Although Madrid is the Spanish city of opportunities, it has (like all capitals) its hostile side. For every stately building in the center there are three that are not so stately, for every Sunday in the Paisaje de la Luz there is a kilometer-long queue at the Prado Museum, and for every specialty cafe, a breakfast that does not go below 7 euros (the nightmare of many provincials, and rightly so). For this reason, we have taken to the streets to ask Madrileños to tell us what they like least about living here.
Weaknesses: from cleanliness to gentrification
One issue that has come up is cleanliness. “I feel very sorry for it,” one passerby commented to Madrid Secreto. In 2024, the municipal survey prepared by the Transparency Area revealed that one in three Madrileños place the lack of cleanliness as the capital’s main problem, after traffic jams.
Another problem highlighted by those interviewed is gentrification. According to a study by Housfy, it is increasingly common for residents of neighborhoods such as Lavapiés, Malasaña or Huertas to sell their homes to escape the cost of living in the center.
Of course, there have been complaints about rising rents. A Fotocasa report reveals that Madrid is the fifth most expensive city in Spain to live in for rent, exceeding the average price per square meter in Spain by 64%.
Vandalism has been another cause for concern among those who participated in the interview. “I would change the people who come here and, instead of dedicating themselves to work and make their lives, they hurt others,” a young woman commented to us. On the other hand, there are those who feel that there is too much police presence. “There is too much and it is concentrated in certain groups,” said one interviewee.