Moving to Spain from Iowa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iowa to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iowa to Spain, you would find that Spain is 14.7% cheaper than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly €57,100 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Spain cheaper than Iowa?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.7% less
Groceries
pay 19.0% less
Transportation
pay 24.4% more
Housing
pay 19.7% less
Childcare
pay 54.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 36.0% 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.
What salary do you need in Spain?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → €57,100
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →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 5% less than cities in Iowa.
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 Iowa to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iowa and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Spain performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Spain performs significantly better than Iowa 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
Iowa 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 Iowa across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Spain vs Iowa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Des Moines | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Can you move from Iowa to Spain?
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 Iowa?
Generally yes: Spain runs about 15% cheaper than Iowa 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 €14,275 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 Iowa and Spain.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Iowa?
Spain performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Iowa, the official language is English.
