Moving to Australia from Spain
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Spain to Australia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Spain to Australia, you would find that Australia is 51.7% more expensive than Spain overall. A €65,579 salary in Spain would need to be roughly A$120,258 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Spain to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
€65,579 → A$120,258
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 8.1% more
Groceries
pay 28.4% more
Transportation
pay 22.6% more
Housing
pay 38.1% more
Childcare
pay 2.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.1 times 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 Australia cost about 10% more than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Spain to Australia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
55.19,947
Spain
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Spain to Australia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs better than Australia 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 Australia 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 better than Australia 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
Australia 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
share of people below the poverty line
Australia 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
Australia generally does better on family life, though Spain leads in infant mortality.
Data: Agencia Tributaria, Spain, 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 | Madrid | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Spain passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holder visiting Spain
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 Australia than Spain?
No — Australia is on average about 11% more expensive than Spain. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly A$30,064 in Australia on a €65,579 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Australia has 35.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Australia safe for expats?
Spain performs better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Spain?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in health coverage index. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 44.8 in Spain. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
