Moving to Spain from Utah

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Utah to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Utah to Spain, you would find that Spain is 14.8% cheaper than Utah. A $75,000 salary in Utah would need to be roughly €62,599 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Utah to Spain.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 €62,599

To maintain the same standard of living in Spain

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.0% less

Groceries

pay 18.7% less

Transportation

pay 18.1% more

Housing

pay 36.4% less

Childcare

pay 50.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 24.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.8717 EUR (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.

Get free moving quotes to Spain

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Utah to Spain, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
13,218 ↑ 14% vs 2022

people moved from United States to Spain · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Spain?

Top countries of origin for Spain's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Utah and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

UT
32.3%
ES
23.8%

Spain performs significantly better than Utah across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

UT
92.9%
ES
94.0%

Spain performs significantly better than Utah across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

UT
3.5%
ES
12.1%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

UT
$66,207
ES
$46,400

Utah performs better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

UT
78.6 yrs
ES
82.5 yrs

Spain performs significantly better than Utah across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Salt Lake City Rain: 16.1 in/yr (409 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Salt Lake City Madrid
Jan–Mar 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C) 55°/40°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 73°/53°F (23°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/60°F (31°/16°C) 86°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/32°F (10°/0°C) 58°/44°F (14°/7°C)
View all months
Month Salt Lake City Madrid
Jan 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C) 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C)
Feb 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C) 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C)
Mar 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C)
Apr 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C) 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C)
May 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C) 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C)
Jun 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C) 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C)
Jul 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C) 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C)
Aug 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C) 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C)
Sep 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C)
Oct 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C) 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C)
Nov 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C) 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C)
Dec 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C) 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C)

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

United States passport holder visiting Spain

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

Spain passport holder visiting United States

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

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 Spain than Utah?

Generally yes: Spain runs about 4% cheaper than Utah 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 €15,650 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Spain?

Working remotely from Spain's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Utah and Spain.

How is healthcare in Spain compared to Utah?

Spain performs significantly better than Utah across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Spain compared to Utah?

The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 64°F in Salt Lake City. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Salt Lake City gets 16.1 in.

What language do they speak in Spain?

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

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At a Glance

ES
Population 2,763,885 47,163,418
Currency United States Dollar ($) Euro (€)
Languages English Basque, Catalan, Galician, Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +34
Time zones 11 2
Emergency number 911 112