Moving to Spain from Kenya
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kenya to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Kenya to Spain, you would find that Spain is 2.6 times more expensive than Kenya overall. A KES9,690,000 salary in Kenya would need to be roughly €152,522 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.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Kenya to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
KES9,690,000 → €152,522
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.6 times more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 42.2% more
Housing
pay 3.9 times more
Childcare
pay 86.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 62.3% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Kenya to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Kenya and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics.
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
Kenya generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Kenya generally does better on environment, though Spain leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Spain generally does better on infrastructure, though Kenya leads in water stress level.
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
Kenya generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in gdp per capita.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Spain generally does better on family life, though Kenya leads in education spending.
Data: Revenue Authority, 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 | Nairobi | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nairobi | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Kenya Meteorological Department,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kenya 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.
Kenya passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Required
Spain passport holder visiting Kenya
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 Kenya?
Day-to-day costs in Spain run about 132% higher than Kenya 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 KES9,690,000 comparable salary, that's around €38,130 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 Kenya and Spain.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Kenya.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Kenya?
Kenya generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 1.0 in Kenya. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kenya: 53).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Kenya?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 74°F in Nairobi. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Nairobi gets 40.3 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Kenya, the official languages are English and Swahili.
