Compare countries

Greece vs Spain

Two places, side by side — for anyone weighing where to move.

GR flagES flag
Europe
GR flag
Greece
Capital Athens · 11M people · Euro
Europe
ES flag
Spain
Capital Madrid · 47M people · Euro
Cost of living
Greece
$384/mo
Safety
Spain
1.0/5
Getting around
Spain
0.4/5
Culture
Spain
0.3/5
Passport reach
Even
not scored
Airports
Spain
238M passengers/yr
Climate
Depends on you
not scored
Overall
Spain edges it, 4–1.
Across 5 scored factors, each counted once — we don't weight them for you. Healthcare, visas and tax aren't included.

Cost of living

monthly median · solo budget

Greece leads
$1,468/mo
Greece
$1,852/mo
Spain

Cost in the three biggest cities

Athens$1,455
Thessaloníki$1,495
Pátra$1,398
Madrid$2,244
Barcelona$2,016
Valencia$1,754

Between the two, Greece is cheaper — $1,468/mo vs $1,852/mo. Greece is cheaper than 26 of 41 European countries; Spain is pricier than 22 of 41 European countries.

Safety

safety index

Spain leads
1.8/5
Greece
2.8/5
Spain

Between the two, Spain is safer — 2.8/5 vs 1.8/5. Greece is less safe than 39 of 41 European countries; Spain is less safe than 24 of 41 European countries.

Getting around

transit & transport systems

Spain leads
2.8/5
Greece · everyday transit
3.2/5
Spain · everyday transit
4.0/5Walkability4.5/5
3.5/5Transit3.8/5
1.0/5Cycling2.9/5
3.2/5Airport access3.6/5

Between the two, Spain scores higher on mobility — 3.2/5 vs 2.8/5. Greece is harder to get around than 24 of 41 European countries; Spain is easier to get around than 25 of 41 European countries.

Culture

cultural depth

Spain leads
3.5/5
Greece
3.9/5
Spain

Top cultural centers

Greece
3.8/5
Athens
Museums
3.5/5
Thessaloníki
Festivals
3.1/5
Pátra
Festivals
Spain
4.3/5
Barcelona
Festivals
4.2/5
Madrid
Nightlife
4.0/5
Granada
Museums

Between the two, Spain scores higher on culture — 3.9/5 vs 3.5/5. Greece is richer in culture than 24 of 41 European countries; Spain is richer in culture than 31 of 41 European countries.

Passport reach

what the passport opens

Even
105Visa-free destinations105
92%GDP reach92%
1130Heritage sites reachable1133

Greece's passport reaches 105 destinations visa-free to Spain's 105 — evenly matched on reach. Passport strength shifts over years of naturalisation, not months of planning, so it's a long-horizon footnote — not scored in the tally.

Airports

international connectivity

Spain leads
10Major airports24
77MAnnual passengers315M

Between the two, Spain is better connected — 315M passengers/yr vs 77M passengers/yr. Greece is busier than 62 of 87 countries worldwide; Spain is busier than 83 of 87 countries worldwide. Greece sees ~7 air passengers per resident a year; Spain sees ~7 air passengers per resident a year — a derived figure, not itself ranked.

Climate

where most people live · °C

Depends on you
Greece-6°C to 37°C

Extremes — coldest Alexandroupoli -14°C

Spain-5°C to 35°C
-20°0°10°30°45°

Greece runs -6°C to 37°C for most people; Spain runs -5°C to 35°C for most people. Alexandroupoli runs colder, at -14°C. Depends on you — which range fits your tolerance is the real question here, not a score.