Moving to Spain from New Zealand
What to Expect
Considering a move from New Zealand to Spain? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from New Zealand to Spain, you would find that Spain is 9.3% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly €59,000 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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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between New Zealand and Spain.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,000 → €59,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.4% more
Groceries
pay 10.1% less
Transportation
pay 12.1% less
Housing
pay 8.2% less
Childcare
pay 40.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.9% 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 11% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from New Zealand to Spain.
people moved from New Zealand to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Spain compared to New Zealand.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs significantly better than New Zealand 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
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
New Zealand performs better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.
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 New Zealand leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Wellington | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting New Zealand
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 New Zealand?
On average Spain is about 9% less expensive than New Zealand, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
Budget about €14,750 for 3 months in Spain (based on a NZ$130,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
Connectivity is usually fine (Spain: 39.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Spain offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain performs significantly better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to New Zealand?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index. There are 42.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
