Is Madrid Expensive? My Full Budget Breakdown for a Weekend Trip

Madrid is one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations. I recently spent a weekend there and want to share my Madrid travel budget breakdown with you. If you’re wondering “How much does a weekend in Madrid cost?”, this post will give you a detailed look at what I spent and some tips to save money.

A Few Quick Notes Before the Budget Breakdown

1. Flight cost not included

I didn’t include flights in this cost breakdown since prices vary a lot depending on where you’re traveling from. For example, I flew from Zurich and paid 243 CHF for a return ticket, which is fairly standard for an intra-European flight these days.

2. All prices in CHF (Swiss Francs)

Since I’m based in Switzerland, I’ve listed my expenses in CHF. Luckily, CHF is almost equal to the USD and Euro, so you can use the numbers here without much conversion.

3. Trip for two

I traveled with a friend, so some expenses like our hotel and Uber rides were split between two people. In this post I’ll share the cost per person. If you’re traveling solo or in a larger group, the expenses might differ for your travel party size.

5. Duration of stay

We arrived on a Friday evening and left very early on Monday morning. This meant we had two full days in Madrid but stayed three nights.

Total Cost of a Weekend in Madrid

Here’s the breakdown of what I spent for a weekend in Madrid (per person):

Category	Total Cost (CHF)	% of Total
Hotel	243	73%
Transportation	13	4%
Food & Drinks	79	23%
Total	335	100%

Total spend for 2 full days in Madrid (excl. flights): 335 CHF (~USD / EUR). That works out to about 167 CHF per day, including accommodation.

At first glance, this seems high, but most of it came down to our hotel choice. Let’s break it down further.

Accommodation in Madrid

Our biggest expense by far was accommodation. We had two main criteria:

Staying in the city center
Having a private room (no dorms)

We ended up at Hostal Oriente, which cost about 81 CHF per person per night. Personally I think this is quite expensive, but we made our booking quite late (approx. 1 month in advance), so there were not many options left – even during the off-season!

Budget tip: If you’re on a tighter budget, Madrid has plenty of cheaper hostels if you plan ahead.

Food & Drinks in Madrid

We spent about 39 CHF per person per day on food, which covered breakfast, snacks, and dinner. Here’s a breakdown:

Meal Type	Average Cost (CHF)
Breakfast	9
Snacks	9
Dinner	13

Breakfast: Usually cost around 9 CHF, always including coffee.
Snacks & drinks: Cost me around 9 CHF/day (think churros, ice cream, juices, extra coffees). We only splurged once for cocktails at a rooftop bar, which cost 16 CHF for one drink. Honestly, I’d count this more as an experience than just a drink, so the price is justified!
Dinner: About 13 CHF per person without alcohol. We chose local restaurants that were on the more affordable side.

As you can see, there is no “lunch” category. Since we wanted to explore as much as possible (and usually had a big breakfast) we usually only had a light lunch/snack in between, which I have therefore included in the snack category.

Budget tip: Overall, food is pretty affordable in Madrid! You can easily spend even less if you stick to casual tapas bars or buy snacks at local supermarkets.

Activities & Sightseeing Costs in Madrid

My weekend was mostly focused on free activities (walking around and soaking up the city vibe), which is why I didn’t spend any money on “activities”. However, if you are into museums then you will definitely want to visit at least a couple of Madrid’s world-famous museums (e.g. Prado Museum, Royal Palace, etc…). Check out the official pages linked above for tickets (buy them in advance to avoid long queues and disappointment!!).

Palacio de Cristal at Parque de Retiro — Palacio Cristal in Parque de Retiro (free to visit!)

Transportation in Madrid

Madrid is a very walkable city, so we barely spent any money on transportation.

Airport transfer: Uber from the city center to the airport cost 25 CHF total, which we split (~13 CHF each). The Uber upon our arrival was paid for by our hotel 🙂

Other than that, we walked everywhere!

Budget tip: There’s a metro line to the airport, which is cheaper than Uber. If you’re traveling solo this is definitely an option to consider!

My Three Biggest Expenses

Hotel – Total cost of 243 CHF (81 CHF per night per person).
Drinks at Azotea del Círculo – One cocktail was 11 CHF, plus a 5 CHF entry fee (total 16 CHF). Worth it for the view at sunset!
Dinner at Museo del Jamón – 13 CHF per person for tapas. Not expensive for a dinner, but the food was also nothing fancy.

What I’d Do Differently Next Time

Looking back, the main thing I’d change is booking accommodation earlier. Since we booked late, we were left with limited options, and our hotel ended up being by far the biggest chunk of the expenses.

If you plan in advance, you can definitely spend less on accommodation and bring down your total weekend cost.

Final Thoughts on Madrid Weekend Costs

So, how much money do you really need for a weekend in Madrid? For me, the total came to 335 CHF (~335 EUR/USD) for 2 full days and 3 nights, excluding flights. Most of that went into accommodation, which means with a cheaper hotel or hostel, your budget could easily be much lower.

I hope this breakdown helps you plan your own Madrid weekend budget and gives you a clearer picture of what to expect. If you’d like ideas on what to see and do, check out my weekend in Madrid itinerary. And if you’re curious how Madrid compares to other destinations, you’ll find more budget breakdowns from my travels here.

Have you been to Madrid yet? Share your experience in the comments — I’d love to know!

Madrid Budget Travel FAQs

Is Madrid expensive for tourists?

Madrid is cheaper than many other European capitals like Paris or London. A weekend trip excluding flights can cost around 300–350 EUR/USD/CHF per person, depending on your accommodation and food choices.

How much should I budget per day in Madrid?

For my trip (mid-range traveler staying at a hotel + eating at restaurants), the cost came out to aprox. €170 per day, including accommodation.

If you go full budget mode (e.g staying at hostels + eating street food) you could probably get by with approx. ~€80/day or lower.

What’s the cheapest way to get from Madrid Airport to the city center?

The metro is the cheapest option (~€5). A taxi or Uber costs around €25, and can also be an affordable option if split between several people.

Can you do Madrid on a budget?

Absolutely! With many free activities, affordable tapas, and cheap public transport, Madrid is one of the more affordable European capital cities. Staying in hostels or booking accommodation well in advance will help you save the most money.