Madrid vs Terrassa
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Terrassa edges it, 72 to 71, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Madrid is stronger on getting there & around; Terrassa on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
High-energy capital with Spain's best transport
Full Madrid profile →Plan a trip to Madrid →Former Catalan textile city, 40 minutes by train from Barcelona
Full Terrassa profile →Plan a trip to Terrassa →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Madrid leads on getting there & around, 74 to 63, against Terrassa. Non-stop airport destinations: 235 vs 233.
- Internet. Terrassa leads on internet, 89 to 80, against Madrid. Measured download: 59 Mbps vs 91.8 Mbps.
- Climate. Terrassa leads on climate, 50 to 42, against Madrid. Comfortable months: 5 vs 6.
Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Madrid if you want
- more flights and easier getting around
Pick Terrassa if you want
- to spend about $335 less a month
- faster internet (91.8 Mbps measured)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 29 | 36 ✓ |
| Safety | 76 | 76 |
| Healthcare | 90 | 90 |
| Internet | 80 | 89 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 80 | 80 |
| Getting there & around | 74 ✓ | 63 |
| Climate | 42 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 88 ✓ | 86 |
| Quality of life | 81 | 81 |
Cost
| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,535 | $2,200 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,577 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Madrid | Terrassa |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 59 Mbps | 91.8 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 41.9 Mbps | 86.1 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Madrid | Terrassa |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 235 ✓ | 233 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 11.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Madrid or Terrassa?
- Terrassa is cheaper: about $2,200 per month versus $2,535 for one person.
- Is Madrid or Terrassa safer?
- Madrid and Terrassa score the same on safety (76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Madrid or Terrassa?
- Terrassa: a measured median of 91.8 Mbps versus 59 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More 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); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); 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.