3.9 ★
🇪🇸
Madrid
Spain
Spain's capital — museums, parks and endless nights.
3.7 ★
🇪🇸
Barcelona
Spain
Architecture, beaches and an international vibe.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇪🇸 Madrid
€1,050–1,400 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇪🇸 Barcelona
€1,100–1,500 / month
Best for
🇪🇸 Madrid
- Students looking for a large international city
- Those who want to travel frequently around Europe
- People interested in academic and professional opportunities
Best for
🇪🇸 Barcelona
- Students looking for an international and multicultural city
- Those who want to travel frequently around Europe
- People interested in highly prestigious universities
Category ratings
2/5
Cost of Living
2/5
5/5
Nightlife
5/5
4/5
Weather
4/5
5/5
Travel Opportunities
5/5
4/5
Student Life
4/5
2/5
Housing
1/5
5/5
University Reputation
5/5
3.9 ★
Overall score
3.7 ★
Student insights
🇪🇸 Madrid
- Exceptional nightlife
- Outstanding national and international connections
- Highly prestigious universities
Student insights
🇪🇸 Barcelona
- Excellent nightlife
- Top-tier international connections
- Highly recognised universities
Student voice — 🇪🇸 Madrid
“Madrid is a city that never sleeps.”
Student voice — 🇪🇸 Barcelona
“Barcelona was the greatest experience of my life.”
🇪🇸 Madrid
Pros
- Exceptional nightlife
- Outstanding national and international connections
- Highly prestigious universities
- Wide cultural and leisure offer
- Great networking and career opportunities
Cons
- Very expensive rent
- High cost of living by Spanish standards
- Large, sometimes overwhelming city
- Longer daily commutes than in mid-sized cities
- Less sense of student community than in more compact destinations
🇪🇸 Barcelona
Pros
- Excellent nightlife
- Top-tier international connections
- Highly recognised universities
- Large international community
- Unique combination of beach, culture and urban life
Cons
- Extremely expensive accommodation
- High cost of living
- Mass tourism in some areas
- Strong competition for rooms and residences
- Less sense of student community than in smaller cities
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.