- CostAverage≈7% under Europe
- SafetyMixed2.8/5
- MobilityDecent3.4/5
- CultureRich3.9/5
- ClimateVariable-2–35°
Top cities
- Madrid5.7M residents
- Barcelona3.9M residents
- Valencia1.4M residents
- Sevilla696K residents
- Zaragoza624K residents
Source: GeoNames
Cost of living in Spain
About average for Europe.
Its $1,852 median runs ~7% below Europe's median major city ($1,992); Donostia / San Sebastián ($2,468) runs 1.5× Murcia ($1,666).
Good to know — low cost often trades against local salaries and visa options — budget for income, not just spending. Learn how we measure this →
Safety in Spain
The one thing to watch: wildfires.
Most hazards across Spain sit in a normal range — wildfires is the one area that runs higher.
Good to know — a calm national average can hide neighbourhood-level crime — research the specific district you would live in. Learn how we measure this →
Getting around Spain
Mobility in Spain depends on the city — Barcelona leads, Torrevieja trails.
The country average (3.4) hides a wide spread: Barcelona reaches 3.8 while Torrevieja sits at 1.4. Choose by city, not by country.
Good to know — strong airport access can coexist with weak everyday transit — check the mode you would actually use. Learn how we measure this →
Culture in Spain
Culture in Spain concentrates in its big cities — Barcelona leads, Marbella is lighter.
The country average (3.9) is carried by a few cities: Barcelona reaches 4.3 while Marbella sits at 2.1. Check the specific city, not the country.
Good to know — a strong national culture score can be carried by one or two big cities — check the specific city, not only the country average. Learn how we measure this →
Airports in Spain
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport is Spain's busiest gateway.
24 major airports handle about 315M passengers a year. Tap any to see its nearest cities and how far they are.
Good to know — passenger volume is total throughput, not direct-route breadth; a large hub can still lack flights to your region. Learn how we measure this →
Passport strength in Spain
Spain holds one of the world's strongest passports.
- Mobility
- #7172 destinations
- GDP reach
- #1492.0% of world GDP
- Heritage
- #141,133 of 1,353 UNESCO sites
Good to know — a mobility rank counts how many destinations you can enter, not how useful they are; a strong passport can still gate the one place you care about. Learn how we measure this →
Climate in Spain
Warm summers, gentle winters.
Across its cities, summer highs top out near 35°C feels-like while the coldest spots dip to around -2°C; sun is plentiful, up to ~336 days a year in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Feels-like °C — monthly range across cities
Good to know— a country isn't one climate but a range; the extremes here are different cities, not the same place across seasons. Learn how we measure this →
Who thrives in Spain
Spain suits a wide range of lifestyles.
Fit is scored per lifestyle and anchored to the cities that serve each best — Outdoor Enthusiast leads. Pick one to see exactly where it works.
Great fit
Decent fit
Good to know — fit is by city, not country; a lifestyle that thrives here may only do so in one or two of its cities. Learn how we measure this →