Moving to Spain from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Spain? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Spain, you would find that Spain is 52.4% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF60,626 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly €34,330 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madrid averages 68°F vs 55°F in Bern, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Switzerland and Spain.
What does your salary buy?
CHF60,626 → €34,330
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 53.3% less
Groceries
pay 43.7% less
Transportation
pay 41.0% less
Housing
pay 48.0% less
Childcare
pay 78.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.2% less
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 Spain cost about 48% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Switzerland to Spain.
people moved from Switzerland to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Spain compared to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Spain leads in feel safe walking at night.
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 Switzerland 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
Switzerland performs better than Spain 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
Switzerland performs better than Spain across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Switzerland performs 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
Switzerland generally does better on family life, though Spain leads in infant mortality.
Data: Swiss Federal Tax Administration, 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 | Bern | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Spain. To live, work, or study long-term in Spain, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Spain's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Spain than Switzerland?
On average Spain is about 48% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
Budget about €8,582 for 3 months in Spain (based on a CHF60,626 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
Connectivity is usually fine (Spain: 36.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Spain offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Spain safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Spain leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in Switzerland. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Switzerland?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in health coverage index. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 44.4 in Switzerland. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
