Moving to Spain from Netherlands
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Netherlands to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Netherlands to Spain, you would find that Spain is 31.2% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €65,577 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly €49,697 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 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Netherlands to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → €49,697
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 30.8% less
Groceries
pay 16.2% less
Transportation
pay 31.9% less
Housing
pay 39.0% less
Childcare
pay 47.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 35.5% 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 24% less than cities in Netherlands.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Netherlands to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Netherlands to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Netherlands 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
Netherlands generally does better on safety, though Spain leads in homicide rate.
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
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Spain performs significantly better than Netherlands across all environment metrics.
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
Netherlands generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in internet access.
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
Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in top income tax rate.
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
Spain generally does better on family life, though Netherlands leads in education spending.
Data: Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst, 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 | Amsterdam | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Amsterdam | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.
Netherlands passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting Netherlands
Visa FreeData: 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 Netherlands?
Generally yes: Spain runs about 24% cheaper than Netherlands 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 €65,577 comparable salary, that's around €12,424 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 Netherlands and Spain.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Netherlands generally does better on safety, though Spain leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Netherlands.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Netherlands?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in health coverage index. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 39.1 in Netherlands. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Netherlands?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.
