Which place is cheaper, Rio de Janeiro or Madrid?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Madrid or Rio de Janeiro?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Madrid and Rio de Janeiro can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Madrid or Rio de Janeiro?
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.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the most popular travel destination in Brazil. It is the second largest city in Brazil and the sixth largest in the Americas. A portion of the city has been designated a World Heritage Site. It's also famous for Carnival, it's gorgeous beaches, and world-famous landmarks. Rio's appeal as a travel destination is apparent year round due to the great weather and plenty of fun activities. The city has a wonderful natural harbor that is surrounded by Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca, creating an absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring setting.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Contiki Tours to Spain, The Best G Adventures Tours to Spain, The Best Contiki Tours to Brazil, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Brazil.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMadrid €136Rio de Janeiro €99
The average daily cost (per person) in Madrid is €136, while the average daily cost in Rio de Janeiro is €99. 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 Madrid and Rio de Janeiro in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMadrid €77Rio de Janeiro €62
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMadrid €154Rio de Janeiro €124
Compare Hotels in Madrid and Rio de Janeiro
Looking for a hotel in Madrid or Rio de Janeiro? 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: Madrid Hotel Prices and Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Madrid €19Rio de Janeiro €7.48
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
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Taxi Ride€26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Madrid Airport MAD Round-Trip Transfer in Private Van: $173
- Private One-Way Transfer to OR from Madrid Airport with private pick up: $77
- Arrival Private Transfer Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid City by Van: $71
- Arrival Private Transfer by Business Car from MAD Airport to Madrid: $53
- Arrival Transfer from Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid in Private Van: $87
- Arrival Transfer from Madrid MAD Airport to Madrid by Luxury Car: $81
- Arrival Transfer: Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid in Business Car: $80
- Departure Transfer from Madrid to Madrid Airport MAD in Private Van: $87
- Departure Transfer: Madrid to Madrid Airport MAD in Business Car: $80
- From Madrid Airport: 1-Way Private Hotel Transfer: $80
- From Hot Air Balloon over Segovia with Transfer: $261
- Hotel Madrid City Private Transfer To Madrid Barajas Airport: $26
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rio de Janeiro:
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Taxi Ride€2.75
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- Private transfer to Ilha Grande.: $930
- From Private Transfer to São Paulo: $650
- Rio Carnival 2025: Sambadrome Parade + Transfer (Sector 7): $467
- Rio's 2025 Carnival Parade at Sapucaí + Transfer Sector 5: $467
- Rio: Sambadrome Carnival Parade + transfer 2025 Sector 7: $467
- 2025 Sambadrome Carnival Parade: Transfer Included Sector 5: $467
- Rio Carnival 2025: Sambadrome Parade + Transfer Sector 5: $467
- 2025: Rio Carnival Parade at Sapucaí with Transfer Sector 7: $467
- All Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro to Ilha Grande: $275
- Arrival Transfer: Rio GIG or SDU Airport to Angra dos Reis by Van: $246
- Arrival Private Transfer: GIG or SDU Airport to Arraial do Cabo by Sedan Car: $241
- From Private Transfer to Vila do Abraão: $240
Is it cheaper to fly into Madrid or Rio de Janeiro?
Prices for flights to both Rio de Janeiro and Madrid 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 dayMadrid €34Rio de Janeiro €19
Typical Food Prices in Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
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Coffee€2.00
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Ice Cream€3.00
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Kebabs (for 2)€16
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Croissant€1.50
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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
Typical Food Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rio de Janeiro:
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Popcorn€0.55
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Corn on the Cob€0.73
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Hamburger€0.92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rio de Janeiro
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rio de Janeiro.
- Waterfront Dinner & Live Music Experience: $45
- Barra da Tijuca Food Tour with Drinks: $71
- THE BEST FOOD TOUR: $79
- Feijoada Food Tour in Rio de Janeiro with Hotel pick-up and drop-off: $80
- Rio Bar Food Tour with a Local: $81
- 9-Recipe Boozy Brazilian Cooking Class: $85
- Dinner & Rio Scenarium Nightclub Admission with Transfer: $85
- Copacabana Local Street Bars Food Tour: $88
- Food Tour Rio de Janeiro - The Best Typical Brazilian Dishes: $92
- Rio Bar Food Tour with a Local - All Included: $99
- Rio Scenarium Entrance, Dinner, and Open Bar: $103
- Rio Scenarium: Fast Track Entrance, Dinner & Open Bar: $115
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Madrid €34Rio de Janeiro €20
Tours and Activities in Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
- Madrid Essential: Free Walking City Tour: $1.07
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.20
- Madrid Mountains Free Walking Tour: $3.26
- Madrid Old Town & Hidden Gems Walking Tour: $4.26
- Escape Game and Tour: $4.26
- Secrets of Madrids Walking Tour: $4.26
- Marvels of Madrid Walking Tour: $4.26
- Wonders of Madrid Walking Tour: $4.26
- 2 Hour Madrid Walking Tour : $4.35
- Wonders of Madrid Walking Tour : $4.35
- Ticket Entrance to the Madrid Nougat Museum: $5.33
- Mapfre Foundation Entry Ticket: $5.33
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Favelas do Vidigal or Rocinha's experience: $49
- Ilha Grande Tour Full day - Rio de Janeiro by Rio Eco Trip: $105
- 03 - Guided Tour to the Grande Rio Academics Barracão: $120
- 1 day tour Rio de Janeiro to Christ and Cable car and much more: $98
- 10-hour Private Tour Rio In One Day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Selarón, Downtown: $260
- 14 - Guided Tour to Quadra Do Salgueiro with Samba Show: $75
- 15 - Guided Tour to Santa Marta Favela: $150
- 16 - Guided Tour to Favela da Rocinha: $75
- 19 - Guided Tour to the Museum of Tomorrow and Olympic Boulevard: $90
- 2 Days in Rio: Tijuca Forest & Two Brothers Hiking Tours: $273
- 2 Hours Paradisiac Sailboat Tour in Rio de Janeiro: $275
- 2 hours Hang Gliding Paragliding Full Package experience in Rio : $173
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMadrid €20Rio de Janeiro €11
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€5.00
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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
Sample the Local Flavors in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rio de Janeiro:
- Rio: Pub Crawl in Lapa with Cachaça Tasting and Live Samba: $27
- Pub Crawl in Lapa: $29
- Rio de Janeiro Pub Crawl (Lapa district): $35
- Petropolis Bohemia: Historic tour and visit to the Bohemian Brewery: $55
- Walking tour + Pub crawl + Samba in Lapa: $64
- Petropolis City Tour + Bohemia Brewery + Lunch: $77
- Petrópolis City and Brewery Bohemia Tour - Best of Rio's Mountains: $110
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $129
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Madrid and Rio de Janeiro, we can see that Madrid is more expensive. And not only is Rio de Janeiro much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Madrid is in Europe and Rio de Janeiro is in South America, 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 Rio de Janeiro would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Madrid Expensive? and Is Rio de Janeiro Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Madrid or Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 93% larger than the population of Madrid. When comparing the sizes of Madrid and Rio de Janeiro, 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.