Thinking about moving to Spain? This overview pulls together how it compares across the things that shape daily life: cost, language, safety, healthcare and the route to staying long term. In MoveMap’s model, Spain stands out for being ready for remote work, an open, welcoming environment and quality healthcare, while it is worth weighing a long road to citizenship, needing the local language for everyday life and a tight housing market.
Spain at a glance
Tap any metric to see what is behind the number.
Cost of living60/100
Cost of living here sits around to a little above the EU average. As rough monthly figures, a typical net salary is around €1600 and a one-bedroom rent runs about €1000 a month. Your real budget depends heavily on the city and your lifestyle.
English55/100
English works in tourist and business settings, but daily life, services and paperwork usually need the local language.
Safety78/100
This is a MoveMap score out of 100 (higher is safer), so 78/100 means safe: everyday crime is low and the main cities feel comfortable, including at night, with normal precautions.
Healthcare80/100
Scored 80/100 in MoveMap's model (higher is better). A strong universal system with good access and quality; most needs are covered publicly.
ClimateWarm
Hot, dry summers and mild winters, with a lot of sunshine. Typical daytime highs: winter around 12°C, spring 19°C, summer 32°C, autumn 20°C. Figures are approximate and vary by region.
Citizenship~10 yrs
On the ordinary residence route you can usually apply for permanent residence after about 5 years, and for citizenship after about 10 years of continuous legal residence. Marriage to a citizen or ancestry can be much faster. Most countries also require a language test (commonly around B1) and some restrict holding two passports, so confirm Spain's current rules and dual-citizenship stance.
Taxes19-47%
Personal income tax: Progressive ~19-47% (regions set part of the scale; some exceed 50%). As a freelancer: Regular brackets on profit. Company owners: CIT 25% (15% for new companies' first two profitable years; SME rate gliding to 20%), dividends 19-30% savings scale. Rates as of July 2026. Tax rules change every budget cycle and depend on your personal situation: verify with a licensed tax advisor before acting.
Where Spain stands out
Relative to the other 26 EU countries, Spain scores best for:
- Being ready for remote work.
- An open, welcoming environment.
- Quality healthcare.
Worth weighing before you move
Every country has trade-offs. For Spain, keep an eye on:
- A long road to citizenship.
- Needing the local language for everyday life.
- A tight housing market.
Is Spain right for you?
These are general patterns. Whether Spain actually fits depends on your income, work, family, documents and what you want from a move, and the right city matters as much as the country. The quickest way to see where Spain lands for your situation is the MoveMap check.