Moving to Spain from Ireland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ireland to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Ireland to Spain, you would find that Spain is 22.4% cheaper than Ireland overall. A €65,850 salary in Ireland would need to be roughly €50,383 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madrid averages 68°F vs 56°F in Dublin, making it significantly warmer. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ireland to Spain. What does your salary buy? €65,850 → €50,383 To maintain the same standard of living in Spain The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 8.6% less Groceries pay 11.7% less Transportation pay 30.5% less Housing pay 40.0% less Childcare pay 18.0% less Entertainment and Sports pay 43.2% 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 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 22% less than cities in Ireland. Compare cities head-to-head We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. Real numbers on people moving from Ireland to Spain, and how the trend has changed. How Ireland and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. 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 Ireland leads in road traffic deaths. 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 performs significantly better than Ireland across all health & wellbeing metrics. deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year Spain performs significantly better than Ireland across all environment metrics. fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work higher means greater strain on freshwater supply annual consumption — reflects grid capacity share of households with internet Ireland generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in broadband per 100 people. 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 Ireland generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in top income tax rate. average years of life at birth deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better government spending on education as % of GDP Spain performs significantly better than Ireland across all family life metrics. Data: The Office of the Revenue Commissioners, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ireland 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. Ireland passport holder visiting Spain Spain passport holder visiting Ireland Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. Generally yes: Spain runs about 23% cheaper than Ireland on average, though it depends heavily on the city. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,850 comparable salary, that's around €12,596 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees. 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 Ireland and Spain. Spain generally does better on safety, though Ireland leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Ireland. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night. Spain performs significantly better than Ireland across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 40.6 in Ireland. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ireland: 83). The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 56°F in Dublin. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Dublin gets 29.8 in. The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Ireland, the official languages are English and Irish. How Far Will Your Money Go?
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Dublin Madrid Jan–Mar 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) Apr–Jun 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) Jul–Sep 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) Oct–Dec 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) View all months
Month Dublin Madrid Jan 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) Feb 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) Mar 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) Apr 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) May 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) Jun 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) Jul 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) Aug 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) Sep 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) Oct 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) Nov 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) Dec 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) 
Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service, 
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología Visitor Visa Requirements
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