Moving to Spain from Estonia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Estonia to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Estonia to Spain, you would find that Spain is 19.3% more expensive than Estonia overall. A €67,000 salary in Estonia would need to be roughly €79,900 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 48°F in Tallinn, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Estonia to Spain.

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €79,900

To maintain the same standard of living in Spain

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.2% more

Groceries

pay 27.4% more

Transportation

pay 10.4% more

Housing

pay 46.3% more

Childcare

pay 13.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 20.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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 23% more than cities in Estonia.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Estonia to Spain, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2019
368 ↓ 14% vs 2018

people moved from Estonia to Spain · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Spain?

Top countries of origin for Spain's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Estonia and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

EE
1.5
ES
0.7
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

EE
75%
ES
78%

Spain performs significantly better than Estonia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

EE
$3,741
ES
$4,935
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

EE
34.7
ES
42.9

Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

EE
13.0
ES
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

EE
7.8t
ES
4.5t

Spain performs significantly better than Estonia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

EE
35.4
ES
39.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

EE
13.1%
ES
43.2%

Estonia generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

EE
8.3%
ES
10.4%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

EE
$34,418
ES
$38,627

Estonia generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

EE
79.3 yrs
ES
83.9 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

EE
1.5
ES
2.6

Estonia generally does better on family life, though Spain leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Estonian Tax and Customs Board (2016), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Tallinn Rain: 27.3 in/yr (693 mm)
48° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Madrid Rain: 16.6 in/yr (421 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tallinn Madrid
Jan–Mar 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C) 55°/40°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 57°/41°F (14°/5°C) 73°/53°F (23°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 65°/51°F (19°/10°C) 86°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C) 58°/44°F (14°/7°C)
View all months
Month Tallinn Madrid
Jan 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C) 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C)
Feb 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C) 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C)
Mar 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C) 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C)
Apr 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C) 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C)
May 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C) 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C)
Jun 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C) 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C)
Jul 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C) 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C)
Aug 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C) 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C)
Sep 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C)
Oct 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C) 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C)
Nov 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C) 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C)
Dec 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C) 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C)

Data: Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Agencia Estatal de Meteorología Agencia Estatal de Meteorología

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Estonia 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.

Estonia passport

Estonia passport holder visiting Spain

Visa Free
Estonia passport holders can enter Spain without a visa.
Spain passport

Spain passport holder visiting Estonia

Visa Free
Spain passport holders can enter Estonia without a visa.

Data: 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 Estonia?

Day-to-day costs in Spain run about 19% higher than Estonia on average; specific cities can swing further.

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 €19,975 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 Estonia and Spain.

Is Spain safe for expats?

Spain performs significantly better than Estonia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Estonia. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Spain compared to Estonia?

Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 42.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 34.7 in Estonia. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Estonia: 79).

What's the weather like in Spain compared to Estonia?

The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 48°F in Tallinn. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Tallinn gets 27.3 in.

What language do they speak in Spain?

The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Estonia, the official language is Estonian.

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At a Glance

EE ES
Population 1,366,475 49,355,143
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Estonian Basque, Catalan, Galician, Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +372 +34
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112 112