Lima vs Madrid

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Lima, Peru
🇵🇪Peru

Lima

74Freedom Score#35Global rank$1,367Per month

The gastronomic capital of the Americas — Lima pairs world-class Miraflores dining and a Pacific cliffside lifestyle with South America's most underrated value, fast internet, and a growing creative scene.

Madrid, Spain
🇪🇸Spain

Madrid

83Freedom Score#12Global rank$2,525Per month

Spain's capital blends world-class dining, a huge expat scene, and a 2023 Digital Nomad visa — inland, walkable, and endlessly social.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseLimaMadrid
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,367✓$2,525
Rent, 1BR city centre$774✓$1,136
Meal, mid-range$12✓$18
Coworking deskper month$160✓$227
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper54.0✓56.1

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureLimaMadrid
Safety
52
71
Healthcare
72
85
Walkability
70
85
English spoken
42
65
Food & dining
92
90
Nightlife
78
90
Outdoors
65
62
Nomad community
62
80
Climate quality
52
85
Public transit
55
90

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureLimaMadrid
Freedom Score74/10083/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#35#12✓
Internet100 Mbps170 Mbps✓
Average temperature66°F60°F
Air quality55/100✓30/100
Airport connectivity78/10088/100✓
Nomad visa90 daysNomad/long-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income15%24%

Which should you choose?

Choose Lima if runs $1,158/mo cheaper, rent is $362/mo lower and the headline tax rate is lower.

Choose Madrid if internet is faster at 170 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (71 vs 52), it is more walkable and English is more widely spoken.

What each city is known for

Lima

  • Back-to-back World's 50 Best Restaurant wins — unmatched food scene
  • Fast 100 Mbps fiber and a growing Barranco/Miraflores creative hub
  • Pacific cliffside malecón living at a fraction of coastal-city prices
  • Perfect US market alignment — open at 10:30am local time

Madrid

  • Spain Digital Nomad visa + Beckham Law 24% flat tax for new residents
  • One of Europe's most walkable capitals with a world-class metro
  • Massive nomad & expat community across Malasaña and Chamberí
  • Barajas hub airport — nonstop to the Americas, Europe, and Asia

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Lima or Madrid?
Madrid scores higher on the Freedom Score (83/100 against 74/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Lima or Madrid?
Lima is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,367 against $2,525, a difference of $1,158 a month or about $13,896 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $774/mo in Lima versus $1,136/mo in Madrid.
Which is safer: Lima or Madrid?
Madrid scores higher on safety, 71/100 against 52/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Lima and Madrid?
Lima averages 100 Mbps and Madrid averages 170 Mbps, so Madrid has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Lima or Madrid?
Lima sits in Peru (90 days) and Madrid in Spain (Nomad/long-stay visa). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.