Moving to Spain from United Kingdom
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from United Kingdom to Spain — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from United Kingdom to Spain, you would find that Spain is 27.5% cheaper than United Kingdom overall. A £56,000 salary in United Kingdom would need to be roughly €48,500 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Spain cheaper than United Kingdom?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 10.5% less
Groceries
pay 1.7% less
Transportation
pay 32.9% less
Housing
pay 34.5% less
Childcare
pay 65.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 40.6% 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.
What salary do you need in Spain?
What does your salary buy?
£56,000 → €48,500
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →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 22% less than cities in United Kingdom.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Spain
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from United Kingdom to Spain, based on official data.
people moved from United Kingdom to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from United Kingdom to Spain.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Kingdom generally does better on safety, though Spain leads in homicide rate.
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 Kingdom 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
United Kingdom generally does better on environment, though Spain leads in air pollution deaths.
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 Kingdom generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in electricity per capita.
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 Kingdom 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
Spain generally does better on family life, though United Kingdom leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), HM Revenue & Customs (2016), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Spain vs United Kingdom
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | London | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/48°F (18°/9°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/43°F (12°/6°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | London | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Met Office
Agencia Estatal de MeteorologíaCan you move from United Kingdom to Spain?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Kingdom 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.
United Kingdom passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting United Kingdom
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 United Kingdom?
Yes — Spain is on average about 28% cheaper than United Kingdom. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €12,125 in Spain on a £56,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Spain?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Spain has 39.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Spain safe for expats?
United Kingdom generally does better on safety, though Spain leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in United Kingdom.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to United Kingdom?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Kingdom leads in health coverage index. There are 42.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 33.0 in United Kingdom. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Kingdom: 88).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to United Kingdom?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 60°F in London. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while London gets 22.0 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In United Kingdom, the official language is English.
