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Madrid vs Valladolid

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Madrid edges it, 72 to 72, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Madrid is stronger on getting there & around; Valladolid on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 2.6 of 72 points (scores 23/100)Safety: 8.4 of 72 points (scores 76/100)Healthcare: 9.7 of 72 points (scores 88/100)Internet: 8.9 of 72 points (scores 80/100)Visa ease: 8.9 of 72 points (scores 80/100)Getting there & around: 10.5 of 72 points (scores 94/100)Climate: 4.6 of 72 points (scores 42/100)Air quality: 9.8 of 72 points (scores 88/100)Quality of life: 8.9 of 72 points (scores 80/100)72
Madrid
out of 100

High-energy capital with Spain's best transport

Full Madrid profile →Where to stay in Madrid →
Cost of living: 3.3 of 72 points (scores 29/100)Safety: 8.4 of 72 points (scores 76/100)Healthcare: 9.7 of 72 points (scores 88/100)Internet: 9.6 of 72 points (scores 86/100)Visa ease: 8.9 of 72 points (scores 80/100)Getting there & around: 9.3 of 72 points (scores 84/100)Climate: 3.7 of 72 points (scores 33/100)Air quality: 10.2 of 72 points (scores 92/100)Quality of life: 8.9 of 72 points (scores 80/100)72
Valladolid
out of 100

Castilian plateau city with good tapas, Ribera wine and an hour's train to Madrid

Full Valladolid profile →Hotels in Spain →

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricMadridValladolid
Cost of living2329 ✓
Safety7676
Healthcare8888
Internet8086 ✓
Visa ease8080
Getting there & around94 ✓84
Climate42 ✓33
Air quality8892 ✓
Quality of life8080

Cost

MetricMadridValladolid
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$2,579$2,200 ✓
Central one-bedroom rent$1,605no data

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricMadridValladolid
Homicides per 100k0.730.73
Political stability (0–100)68.768.7
UHC service coverage (0–100)8484
Life expectancy82.7 yrs82.7 yrs

Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

MetricMadridValladolid
Download59 Mbps76.7 Mbps ✓
Upload41.9 Mbps70.8 Mbps ✓

Visa

MetricMadridValladolid
Nomad visaInternational teleworking visa (digital nomad visa)International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa)
Minimum income for the visa$2,741/mo$2,741/mo
Entry, US passport90 days90 days
Entry, EU passportunlimitedunlimited
Entry, UK passport90 days90 days

Getting there and around

MetricMadridValladolid
Non-stop airport destinations233233
Walkability (1–5, editorial)55
Transit (1–5, editorial)5 ✓3

Climate and air

MetricMadridValladolid
Comfortable months per year5 ✓4
Annual mean PM2.510.3 µg/m³8.6 µg/m³ ✓

✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Madrid or Valladolid?
Valladolid is cheaper: about $2,200 per month versus $2,579 for one person.
Is Madrid or Valladolid safer?
Madrid scores higher on safety (76 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Madrid or Valladolid?
Valladolid: a measured median of 76.7 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); 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 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.