting there & around | 59 | 74 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 42 |
| Air quality | 87 | 88 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 81 | 81 |
Cost
| Metric | Alcalá de Henares | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,200 ✓ | $2,535 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,577 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Alcalá de Henares | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.73 | 0.73 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.7 | 68.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 84 |
| Life expectancy | 83.3 yrs | 83.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Alcalá de Henares | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 94.1 Mbps ✓ | 59 Mbps |
| Upload | 92.5 Mbps ✓ | 41.9 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Alcalá de Henares | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,741/mo | $2,741/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Alcalá de Henares | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 235 | 235 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 5 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Alcalá de Henares | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.8 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Alcalá de Henares or Madrid?
- Alcalá de Henares is cheaper: about $2,200 per month versus $2,535 for one person.
- Is Alcalá de Henares or Madrid safer?
- Alcalá de Henares and Madrid score the same on safety (76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Alcalá de Henares or Madrid?
- Alcalá de Henares: a measured median of 94.1 Mbps versus 59 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Alcalá de Henares vs Córdoba (Spain)
- Alcalá de Henares vs León (Spain)
- Madrid vs Barcelona
- Madrid vs Valladolid
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.