---
title: "Hong Kong vs Madrid for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/hong-kong-vs-madrid
description: "Under balanced weights Madrid edges it, 71 to 69, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Hong Kong is stronger on climate, safety, quality of life; Madrid on visa ease, getting there & around, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.3 (2026-11-10)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Hong Kong vs Madrid for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Madrid edges it, 71 to 69, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Hong Kong is stronger on climate, safety, quality of life; Madrid on visa ease, getting there & around, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Visa ease.** Madrid leads on visa ease, 80 to 61, against Hong Kong.
- **Getting there & around.** Madrid leads on getting there & around, 74 to 56, against Hong Kong. Non-stop airport destinations: 147 vs 235.
- **Climate.** Hong Kong leads on climate, 58 to 42, against Madrid. Comfortable months: 7 vs 5.

Where they are close: nowhere.

**Pick Hong Kong if you want** the safer country figures; stronger healthcare; a longer comfortable season (7 months against 5).

**Pick Madrid if you want** to spend about $603 less a month; faster internet (59 Mbps measured); a dedicated digital-nomad visa; cleaner air; more flights and easier getting around.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Hong Kong | Madrid | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 19 | 29 | Madrid |
| Safety | 87 | 76 | Hong Kong |
| Healthcare | 99 | 90 | Hong Kong |
| Internet | 72 | 80 | Madrid |
| Visa ease | 61 | 80 | Madrid |
| Getting there & around | 56 | 74 | Madrid |
| Climate | 58 | 42 | Hong Kong |
| Air quality | 75 | 88 | Madrid |
| Quality of life | 92 | 81 | Hong Kong |

## Cost

| Metric | Hong Kong | Madrid | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,138 | $2,535 | Madrid |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $2,262 | $1,577 | Madrid |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Hong Kong | Madrid | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.3 | 0.73 | Hong Kong |
| Political stability (0–100) | 79.2 | 68.7 | Hong Kong |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | no data | 84 | — |
| Life expectancy | 83.7 yrs | 83.3 yrs | Hong Kong |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Hong Kong | Madrid | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 42.5 Mbps | 59 Mbps | Madrid |
| Upload | 19.1 Mbps | 41.9 Mbps | Madrid |

## Visa

| Metric | Hong Kong | Madrid | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) | Madrid |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $2,741/mo | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | unlimited | Madrid |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 90 days | Hong Kong |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Hong Kong | Madrid | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 147 | 235 | Madrid |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 | Madrid |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Hong Kong | Madrid | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 5 | Hong Kong |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.3 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | Madrid |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Hong Kong or Madrid?

Madrid is cheaper: about $2,535 per month versus $3,138 for one person.

### Is Hong Kong or Madrid safer?

Hong Kong scores higher on safety (87 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Hong Kong or Madrid?

Madrid: a measured median of 59 Mbps versus 42.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Hong Kong](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/hong-kong) · [Madrid](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/madrid). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; 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); Life expectancy at birth, Hong Kong (Census and Statistics Department); Intentional homicide rate, Hong Kong (Police via Wikipedia); 2024 Annual Air Quality Review (EPD monitoring data); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/hong-kong-vs-madrid