Moving to Spain from Louisiana

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Louisiana to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Louisiana to Spain, you would find that Spain is 9.1% cheaper than Louisiana. A $75,000 salary in Louisiana would need to be roughly €65,447 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madrid averages 68°F vs 79°F in Baton Rouge, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Louisiana to Spain.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 €65,447

To maintain the same standard of living in Spain

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 0.6% less

Groceries

pay 21.9% less

Transportation

pay 35.5% more

Housing

pay 30.5% less

Childcare

pay 45.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 25.5% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.8717 EUR (June 2026)

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 Louisiana to Spain, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
13,218 ↑ 14% vs 2022

people moved from United States to Spain · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Spain?

Top countries of origin for Spain's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Louisiana and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

LA
40.6%
ES
23.8%

Spain performs significantly better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

LA
84.9%
ES
94.0%

Spain performs significantly better than Louisiana across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

LA
3.9%
ES
12.1%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

LA
$55,662
ES
$46,400

Louisiana performs better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

LA
73.1 yrs
ES
82.5 yrs

Spain performs significantly better than Louisiana 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.

Baton Rouge Rain: 60.6 in/yr (1540 mm)
79° / 58°F

Avg. annual high / low

Madrid Rain: 16.6 in/yr (421 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Baton Rouge Madrid
Jan–Mar 67°/45°F (19°/7°C) 55°/40°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/64°F (30°/18°C) 73°/53°F (23°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 91°/72°F (33°/22°C) 86°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) 58°/44°F (14°/7°C)
View all months
Month Baton Rouge Madrid
Jan 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C)
Feb 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.9°C) 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C)
Mar 73°/50°F (22.6°/10.2°C) 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C)
Apr 79°/57°F (26.3°/13.8°C) 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C)
May 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.4°C) 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C)
Jun 91°/71°F (32.7°/21.9°C) 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C)
Jul 92°/74°F (33.4°/23.2°C) 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C)
Aug 92°/73°F (33.6°/23.0°C) 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C)
Sep 89°/69°F (31.5°/20.3°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C)
Oct 81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C) 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C)
Nov 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C)
Dec 64°/43°F (17.8°/5.9°C) 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, Agencia Estatal de Meteorología 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

United States passport holder visiting Spain

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Spain without a visa.
Spain passport

Spain passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Spain passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.

Data: 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 Louisiana?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Spain and Louisiana; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

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 €16,362 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 Louisiana and Spain.

How is healthcare in Spain compared to Louisiana?

Spain performs significantly better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Spain compared to Louisiana?

The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 79°F in Baton Rouge. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Baton Rouge gets 60.6 in.

What language do they speak in Spain?

The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Louisiana, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

ES
Population 4,533,372 47,163,418
Currency United States Dollar ($) Euro (€)
Languages English Basque, Catalan, Galician, Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +34
Time zones 11 2
Emergency number 911 112