Moving to Spain from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Spain, you would find that Spain is 27.4% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly €49,800 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
A$110,000 → €49,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 7.8% less
Groceries
pay 23.9% less
Transportation
pay 9.7% less
Housing
pay 30.9% less
Childcare
pay 65.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 44.8% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Spain cost about 9% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Spain
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Australia to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs significantly better than Australia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though Spain leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Australia performs better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Spain generally does better on family life, though Australia leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Australian Taxation Office (2016), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Spain. To live, work, or study long-term in Spain, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Spain's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Spain than Australia?
Generally yes: Spain runs about 27% cheaper than Australia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$110,000 comparable salary, that's around €12,450 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
With 39.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Spain can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Spain.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain performs significantly better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Australia?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in health coverage index. There are 42.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 40.9 in Australia. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Australia, the official language is English.
