Moving to Netherlands from Spain
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Spain to Netherlands — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Spain to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 67.8% more expensive than Spain overall. A €65,577 salary in Spain would need to be roughly €86,531 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Amsterdam averages 56°F vs 68°F in Madrid, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Spain to Netherlands.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → €86,531
To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 45.3% more
Groceries
pay 25.7% more
Transportation
pay 69.8% more
Housing
pay 64.7% more
Childcare
pay 2.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 70.9% 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 Netherlands cost about 32% more than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Spain to Netherlands, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Spain to Netherlands · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Spain and Netherlands stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain generally does better on safety, though Netherlands 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 Netherlands leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Spain performs better than Netherlands 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
Netherlands 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
Netherlands 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
Spain generally does better on family life, though Netherlands leads in education spending.
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 | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain and Netherlands. To live, work, or study long-term in Netherlands, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Netherlands's immigration authority.
Spain passport holder visiting Netherlands
Visa Free
Netherlands 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 Netherlands than Spain?
Day-to-day costs in Netherlands run about 32% higher than Spain on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,577 comparable salary, that's around €21,633 in Netherlands for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Netherlands?
With 44.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Netherlands can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Spain and Netherlands.
Is Netherlands safe for expats?
Spain generally does better on safety, though Netherlands leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Spain?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in adult obesity rate. There are 39.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 44.8 in Spain. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Netherlands compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Netherlands?
The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
