Moving to New Zealand from Spain
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Spain to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Spain to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 25.3% more expensive than Spain overall. A €64,304 salary in Spain would need to be roughly NZ$123,106 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Spain to New Zealand.
What does your salary buy?
€64,304 → NZ$123,106
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.6% less
Groceries
pay 21.1% more
Transportation
pay 18.5% more
Housing
pay 14.7% more
Childcare
pay 49.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 77.1% 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.
Get free moving quotes to New Zealand
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Spain to New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Spain to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to New Zealand?
Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.
- 286,746
- 144,207
- 122,506
- 85,289
- 73,846
- 70,412
Key Indicator Comparison
How Spain and New Zealand stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs better than New Zealand 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Spain performs better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Spain performs better than New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs significantly better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.
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 New Zealand 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 | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
Spain passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand 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 New Zealand than Spain?
Headline costs are within a few percent between New Zealand and Spain; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €64,304 comparable salary, that's around NZ$30,776 in New Zealand for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
With 35.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand 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 New Zealand.
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
Spain performs better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Spain?
Spain performs better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 44.8 in Spain. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
