Moving to Spain from Belgium
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Belgium to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Belgium to Spain, you would find that Spain is 19.1% cheaper than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly €54,200 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madrid averages 68°F vs 57°F in Brussels, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Belgium to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €54,200
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 22.3% less
Groceries
pay 12.2% less
Transportation
pay 19.0% less
Housing
pay 13.8% less
Childcare
pay 54.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.0% 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 1% less than cities in Belgium.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Belgium to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Belgium and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs significantly better than Belgium 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 Belgium 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
Spain performs significantly better than Belgium across all environment metrics.
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
Belgium generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in water stress level.
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
Belgium generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in top income tax rate.
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 Belgium leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016). 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 | Brussels | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brussels | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Institut Royal Météorologique,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belgium 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.
Belgium passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting Belgium
Visa FreeData: 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 Belgium?
Generally yes: Spain runs about 19% cheaper than Belgium 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around €13,550 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 Belgium and Spain.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain performs significantly better than Belgium across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Belgium. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Belgium?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in health coverage index. There are 42.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 35.7 in Belgium. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belgium: 86).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Belgium?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.
