Side by side
Each place uses its own local data. National rules (economy, geopolitical stability, governance, tax & finance) are the same for both, so they cannot separate them. Neither wins everywhere; the tradeoffs below are what matter.
All about CataluñaAll about Comunidad de MadridChange a place
Data as of
Region
Barcelona, the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees in one region, with its own language, food and festivals.
21st of 34 European metro regions
Region
Spain's capital region: the country's biggest job market, with the mountains an hour from the centre.
11th of 34 European metro regions
Watch out: Housing that is dear and tight around Barcelona and the best-known coast; Petty theft in Barcelona and the resort towns and some of the highest regional taxes.
Watch out: The highest rents and house prices in Spain and rising faster than pay; Street robbery and pickpocketing in the busiest parts of the capital and on the metro.
Of 45 figures both publish in the same unit, Cataluña is better on 8 and Comunidad de Madrid on 20; the rest are close or have no better direction.
| Figure | Cataluña | Comunidad de Madrid | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent per m² | €9.8 a month2024 | €12.1 a month2024 | Cataluña 19% lower |
| Rent for a 70 m² flat | €689 a month2024 | €848 a month2024 | Cataluña 19% lower |
| Typical rent, existing lease | €700 a month2024 | €800 a month2024 | Cataluña 13% lower |
| Rents, change in a year | 3.1%2024 | 3.4%2024 | about the same |
| Buying price per m² | €2,753Q2 2026 | €4,090Q2 2026 | Cataluña 33% lower |
| Price of an 80 m² flat | €220,232Q2 2026 | €327,168Q2 2026 | Cataluña 33% lower |
| House prices, change in a year | 10.1%Q2 2026 | 12.9%Q2 2026 | Cataluña 2.8 pts lower |
| Households spending >40% of income on housing | 7.8%2025 | 9.9%2025 | Cataluña 2.1 pts lower |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household spending | €38,185 a year2025 | €41,964 a year2025 | Cataluña 9% lower |
| Inflation | 4.5%Sep 2026 | 5.3%Sep 2026 | Cataluña 0.8 pts lower |
| Money & work | |||
| Household income per person | 22,100 PPS a year2023 | 25,100 PPS a year2023 | Cataluña 12% lower |
| Net income per person (survey) | €17,262 a year2025 | €18,169 a year2025 | Cataluña 5% lower |
| Average gross salary | €31,730 a year2024 | €34,410 a year2024 | Cataluña 8% lower |
| Median gross salary | €27,133 a year2024 | €28,038 a year2024 | about the same |
| Economic output per person | 41,800 PPS2024 | 49,900 PPS2024 | Cataluña 16% lower |
| Unemployment | 8.4%2025 | 8.0%2025 | about the same |
| Youth unemployment (15–24) | 19.1%2025 | 19.3%2025 | about the same |
| Employment rate (20–64) | 76.4%2025 | 77.9%2025 | Cataluña 1.5 pts lower |
| Jobs in high-tech sectors | 6.6% of jobs2025 | 8.5% of jobs2025 | Cataluña 1.9 pts lower |
| Safety | |||
| Recorded crime | 61.0 per 1,000 people2025 | 55.1 per 1,000 people2025 | Cataluña 11% higher |
| Homicides | 0.86 per 100k people2024 | 0.30 per 100k people2024 | Cataluña 2.9× |
| Robberies | 309 per 100k people2024 | 158 per 100k people2024 | Cataluña 2.0× |
| Burglaries | 218 per 100k people2024 | 126 per 100k people2024 | Cataluña 74% higher |
| Thefts | 986 per 100k people2024 | 422 per 100k people2024 | Cataluña 2.3× |
| Road deaths | 3.2 per 100k people2024 | 1.8 per 100k people2024 | Cataluña 78% higher |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 84.3 years2024 | 85.7 years2024 | about the same |
| Doctors | 447 per 100k people2024 | 618 per 100k people2024 | Cataluña 28% lower |
| Wait for surgery | 142 daysH2 2025 | 50 daysH2 2025 | Cataluña 2.8× |
| Wait for a specialist appointment | 120 daysH2 2025 | 68 daysH2 2025 | Cataluña 76% higher |
| Education | |||
| Adults with a university degree | 47%2025 | 50%2025 | Cataluña 3.1 pts lower |
| People | |||
| Population | 8,124,1262025 | 7,113,8862025 | Cataluña 14% higher |
| Residents who speak English | 25.3% of residents2021 | 35.6% of residents2021 | Cataluña 10.3 pts lower |
| Residents who speak English well | 16.3% of residents2021 | 22.7% of residents2021 | Cataluña 6.4 pts lower |
| At risk of poverty | 14.3%2025 | 12.7%2025 | Cataluña 1.6 pts higher |
| Who lives here | |||
| Residents born abroad | 25.1%2025 | 24.9%2025 | about the same |
| Born in another EU country | 3.2% of residents2025 | 3.3% of residents2025 | about the same |
| Born elsewhere in Europe | 1.9% of residents2025 | 1.0% of residents2025 | Cataluña 0.9 pts higher |
| Born in Latin America | 11.4% of residents2025 | 15.9% of residents2025 | Cataluña 4.5 pts lower |
| Born in Africa | 5.2% of residents2025 | 2.1% of residents2025 | Cataluña 3.1 pts higher |
| Born in Asia | 2.9% of residents2025 | 1.8% of residents2025 | Cataluña 1.1 pts higher |
| Born in North America or Oceania | 0.5% of residents2025 | 0.7% of residents2025 | about the same |
| Born abroad, change in 5 years | 5.5 points2025 | 5.2 points2025 | about the same |
| Employment rate, born abroad | 71.5%2025 | 77.1%2025 | Cataluña 5.6 pts lower |
| Employment rate, born in Spain | 78.7%2025 | 78.2%2025 | Cataluña 0.5 pts higher |
| Employment gap, born abroad vs born in Spain | -7.2 points2025 | -1.1 points2025 | Cataluña 6.1 pts lower |
Data through Jun 2026 (Cataluña) and Jun 2026 (Comunidad de Madrid). Figures are compared only when both places publish them in the same unit; a dot marks the better value where better is clear.
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.