Climate
Donostia / San Sebastián logs 0 frost days a year to Madrid's 20 — Donostia / San Sebastián wins by 20. Donostia / San Sebastián also leads on hot days by 76.
Donostia / San Sebastián
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Madrid
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
Madrid is $224/mo cheaperDonostia / San Sebastián runs about $2,468/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Madrid's $2,244/mo — Madrid comes in $224 cheaper each month, roughly 10% less.
Donostia / San Sebastián
$2,468monthly · balanced
Madrid
$2,244monthly · balanced
Mobility
On mobility, Madrid scores 3.6 vs Donostia / San Sebastián's 3.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on flight connectivity. Donostia / San Sebastián still holds an edge on walkability.
Culture
Madrid's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Donostia / San Sebastián's 3.5, with the biggest gap on nightlife.
Nature & Outdoors
Donostia / San Sebastián's nature & outdoors score of 4.8 sits well above Madrid's 4.0, with the biggest gap on sea access. Madrid still holds an edge on mountain access.
Safety
Donostia / San Sebastián's safety score is ~2.0× Madrid's — near the top of our scale, while Madrid lands in the middle of the scale, with the biggest gap on walking safety.
Career
Madrid's career score of 4.1 sits well above Donostia / San Sebastián's 2.6, with the biggest gap on economic scale.
Social & Community
Madrid's social & community score is ~1.3× Donostia / San Sebastián's — in the upper band, while Donostia / San Sebastián lands in the middle of the scale, with the biggest gap on street atmosphere.
Food & Dining
Donostia / San Sebastián and Madrid score neck-and-neck on food & dining (3.6 vs 3.8, 0–5 scale).
Family
On family, Madrid scores 3.9 vs Donostia / San Sebastián's 3.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools. Donostia / San Sebastián still holds an edge on playgrounds.
Healthcare
Donostia / San Sebastián and Madrid score neck-and-neck on healthcare (3.7 vs 3.7, 0–5 scale).
Air Quality
Donostia / San Sebastián averages 9.3 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Madrid's 10.3 µg/m³ (moderate) — Donostia / San Sebastián breathes ~10% cleaner air (1.0 µg/m³ lower).
Donostia / San Sebastián
Madrid
PM2.5 annual average
WHO classification
City Scale
Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.
Donostia / San Sebastián (227K) and Madrid (5.7M) are 25x in population — Madrid is the larger metro, Donostia / San Sebastián the smaller; on land area Madrid spans roughly 16x more ground.
Madrid is roughly 20x the scale of Donostia / San Sebastián
Combined population & area comparison
MadridDonostia / San SebastiánCity Scale Rankings
Madrid5.7M25xDonostia / San Sebastián227K1xMadrid680 km²16xDonostia / San Sebastián43 km²1xDonostia / San Sebastián
Madrid
Who Thrives Here
Donostia / San Sebastián favours the ocean lover, while Madrid suits the big city energy. Both cities work well for the outdoor enthusiast.
Also compared
Frequently asked about Donostia / San Sebastián vs Madrid
▶Which is cheaper, Donostia / San Sebastián or Madrid?
▶How does the climate compare between Donostia / San Sebastián and Madrid?
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▶Should I move to Donostia / San Sebastián or Madrid?
The best city depends on what matters to you
This comparison shows how Donostia / San Sebastián and Madrid stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.
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