Moving to Spain from Philippines
What to Expect
Considering a move from Philippines to Spain? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Philippines to Spain, you would find that Spain is 2.2 times more expensive than Philippines overall. A ₱4,800,000 salary in Philippines would need to be roughly €149,000 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 88°F in Manila, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Spain cheaper than Philippines?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.9 times more
Groceries
pay 25.9% more
Transportation
pay 2.0 times more
Housing
pay 3.1 times more
Childcare
pay 93.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 72.4% 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.
What salary do you need in Spain?
What does your salary buy?
₱4,800,000 → €149,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →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 92% more than cities in Philippines.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Spain
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.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Philippines to Spain.
people moved from Philippines to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Spain compared to Philippines.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs significantly better than Philippines 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
Philippines 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
Philippines 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 Philippines 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
Philippines 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 performs significantly better than Philippines across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Internal Revenue (2016), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Spain vs Philippines
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Manila | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Manila | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Can you move from Philippines to Spain?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Philippines 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.
Philippines passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Required
Spain passport holder visiting Philippines
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 Philippines?
On average Spain is around 121% pricier than Philippines, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
Budget about €37,250 for 3 months in Spain (based on a ₱4,800,000 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 Philippines across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.3 in Philippines.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Philippines?
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 42.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 7.9 in Philippines. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Philippines: 58).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Philippines?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 88°F in Manila. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Manila gets 86.7 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Philippines, the official languages are English and Filipino.
