Living and working in Madrid
Madrid is the capital of Spain. Located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, it is one of the largest cities in Europe. More than 3 million people live in the city and more than 6 million in the overall metropolis. Madrid has a historic character, many cultural events and a very pleasant atmosphere. These are just some of the many reasons why Madrid is among the top destinations in Spain.
Madrid is a clean, safe and pleasant city. Despite sometimes having a slightly chilly, business-like atmosphere in some parts of the city, Madrid is bursting with beautiful squares and cosy spots and streets. Once you start living and working in Madrid, you will undoubtedly lose your heart to this royal city. Read on quickly to find out what it is like to live and work in Madrid.
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Work in Madrid
Working conditions in Madrid
There are many reasons why living and working in Madrid is so attractive. For a start, the quality of life in Madrid is generally very high. For instance, you enjoy many hours of sunshine, friendly people, many holidays (14) and the laid-back Mediterranean lifestyle.
Although in most cities you work an eight-hour working day from 9 to 5, siesta is practised in many places in Spain, including Madrid. Generally, the siesta is held between 14:00 and 17:00. Many shops then close and the city becomes quieter. After 17:00, the city slowly comes back to life and people go back to work until around 20:00/21:00.
Salaries in Madrid
The highest gross monthly salaries can be found in Spain’s biggest cities, including Barcelona and Madrid. For example, the average gross monthly salary in Madrid in 2022 is €3190, while the average gross salary across Spain is €2710 per month.
Moreover, the sectors below generally earn the highest gross monthly salaries in Spain:
- Financial sector (€3,152.50)
- Energy sector (€3,034.10)
- Information technology and IT (€2,809.50)
- Public sector (€2,800.80).
Income tax in Madrid
Spain, like the Netherlands, has a progressive tax system. This means that the more you earn, the higher the tax rate becomes. For example, the tax rate for incomes up to €12,450 per year is 19% in 2022. Do you earn more than €300,000 a year? Then you will generally pay 47% tax on your income. These top rates vary by region and the top rate in Madrid is 45.5% in 2022. Click here if you want to know more about tax rates in Madrid and Spain.
Madrid’s economy
Madrid is not only the political centre of Spain, but also the financial and economic heart of Spain. For instance, the GDP of the Madrid region is a staggering €230 billion, representing 19.2% of the Spanish economy.
Many large Spanish and international companies are headquartered in Madrid, providing many jobs for locals and expats alike. Moreover, the city accounts for about 15% of Spain’s trade with foreign countries.
The service sector is the most important sector in the Madridregion, accounting for 86.6% of Madrid’s entire economy. Thus, over 360,000 companies in the Madrid region operate in the service sector. Other important sectors in Madrid are the health sector and aviation.
Networking in Madrid
If you are new to Madrid and would like to meet new people or are curious about job offers in Spain, it can be very valuable to visit various networking events. You might meet locals, other expats or potential employers here.
Check the websites below regularly to keep up to date with networking events in Madrid:
Living in Madrid
Advantages of living and working in Madrid
Although Madrid is the capital of Spain, the city centre is more cosy and convivial than average big cities. The roads are quite busy but, on the other hand, well organised. There are many traffic lights with crossings and the metro system is perfect!
From Puerta del Sol, the most central square in the centre of Madrid, there are several routes that take you to different sights. Some examples of popular Madrid sights include Palacio Real, El Retiro Park and the Prado Museum.
A big advantage is that you won’t need to bring a lot of winter clothes with you when you move. In fact, the weather in Madrid is good all year round. In summer, it can be very hot with average temperatures of over 30 degrees in July and August. December and January are cooler. The temperature is then around 10 degrees. Thick winter coats are unnecessary in Madrid.
Of course, siesta remains a popular custom in Spain. Many shops in Spain are closed during siesta, between 2 and 5 in the afternoon. This does not apply to catering establishments and (large) supermarket chains.
During your free time in Madrid, by the way, you can also visit two magnificent football stadiums. Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Real Madrid) and Estadio Vicente Calderón (Atlético Madrid) are two attractions in the Spanish capital!
Accommodation in Madrid
Once you start working and living in Madrid, you will find that living accommodation is not the cheapest. This is because while many people are looking for accommodation in Madrid, the supply of accommodation in Madrid is not very large. For example, for a one-bedroom flat in the heart of Madrid, you will pay around €1030. The monthly rent for a similar flat on the outskirts of Madrid is around €800. Generally, you’ll find the cheapest apartments in the Moncloa, Chamartín and Ciudad Lineal districts.
Looking for accommodation in Madrid? Take a look at the websites below:
How does public transport work in Madrid?
How does the metro work in Madrid?
Madrid’s metro network is the second-largest metro network in Europe. Only Paris has just slightly more metro stations than Madrid. The metro and public bus transport are run by two different companies. This is a rather unique situation and sometimes makes buying the right tickets a bit more complicated than in many other European cities. However, there are some tickets that allow you to travel on both the metro and the bus.
The price of a bus ticket is always €1.50 for a single journey. For the metro, you pay at least €1.50 (up to five stations) and up to €2.00 (from ten stations) as long as you stay in a certain zone.
For a 10-ride ticket (valid for bus and zone A), you pay €12.20. For travelling outside zone A, you’ll need a different ticket.
Once you stay in Madrid for a longer period, taking out a monthly ticket is definitely recommended. A monthly ticket costs €54.60 for zone A and is valid on both the metro and bus. This allows you unlimited use of public transport for 30 days in a row.
Are you younger than 26? Then you pay only €20 for a monthly public transport pass. With this card, you can use all forms of public transport between all different zones.
Eating in Madrid
Madrid is a great place to eat and drink! Spanish cuisine and local eating habits are perfect for anyone with a bit of a gourmet spirit.
Once you start eating in Madrid, you will see many of the same dishes and eating habits you see elsewhere in Spain. In addition, you can choose from several foreign cuisines.
Italian, American (burgers) and Asian cuisines also do very well. Besides these foreign cuisines, Madrid does have its own eating habits and dishes. For instance, people regularly eat churros with chocolate for breakfast. Popular churrerías in Madrid are Chocolatería San Gines and Valor. Looking at lunch, Madrileños like to eat sandwiches. Something typically Madrilenian is a sandwich with deep-fried squid rings. Very tasty!
Good to know is that Spaniards dine fairly late compared to the Dutch and Belgians. Usually, people don’t dine before about nine o’clock in the evening. Therefore, restaurants that cater specifically to locals often don’t open their doors before 8pm.
There are three types of dishes that you regularly see passing by for dinner in Madrid. For example, Madrileños love soup. Very popular is ‘sopa de ayo’ or garlic soup. A typical Madrid stew is Cocido with the main ingredients being pork, chicken, black pudding and chickpeas. Grill restaurants are also popular in Madrid.
Nightlife in Madrid
Do you like to party? Then Madrid is the place to be! From Monday to Sunday, there is something going on every night in Madrid. Forget New York, because Madrid is the city that never sleeps! The party usually starts after midnight and continues into the early hours. What Madridians do a lot is go to 3 or 4 different places during a night out.
We can definitely recommend the clubs below:
El Perro de la Parte de Atrás del Coche
In the Malasaña district, you can go to el Perro from around 00:00. A staircase leads down into a basement where you can dance the night away to swinging music.
Fortuny
In the Chamberí district lies the little palace of Fortuny. This is basically a restaurant and club in one. Put on your best party outfit and enjoy a nice drink in the garden under the stars.
Madrid shopping mecca
Madrid is home to centuries-old markets, picturesque shopping streets, famous department stores, souvenir shops and affordable outlets to suit all tastes and budgets. For instance, you can shop super cheap in the outlets of Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, Massimo Dutti… Nothing is better than replenishing your wardrobe without raiding your wallet, right? Moreover, Madrid hosts famous fashion shows every year that you should definitely take a look at. 🛍️
Cheap beauty treatments in Madrid
Madrid has a huge range of options when it comes to beauty treatments. And best of all? They are also dirt cheap! You can get a manicure from €25 and a pedicure from €20! Your nails have never looked so well-groomed. 💅
Madrid is super conveniently located for exploring new destinations in Spain. How about a road trip to Malaga, Valencia or Seville?
Explore new places in Spain and beyond
And it’s not just limited to Spain, as Madrid also gives great opportunities to explore beyond its borders. So you can score cheap flights to other European cities, such as Lisbon and Paris. What’s the saying again? ‘Catching flights, not feelings!’ ✈️
Madrid’s landscape and nature
Are you a nature lover? Then Madrid has a lot to offer for you in terms of beautiful landscapes. Around Madrid you will find a lot of nature, mountains and a number of natural areas. This is even quite rare near a big city.
The Sierra de Guadarrama, for instance, is a mountain range about an hour’s drive from Madrid. If you have the chance, it is definitely worth visiting this mountain range. Its highest peak is the Peñalara (2,428 metres high), a mountain with peculiar shapes, like the El Yelmo summit. Otherwise, the mountain range offers a wide variety of landscapes in a fairly green environment.
What not to miss in Madrid
Retiro Park
Madrilenians love to visit the insanely beautiful Retiro Park. On weekends, all sorts of things are organised here. It is even possible to rent a boat and admire everything from the water. There are 130 trees, planted in memory of the victims after the Madrid attacks.
The Royal Palace
Palacio Real is Madrid’s royal palace. This working palace of the King of Spain has no less than 3,418 rooms and is the second largest royal palace in Europe after Versailles in France. Inside the palace, you can still see all sorts of beautiful things from previous centuries. Just think of several beautiful chandeliers that adorn the various halls in this palace.
El Rastro flea market
Every Sunday, the El Rastro district hosts a very large market. The main street of this market mainly sells clothes. But those who occasionally check out a side street will find more unusual goods there. Think art, antiques, books and furniture. If you start at Plaza Mayor and follow the road to Puerta de Toledo, you have the right walking direction for this cosy market. Along the way, there are plenty of bars and terraces where you can take a break and enjoy a drink and snack.
Real Madrid stadium
The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of famous and legendary football club Real Madrid, is definitely worth a visit. Especially if you love football. Many a top footballer has been on the pitch at the Bernabeu Stadium, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy and David Beckham. On a stadium tour, you can see the inside of the station and also visit the Real Madrid Museum.
Puerta de Alcalá
This is probably the most famous monument in Madrid. The gatehouse served as a replacement for a much smaller gatehouse. After the city wall was demolished in 1869, the gate had no further function and the current square was created ‘Plaza de la Independencia’ (Independence Square).
Health care in Madrid
When you start living and working in Spain, you have access to public healthcare (Seguridad Social) at all times. After all, when you work you pay social contributions, which entitles you to public healthcare in Spain. The quality of public healthcare in Spain is good and comparable to healthcare in the Netherlands and Belgium.
It is important that you register for public health care. You do this by applying for a Social Seguridad number at your local Tesoreria General de la Seguridad Social in Madrid. Bring a completed TA1 form, a copy of your employment contract and a valid ID. Next, go to your local Centro Salud in Madrid and apply for a healthcare pass. With this pass, you can prove that you are entitled to public health care in Spain.
Visa and travel insurance Madrid
If you are a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you only need a valid national ID or passport to live and work in Madrid.
Safety in Madrid
Spain is very safe. You can walk the streets there just fine at night. As in most countries, you should always watch out for pickpockets in crowded, touristy places. If you just pay attention to your belongings, you have nothing to worry about.
