Moving to Spain from Poland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Poland to Spain? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Poland to Spain, you would find that Spain is 24.0% more expensive than Poland overall. A PLN290,000 salary in Poland would need to be roughly €82,000 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 55°F in Warsaw, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Poland and Spain.
What does your salary buy?
PLN290,000 → €82,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 39.0% more
Groceries
pay 42.5% more
Transportation
pay 13.8% more
Housing
pay 23.2% more
Childcare
pay 25.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.3% 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.
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 29% more than cities in Poland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Poland to Spain.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Spain compared to Poland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs significantly better than Poland 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 Poland leads in healthcare spending per person.
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 Poland 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
Spain generally does better on infrastructure, though Poland 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
Poland 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 Poland leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Poland (2016), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016), The World Factbook (2021). 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 | Warsaw | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Warsaw | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Poland 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.
Poland passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting Poland
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 Poland?
On average Spain is around 24% pricier than Poland, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
Budget about €20,500 for 3 months in Spain (based on a PLN290,000 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 Poland across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Poland. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Poland?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 42.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 40.3 in Poland. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Poland: 82).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Poland?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 55°F in Warsaw. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Warsaw gets 20.9 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Poland, the official language is Polish.
