Which place is cheaper, Madrid or Johor Bahru?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Johor Bahru or Madrid?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Johor Bahru or Madrid? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Johor Bahru or Madrid?
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital of the state of Johor in Southern Malaysia. Though it is largely industrial and does not typically cater to tourists, especially compared to the grandeur of neighboring Singapore, the city does have some opportunities for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
Madrid
Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Malaysia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Malaysia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Madrid.
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Johor Bahru Prices
Malaysia PricesMadrid Prices
Spain Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJohor Bahru $66Madrid $184
The average daily cost (per person) in Johor Bahru is $66, while the average daily cost in Madrid is $184. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Johor Bahru and Madrid in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJohor Bahru $41Madrid $88
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJohor Bahru $82Madrid $176
Compare Hotels in Johor Bahru and Madrid
Looking for a hotel in Johor Bahru or Madrid? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Johor Bahru Hotel Prices and Madrid Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Johor Bahru $13Madrid $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johor Bahru
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johor Bahru:
- Private Transfer from Legoland (Malaysia) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN): $291
- Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Genting Highlands Transfer [Car]: $251
- °Sit Back & Relax - JB to Malacca MPV Transfer: $240
- LEGOLAND Malaysia Admission Ticket with Return Transfer from Kuala Lumpur: $188
- Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Malacca Transfer [Car]: $160
- Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Penang Island Transfer [Van]: $157
- Private Transfer : Johor Bharu (JB) to Kuala Lumpur (KL): $136
- Universal Studios Singapore Tickets with Round-trip Transfers: $116
- LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur Airport One-way Transfer: $105
- Johor Bahru City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur City Hotels One-way Transfer: $105
- LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur International Airport One-way Transfer: $105
- LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $105
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Hotel Madrid City Private Transfer To Madrid Barajas Airport: $27
- Madrid Airport (MAD) to Madrid - Arrival Private Transfer: $41
- Private Transfer From Madrid Barajas Airport to Madrid: $46
- Private Transfer from Madrid Airport: $48
- Madrid Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $48
- Private Transfers Madrid Airport to Central Madrid: $49
- Private Transfer From Madrid to Atocha Station in Madrid: $54
- Private Transfer From Madrid to Chamartín Station in Madrid: $54
- Private Transfer From Atocha Station in Madrid to Madrid: $54
- One-way Private Transfer From/To Madrid Airport: $62
- Private Transfer from Novelda to Alicante–Elche (ALC) Airport: $63
- Private Transfer from San Vicente del Raspeig to Alicante–Elche (ALC) Airport: $63
Is it cheaper to fly into Johor Bahru or Madrid?
Prices for flights to both Madrid and Johor Bahru change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayJohor Bahru $16Madrid $67
Typical Food Prices in Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
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Coffee$2.28
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Ice Cream$3.42
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Kebabs (for 2)$18
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Croissant$1.71
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Lunch at Airport (for 2)$18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid
For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Madrid Food Tour: Tapas, Drinks and Delights with a Local: $56
- Madrid Old Town Tour & Flamenco Show with Optional Dinner: $68
- Madrid Paella Cooking Class with Unlimited Sangría: $69
- Murder Mystery Dinner Experience: $73
- Small-Group Food Tour with Local Tapas & Spanish Wine: $79
- Madrid History Food Tour: Tapas & Drinks Tasting: $86
- Madrid Tapas & Wine Tasting Food Tour – Small Group Local Bars: $90
- Small-Group Food Tour with Tapas, Wine & Vermouth: $90
- Madrid Ultimate Spanish Cuisine Food Tour: $90
- Madrid Spanish Omelet Cooking Class and Bottomless Wine brunch: $92
- 100% Hands-on Cooking Class Paella Tapas Sangria in Madrid: $97
- Madrid Food Tour in a Neighborhood Market with Churros: $102
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Johor Bahru $8.04Madrid $38
Tours and Activities in Johor Bahru
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johor Bahru are as follows:
- Adventure Cove Waterpark Admission Ticket: $39
- Adventure Cove Waterpark Sentosa Island Singapore AdmissionTicket: $30
- Adventure Cove Waterpark Tickets: $49
- Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Admission Ticket in Johor: $30
- Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Admission Ticket in Johor: $29
- Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Tickets: $39
- Adventure Waterpark Ticket Desaru Coast: $19
- Buggy Tour Tourism Johor: $59
- DaVinci & The Wheel of Time - Cinematic Walkthrough VR Experience: $19
- Firefly Tour Johor Bahru@Kota Tinggi Firefly Park: $6.53
- Johor Bahru : Seadoo JetSki 30mins Self Ride Tour (Double): $86
- Johor Bahru : Seadoo JetSki 30mins Self Ride Tour(Single): $62
Tours and Activities in Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
- Malasaña and Chueca A Tour That Shouts Freedom: $3.42
- Tuk Tuk Tour of the Best of Madrid (booking only): $3.42
- Walking Tour of Madrid Modern: $3.43
- Madrid City Highlights Walking Tour: $4.58
- A Self-Guided Tour of El Retiro Park’s Rise, Ruin and Redemption: $5.00
- Madrid Mystery Quest: Self-Guided Surreal Adventure Game: $5.99
- Madrid Old Town Self Guided Tour with Mobile App: $5.99
- Madrid Essential : Self-Guided Tour created by local Official Guide: $6.01
- The Red Thread of Resistance Madrid Podcast Tour: $6.85
- Let's Tapear! The Madrid Tapas Route Walking Audio Tour: $7.35
- Real Jardin Botanico Skip The Line Tickets: $8.24
- Manzanares River’s Story: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in Madrid: $9.99
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayJohor Bahru $5.25Madrid $22
Typical Alcohol Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:
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Beer$5.69
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Drinks and Tapas (for 2)$15
Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:
- Visit to the Winery with Wine Tasting and Appetizers in Navarra: $12
- Pub Crawl Madrid Adventure bars with Open bar and VIP Club Entry: $16
- Madrid Pub Crawl: Club Entry, Bars & Shots: $19
- Madrid Pub Crawl: $28
- Wine Tasting near Plaza Mayor in Madrid: $34
- Wine Tour with tasting in the Natural Park of La Mata: $38
- Wine Tasting in Madrid Experience: $53
- Rooftop Bar Crawl Madrid Experience: $74
- Toledo Tour & Vineyard Experience with Wine Tasting from Madrid: $86
- Madrid Non-Touristy Tapas & Wine Tour – Authentic Local Food: $86
- Madrid Tapas and Wine Tour with a Local Guide: $89
- Madrid Tapas & Wine Tour with Rooftop Views and Local Guide: $90
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johor Bahru and Madrid, we can see that Madrid is more expensive. And not only is Johor Bahru much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Johor Bahru is in Asia and Madrid is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Johor Bahru would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Johor Bahru and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Madrid would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Madrid than you might in Johor Bahru.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Johor Bahru Expensive? and Is Madrid Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Johor Bahru or Madrid?
Madrid has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Johor Bahru. When comparing the sizes of Johor Bahru and Madrid, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.