Salaries in Madrid or Barcelona are more or less the same. Typical ranges are 18-28K for a junior, 36-52 for a senior and 42-70 for a lead. A CTO on a startup will depend a lot on the startup but 80-150k would not be uncommon for small ones.
As you can see on this article, people from Barcelona are sometimes a little chauvinist with their loved city so I want to clear some things said. Specifically on my 20 years of experience with engineers of both cities (and working in Barcelona sometimes, even tough I'm from Madrid) I've seen more or less the same ranges of English capabilities from engineers of both cities. It's true that people in Barcelona are more fluent in general in English, but with engineers and young people the level is about the same.
Engineers in startups and normal companies in Madrid doesn't wear suits. Only consultants, bank workers and similar do in my experience (also in Barcelona). Currently school and high school in Madrid is bilingual.
Somebody said that you can get a flat in downtown Barcelona for 800€. Thats pretty unrealized, only for very small or really crappy flats. 1200-1500 is more realistic. Madrid is about the same.
Most catalans won't have any problem speaking Spanish with a foreigner. Some will avoid speaking spanish with a Spaniard (not urban legend, happened to me more than once) as a way to assert their nationalism. But there are assholes everywhere on any city.
People in Barcelona is probably more warm and open and given to small talk. People in Madrid have this castillian character that is something between laconic/shy/cool that could sound like unfriendly but it really isn't.
The best climate for you will depend a lot on your preference to humid/dry climates. Barcelona is humid (not Florida level but almost) and Madrid is VERY dry. The temperatures are more extreme in Madrid (-5/40C are usually the extreme ranges in winter/summer) and Barcelona is could be 8/35 but being humid Barcelona 35 feel hotter than Madrid 40 since your body will transpire worse on an humid climate, but all working places and public transportation will have AC om both cities, so it really depends on what your body is accustomed to.
The startup scene is very healthy in both cities, specially on the latest years where investors are moving money outside of the broken housing market (In working on a startup in Madrid right now).
Other than that both are great cities with a lot of culture and night life and surely you'll enjoy both.
As you can see on this article, people from Barcelona are sometimes a little chauvinist with their loved city so I want to clear some things said. Specifically on my 20 years of experience with engineers of both cities (and working in Barcelona sometimes, even tough I'm from Madrid) I've seen more or less the same ranges of English capabilities from engineers of both cities. It's true that people in Barcelona are more fluent in general in English, but with engineers and young people the level is about the same.
Engineers in startups and normal companies in Madrid doesn't wear suits. Only consultants, bank workers and similar do in my experience (also in Barcelona). Currently school and high school in Madrid is bilingual.
Somebody said that you can get a flat in downtown Barcelona for 800€. Thats pretty unrealized, only for very small or really crappy flats. 1200-1500 is more realistic. Madrid is about the same.
Most catalans won't have any problem speaking Spanish with a foreigner. Some will avoid speaking spanish with a Spaniard (not urban legend, happened to me more than once) as a way to assert their nationalism. But there are assholes everywhere on any city.
People in Barcelona is probably more warm and open and given to small talk. People in Madrid have this castillian character that is something between laconic/shy/cool that could sound like unfriendly but it really isn't.
The best climate for you will depend a lot on your preference to humid/dry climates. Barcelona is humid (not Florida level but almost) and Madrid is VERY dry. The temperatures are more extreme in Madrid (-5/40C are usually the extreme ranges in winter/summer) and Barcelona is could be 8/35 but being humid Barcelona 35 feel hotter than Madrid 40 since your body will transpire worse on an humid climate, but all working places and public transportation will have AC om both cities, so it really depends on what your body is accustomed to.
The startup scene is very healthy in both cities, specially on the latest years where investors are moving money outside of the broken housing market (In working on a startup in Madrid right now).
Other than that both are great cities with a lot of culture and night life and surely you'll enjoy both.