Moving to Spain from Slovakia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Slovakia to Spain, you would find that Spain is 17.3% more expensive than Slovakia overall. A €65,700 salary in Slovakia would need to be roughly €81,196 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€65,700 €81,196

To maintain the same standard of living in Spain

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 34.2% more

Groceries

pay 6.9% more

Transportation

pay 19.9% more

Housing

pay 31.0% more

Childcare

pay 5.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 10.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 22% more than cities in Slovakia.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Slovakia to Spain, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2019
422 ↓ 18% vs 2018

people moved from Slovakia 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 Slovakia and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

SK
0.7
ES
0.7
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2013

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

SK
74%
ES
78%

Spain generally does better on safety, though Slovakia leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SK
$3,230
ES
$4,935
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

SK
36.8
ES
44.8

Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Slovakia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SK
30.0
ES
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SK
5.5t
ES
4.5t

Spain performs significantly better than Slovakia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SK
33.0
ES
36.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SK
2.4%
ES
43.2%

Spain generally does better on infrastructure, though Slovakia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SK
5.8%
ES
12.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SK
$39,300
ES
$46,400

Slovakia generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SK
78.3 yrs
ES
82.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SK
4.8
ES
2.5

Spain generally does better on family life, though Slovakia leads in education spending.

Data: Tax Directorate, Slovakia, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Bratislava Rain: 22.6 in/yr (574 mm)
61° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bratislava Madrid
Jan–Mar 44°/30°F (7°/-1°C) 55°/40°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) 73°/53°F (23°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/58°F (26°/15°C) 86°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) 58°/44°F (14°/7°C)
View all months
Month Bratislava Madrid
Jan 38°/27°F (3.1°/-2.8°C) 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C)
Feb 42°/29°F (5.8°/-1.7°C) 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C)
Mar 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.7°C) 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C)
Apr 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.0°C) 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C)
May 71°/51°F (21.8°/10.6°C) 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.4°C) 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.8°/16.2°C) 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C)
Aug 82°/61°F (27.6°/15.9°C) 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C)
Sep 71°/53°F (21.9°/11.5°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C)
Oct 60°/44°F (15.6°/6.6°C) 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C)
Nov 48°/37°F (9.0°/2.7°C) 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C)
Dec 39°/29°F (3.7°/-1.5°C) 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C)

Data: Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, Agencia Estatal de Meteorología Agencia Estatal de Meteorología

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Slovakia 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.

Slovakia passport

Slovakia passport holder visiting Spain

Visa Free
Slovakia passport holders can enter Spain without a visa.
Spain passport

Spain passport holder visiting Slovakia

Visa Free
Spain passport holders can enter Slovakia without a visa.

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 Slovakia?

Day-to-day costs in Spain run about 24% higher than Slovakia on average; specific cities can swing further.

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 €65,700 comparable salary, that's around €20,299 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 Slovakia and Spain.

Is Spain safe for expats?

Spain generally does better on safety, though Slovakia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Slovakia. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Spain compared to Slovakia?

Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Slovakia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 36.8 in Slovakia. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Slovakia: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 61°F in Bratislava. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Bratislava gets 22.6 in.

What language do they speak in Spain?

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

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At a Glance

SK ES
Population 5,431,252 47,163,418
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Slovak Basque, Catalan, Galician, Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +421 +34
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112 112