Moving to North Carolina from Spain

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Spain to North Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Spain to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 52.8% more expensive than Spain overall. A €65,374 salary in Spain would need to be roughly $83,329 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Spain and North Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

€65,374 $83,329

To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.4% more

Groceries

pay 68.6% more

Transportation

pay 6.7% more

Housing

pay 69.9% more

Childcare

pay 2.9 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 45.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.15 USD (June 2026)

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 North Carolina cost about 26% more than cities in Spain.

North Carolina

Durham 74%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to North Carolina

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Spain to North Carolina.

Moved in 2023
6,460 ↑ 46% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in North Carolina compared to Spain.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

ES
23.8%
NC
33.6%

Spain performs better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

ES
94.0%
NC
88.7%

Spain performs better than North Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ES
12.1%
NC
3.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

ES
$46,400
NC
$59,308

North Carolina performs significantly better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ES
82.5 yrs
NC
76.1 yrs

Spain performs better than North Carolina across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Madrid Rain: 16.6 in/yr (421 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Asheville Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Madrid Asheville
Jan–Mar 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) 52°/32°F (11°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) 75°/53°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) 58°/38°F (15°/3°C)
View all months
Month Madrid Asheville
Jan 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C)
Feb 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C)
Mar 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C)
Apr 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)
May 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C)
Jun 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)
Jul 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C)
Aug 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C)
Sep 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C)
Oct 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C)
Nov 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C)
Dec 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C)

Data: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Spain passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Spain passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Spain

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Spain without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina than Spain?

On average North Carolina is around 11% pricier than Spain, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to North Carolina?

Budget about $20,832 for 3 months in North Carolina (based on a €65,374 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from North Carolina?

From major North Carolina cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Spain and North Carolina are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Spain?

Spain performs better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to Spain?

The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.

What language do they speak in North Carolina?

The official language in North Carolina is English. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.

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At a Glance

ES
Population 47,163,418 9,535,483
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Basque, Catalan, Galician, Spanish English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +34 +1
Time zones 2 11
Emergency number 112 911