News
A month lost in journeys: the time Madrid gives to work
Thousands of people from Madrid spend entire weeks of the year just travelling to work. The housing problem and the lack of remote working worsen the situation. Daily mobility shapes life and plans in the city.
In Madrid, thousands of workers spend between one and four hours a day commuting, adding up to more than 800 hours a year—over a full month spent in transit.
Rising housing costs are pushing many people to the outskirts or to cities like Toledo. Remote work, still limited by employers’ lack of trust, has not managed to ease this burden. Meanwhile, life unfolds between trains, buses, and traffic jams, with routines and relationships shaped by travel time.
The housing crisis makes things worse: in 2024, more than 27,000 families in Spain lost their homes, many of them on low incomes. For those who manage to keep their homes, the cost is the time lost to commuting.
This reality is changing the pace of the city, affecting rest, leisure, and social life, and highlights a key challenge for Madrid: balancing housing, transport, and quality of life for its residents.