Moving to Spain from United States
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United States to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United States to Spain, you would find that Spain is 22.3% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly €48,866 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from United States to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → €48,866
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 10.8% less
Groceries
pay 27.5% less
Transportation
pay 14.3% more
Housing
pay 43.2% less
Childcare
pay 65.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.2% 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 41% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United States to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How United States and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
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 significantly 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 significantly 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 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: Internal Revenue Service, 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 | Washington | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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 States passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting United States
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 States?
Generally yes: Spain runs about 26% cheaper than United States on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around €12,216 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
With 36.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Spain can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in United States and Spain.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain performs significantly better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to United States?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 36.1 in United States. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In United States, the official language is English.
