Software Engineer Salary: Madrid vs New York
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇪🇸 Madrid
Spain
€45K EUR
$49K USD
$71K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-70%
Madrid vs New York
🇺🇸 New York
United States
$160K USD
$160K USD
$160K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Madrid | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | €45K EUR | $160K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $49K | $160K | -70% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $71K | $160K 🏆 | -55% |
| 25th Percentile | €36K EUR | $128K USD | — |
| Median | €45K EUR | $160K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | €56K EUR | $200K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | €49K EUR | $173K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Madrid offers a Software Engineer salary of $49K USD, while New York offers $160K USD — a difference of -70% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Madrid's salary is worth $71K in US purchasing power terms, versus $160K for New York. This means New York offers better real purchasing power for this role.
PPP adjustment accounts for differences in local prices — for example, housing costs 3x more in San Francisco than in Warsaw, so a San Francisco salary needs to be much higher to provide an equivalent standard of living.