Moving to United States from Spain
What to Expect
Considering a move from Spain to United States? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Spain to United States, you would find that United States is 58.0% more expensive than Spain overall. A €65,700 salary in Spain would need to be roughly $100,838 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Spain and United States.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → $100,838
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 12.6% more
Groceries
pay 56.9% more
Transportation
pay 7.5% more
Housing
pay 81.0% more
Childcare
pay 2.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 61.6% 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 United States cost about 68% more than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Spain to United States.
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
The numbers behind daily life in United States compared to Spain.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs better than United States 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Spain performs better than United States 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
United States 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
United States 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 United States 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 | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
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 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 United States than Spain?
On average United States is around 34% pricier than Spain, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
Budget about $25,210 for 3 months in United States (based on a €65,700 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United States?
Connectivity is usually fine (United States: 37.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does United States offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is United States safe for expats?
Spain performs better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United States is 6.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain. About 63% of people in United States feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in United States compared to Spain?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 44.8 in Spain. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in United States compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
The official language in United States is English. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
