Moving to Spain from France
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from France to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from France to Spain, you would find that Spain is 18.2% cheaper than France overall. A €65,700 salary in France would need to be roughly €60,190 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from France to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → €60,190
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 12.7% less
Groceries
pay 22.2% less
Transportation
pay 17.0% less
Housing
pay 1.4% less
Childcare
pay 29.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.8% 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 4% less than cities in France.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from France to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How France 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 generally does better on safety, though France leads in feel safe walking at night.
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 France 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
France performs better than Spain 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
France generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in internet access.
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
France 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
France generally does better on family life, though Spain leads in infant mortality.
Data: Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Paris | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Paris | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Météo-France
Agencia Estatal de MeteorologíaVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between France 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.
France passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting France
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 France?
Generally yes: Spain runs about 8% cheaper than France 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 €65,700 comparable salary, that's around €15,048 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
With 36.0 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 France and Spain.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain generally does better on safety, though France leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.6 in France. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to France?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in health coverage index. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 33.4 in France. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (France: 85).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to France?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 60°F in Paris. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Paris gets 25.6 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In France, the official language is French.
