Moving to Illinois from Spain
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Spain to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Spain to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 34.4% more expensive than Spain overall. A €67,000 salary in Spain would need to be roughly $101,000 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Illinois cheaper than Spain?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.3% more
Groceries
pay 33.6% more
Transportation
pay 1.7% more
Housing
pay 53.8% more
Childcare
pay 2.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 54.2% 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 Illinois?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → $101,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
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 Illinois cost about 8% more than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Illinois
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?
How many people actually move from Spain to Illinois, based on official data.
people moved from Spain to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
64.102,633
Spain
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Spain to Illinois.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Spain performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Spain performs better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois performs significantly better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Spain performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Illinois vs Spain
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Madrid | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Spain to Illinois?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Spain passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 Illinois than Spain?
No — Illinois is on average about 34% more expensive than Spain. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $25,250 in Illinois on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
Usually fine from major cities in Illinois. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Spain?
Spain performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Chicago is 59°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Chicago receives around 36.9 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
