A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Leiden vs. Madrid for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Leiden or Madrid?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Leiden and Madrid can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Leiden or Madrid?

Leiden

Leiden is a city in the province of South Holland. It is south of the Netherlands capital, Amsterdam, and has a population of about 190,000. It is known for its university, museums, markets, and of course, canals. Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands and is a sister school of Oxford, which is England's oldest university.

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 10-Day Tours from Amsterdam, The Best 2-Week Tours from Amsterdam, The Best Contiki Tours to Spain, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Spain.


Which place is cheaper, Madrid or Leiden?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Leiden is €133, while the average daily cost in Madrid is €136. 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 Leiden and Madrid in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Leiden 78
    Madrid 77
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Leiden 156
    Madrid 154
Compare Hotels in Leiden and Madrid

Looking for a hotel in Leiden 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.

Hotels in Leiden


Hotels in Madrid


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: Leiden Hotel Prices and Madrid Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Leiden 26
    Madrid 19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Leiden

Also for Leiden, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Zero Emission Tesla Taxi Transfer from Leiden Area to the Airport: $92

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Madrid

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    26

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid

Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Vehicle transfer with driver included in Madrid: $141
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Madrid HTL-APT (MAD): $61
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Madrid APT-HTL (MAD): $61
  • Transfer to Madrid, travel calmly and comfortably: $144
  • Transfer to Barajas Airport from Madrid: $76
  • Transfer in private vehicle from Madrid City - Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD): $61
  • Transfer in Private Vehicle from Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) - Madrid City: $61
  • Transfer from Barajas Airport to Madrid: $95
  • Segovia: Full-Day Tour with Transfer to and from Madrid: $448
  • Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Madrid Airport (MAD) - Madrid City: $149
  • Round Trip Transfer from Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid by Sedan: $77
  • Private transfer: Barajas Airport (MAD) to Madrid City Center: $29

Is it cheaper to fly into Leiden or Madrid?

Prices for flights to both Madrid and Leiden 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Leiden 39
    Madrid 34

Typical Food Prices in Madrid

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:


  • Coffee
    2.00
  • Ice Cream
    3.00
  • Kebabs (for 2)
    16
  • Croissant
    1.50
  • Lunch at Airport (for 2)
    16

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid

For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Tipsy Tapas Food Tour with Drinks and Food: $27
  • Drunken Tapas Food Tour with Dinner in Madrid: $32
  • Tapas Dinner Party Food Tour with Guide: $33
  • Tapas Crawl Food Tour with 6 Tapas and 4 Drinks: $35
  • Torres Bermejas Flamenco Show in Madrid with Dinner, Tapas or Drink: $38
  • Madrid Tipsy Tapas Guided Food Tour with Dinner: $42
  • Paella and Sangria Workshop with Dinner and Drinks: $42
  • Madrid Tipsy Tapas Tour with Dinner and Drinks: $42
  • San Miguel Market and Street Food Tour: $52
  • The Authentic Morning Madrid's Food Tour: $59
  • Zarzuela Opera and Dinner at La Castafiore Restaurant in Madrid: $60
  • Opera and Zarzuela Show and Dinner: $61

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Leiden 17
    Madrid 34

Tours and Activities in Leiden

For Leiden, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 90 minutes Walking tour and Escape room in Leiden: $27
  • Discover Leiden with a self-guided Outside Escape city game tour!: $27
  • Dutch Windmills & Polder Walking Tour: $33
  • Half-Day Private Guided Tour in Leiden: $163
  • Highlights Walking Tour in Leiden with Audio and GPS Guide: $7.55
  • Historical Private Tour with Local Guide: $319
  • Leiden City Tour with Live guide in Netherlands: $41
  • Escape Tour - Self-Guided Citygame: $32
  • Guided City Canal Cruise: $13
  • Hortus Botanicus Entry Ticket: $9.59
  • Murder Crime Game Self-Guided Interactive City Tour: $74
  • Walking City Tour with Live guide: $32

Tours and Activities in Madrid

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.

  • Madrid Photo Tour with Pro Photographer Lifestyle and Portrait: $82
  • Private Combo Tour Prado Museum and Reina Sofia: $221
  • Toledo with Cathedral from Madrid Full Day Tour: $134
  • "Prado Museum" Tour A Treasure of World Art: $65
  • 1 Hour Private Tuk tuk Tour in Madrid: $98
  • 1-Hour Private Flamenco Class in Madrid Experience: $45
  • 2 Hour Madrid Walking Tour : $4.35
  • 2 Hours Private Tuk tuk Tour in Madrid: $163
  • 2-Hour Tour of the Madrid of Mysteries: $14
  • 2.5-Hour Evening Tapas Tour through Madrid: $37
  • 3 Hours Walking Tour in Madrid: $266
  • 3-Hour Tapas Walking Tour of Madrid Food and Drink Included: $93

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Leiden 26
    Madrid 20

Sample the Local Flavors in Leiden

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Leiden:

  • Leiden Private Self-Guided Pub Crawl Pub Quiz: $21
  • Leiden Private Self Guided Pub Crawl: $22

Typical Alcohol Prices in Madrid

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:


  • Beer
    5.00
  • Drinks and Tapas (for 2)
    13

Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:

  • Pub Crawl with Tapas and VIP Club Entry: $9.59
  • Madrid Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entrance: $11
  • Visit to the Winery with Wine Tasting and Appetizers in Navarra: $12
  • Pub crawl & Party Tour Madrid: $14
  • Pub Crawl Madrid Running since 2005 Bar Exploration: $16
  • Guided Pub Crawl Madrid Experience and Club Entry: $16
  • Pub Crawl Madrid-The Original since 2005-Shots-Fun-Clubs-Dance: $16
  • Pub Crawl Madrid: $19
  • Wine Tasting near Plaza Mayor: $22
  • Pub Crawl Madrid: $22
  • Wine Tasting Experience with 4 Spanish Wines: $26
  • Wine Tour with tasting in the Natural Park of La Mata: $38


When comparing the travel costs between Leiden and Madrid, we can see that Madrid is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Leiden Expensive? and Is Madrid Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Leiden or Madrid?

Madrid has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Leiden. When comparing the sizes of Leiden 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.