Moving to Spain from Illinois
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Illinois to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Illinois to Spain, you would find that Spain is 20.6% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly €61,734 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Illinois to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → €61,734
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.9% less
Groceries
pay 20.2% less
Transportation
pay 15.4% more
Housing
pay 36.9% less
Childcare
pay 67.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.5% 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 15% less than cities in Illinois.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Spain
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Illinois to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Illinois and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Spain performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Spain performs significantly better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois performs better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Spain performs significantly better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Springfield | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Springfield | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting United States
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 Illinois?
Generally yes: Spain runs about 6% cheaper than Illinois 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around €15,434 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
Working remotely from Spain's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Illinois and Spain.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Illinois?
Spain performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Illinois, the official language is English.
