---
title: "Madrid vs Terrassa for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/madrid-vs-terrassa
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

## 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 29 | 36 | Terrassa |
| Safety | 76 | 76 | tie |
| Healthcare | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Internet | 80 | 89 | Terrassa |
| Visa ease | 80 | 80 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 74 | 63 | Madrid |
| Climate | 42 | 50 | Terrassa |
| Air quality | 88 | 86 | Madrid |
| Quality of life | 81 | 81 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,535 | $2,200 | Terrassa |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,577 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.73 | 0.73 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.7 | 68.7 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 84 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 83.3 yrs | 83.3 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 59 Mbps | 91.8 Mbps | Terrassa |
| Upload | 41.9 Mbps | 86.1 Mbps | Terrassa |

## Visa

| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,741/mo | $2,741/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 235 | 233 | Madrid |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 4 | Madrid |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 4 | Madrid |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Madrid | Terrassa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 | Terrassa |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.3 µg/m³ | 11.4 µg/m³ | Madrid |

## FAQ

### 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).

City pages: [Madrid](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/madrid) · [Terrassa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/terrassa). 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.

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