Moving to Spain from Washington
What to Expect
Considering a move from Washington to Spain? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Washington to Spain, you would find that Spain is 36.5% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly €42,500 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Spain cheaper than Washington?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 19.7% less
Groceries
pay 32.1% less
Transportation
pay 10.4% less
Housing
pay 49.3% less
Childcare
pay 71.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 40.9% 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?
$75,000 → €42,500
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 21% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Washington to Spain.
people moved from United States to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Spain compared to Washington.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Spain performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Spain performs significantly better than Washington across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Washington performs better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Spain performs significantly better than Washington across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Spain vs Washington
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seattle | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/41°F (11°/5°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seattle | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/37°F (8.4°/2.7°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.7°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 54°/39°F (12.1°/4.1°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 58°/42°F (14.7°/5.7°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 65°/47°F (18.2°/8.5°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 70°/52°F (21.1°/11.1°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.1°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.3°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.2°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 60°/46°F (15.4°/7.7°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 51°/40°F (10.5°/4.4°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 46°/36°F (7.6°/2.0°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Can you move from Washington to Spain?
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 Washington?
On average Spain is about 36% less expensive than Washington, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
Budget about €10,625 for 3 months in Spain (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
From major Spain cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Washington and Spain are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Washington?
Spain performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 60°F in Seattle. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Seattle gets 37.5 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Washington, the official language is English.
