Moving to China from Spain
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Spain to China — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Spain to China, you would find that China is 35.1% cheaper than Spain overall. A €65,700 salary in Spain would need to be roughly CN¥269,534 in China to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Spain to China.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → CN¥269,534
To maintain the same standard of living in China
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 74.5% less
Groceries
pay 31.5% less
Transportation
pay 50.6% less
Housing
pay 67.0% less
Childcare
pay 33.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.6% 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 China cost about 44% less than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Spain to China.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
China generally does better on safety, though Spain leads in road traffic deaths.
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 China 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 better than China 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
China generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in internet access.
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
Spain generally does better on employment & economy, though China leads in unemployment 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Spain performs better than China across all family life metrics.
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 | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
China Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.
Spain passport holder visiting China
Visa Free
China passport holder visiting Spain
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in China than Spain?
Yes — China is on average about 47% cheaper than Spain. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to China?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CN¥67,384 in China on a €65,700 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from China?
Internet is rarely the blocker — China has 41.4 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 China safe for expats?
China generally does better on safety, though Spain leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in China is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain. About 91% of people in China feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in China compared to Spain?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though China leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in China, compared to 44.8 in Spain. China scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in China compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Beijing is 64°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Beijing receives around 22.8 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in China?
The official language in China is Chinese. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
