This guide weighs the evidence on living in Spain in 2026: jobs, wages, housing, bureaucracy, climate and healthcare.
The short verdict: who Spain suits and who it does not
Spain suits people whose income does not depend on the Spanish labour market: remote workers, retirees, people with savings, and professionals with a job offer in hand. It is a harder move for anyone who needs to find local work after arriving.
Most “should I move to Spain” articles are written in the language of holiday brochures. This one is not. Spain offers a long life expectancy, a strong public health system, good food, mild winters on much of the coast and a social, outdoor way of life. It also has one of the highest unemployment rates in the European Union, wages well below those of the UK, Germany or the Netherlands, a rental market under serious strain, a residence system that is slow to deal with, and summers that are getting measurably hotter.
None of these downsides is a reason not to come. They are reasons to plan. The rest of this guide sets out the evidence, and every section links to the detailed guide that answers the next question you will have.
| You are likely to do well in Spain if… | You should think hard first if… |
|---|---|
| You earn from abroad (remote work, pension, investments) | You need to find a Spanish job after arriving, without fluent Spanish |
| You are willing to learn Spanish (or Catalan, Basque or Galician where relevant) | You expect administrative processes to work online and quickly |
| You can afford rent at today’s prices in your chosen city | You plan to rent in central Madrid, Barcelona or Palma on a local salary |
| You cope well with heat, or choose the north or the coast | You have a health condition made worse by prolonged heat |
| You have already worked out your visa route | You were counting on buying property to get residence (that route has closed) |
For the full step-by-step process, start with our pillar guide, How to Move to Spain: Complete Expat Guide.
What has changed in 2025 and 2026
If you last looked at Spain a few years ago, four things are different: the Golden Visa has gone, the minimum wage and the visa thresholds tied to it have risen, rents have reached record levels, and the last two summers were each the hottest on record.
| Change | Date | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Visa (investor residence) abolished by Organic Law 1/2025 | New applications closed 3 April 2025 | Buying a €500,000 property no longer gives a right to live in Spain. Existing permits remain valid until they expire. |
| Minimum wage (SMI) set at €1,221 a month in 14 payments (€17,094 a year) by Royal Decree 126/2026 | Backdated to 1 January 2026 | Raises the floor for local pay and pushes up the digital nomad visa income threshold, which is pegged to the SMI. |
| National asking rents reach a record high | Idealista data, summer 2026 | The national average was €15.1 per square metre in August 2026, up 5.8% on a year earlier. |
| Summer 2026 the hottest on record | AEMET summary, September 2026 | The peninsular summer average was 24.5°C, 2.4°C above the 1991–2020 norm, beating the record set only a year earlier. |
| Automatic fingerprint appointments for residence cards trialled | Pilot started 8 October 2026 | An official attempt to reduce the scramble for police appointments, covering initially about 10% of newly resolved files. |
Correcting an outdated assumption: Many older articles still say you can “buy a house and get residency” in Spain. That ended on 3 April 2025. Owning Spanish property gives a non-EU citizen no right to live there. Our How to Get Residency in Spain guide covers the routes that remain, and our How to Buy Property in Spain as a Foreigner guide explains what buying does and does not give you.
Spain at a glance: the numbers that matter
On health and longevity Spain is near the top of Europe; on jobs and pay it is near the bottom of western Europe. The table brings the key official figures together so you can judge the trade-off yourself.
| Measure | Spain | Comparison | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth (2024) | 84.0 years | EU average 81.7; highest Italy and Sweden at 84.1 | Eurostat |
| Unemployment rate (Q2 2026, national survey) | 9.87% | Lowest region Balearic Islands 6.11%; highest Andalusia 14.56% | INE (EPA) |
| Average gross salary (2024 data, published May 2026) | €29,540 a year | Median €24,497; most common salary band €16,000–€17,000 | INE |
| Minimum wage (2026) | €1,221 a month × 14 (€17,094 a year) | Backdated to 1 January 2026 | Royal Decree 126/2026 |
| Average asking rent (August 2026) | €15.1 per m² a month | Madrid €23.3; Barcelona €20.2; Jaén and Cáceres €8.3 | Idealista |
| Summer temperature (2026) | 24.5°C peninsular average | 2.4°C above the 1991–2020 average; warmest on record | AEMET |
| English proficiency (EF EPI 2025) | 36th of 123 countries | “Moderate” proficiency band | EF English Proficiency Index |
How Spain compares: INE’s quarterly Labour Force Survey (EPA) put Spanish unemployment at 9.87% in the second quarter of 2026. Eurostat put the EU average at 6.1% in August 2026, so Spain is close to four points above it. Eurostat’s own monthly estimates for Spain use a different method and do not match the EPA exactly.
The pros of living in Spain
The strongest arguments for Spain are health and longevity, a public health system you can join once you qualify, a lower cost of living outside the big cities, an outdoor and social way of life, and a range of visa routes for people who bring their income with them.
1. People live long, healthy lives. At 84.0 years in 2024, Spanish life expectancy is more than two years above the EU average and only a tenth of a year behind the joint leaders. Diet, climate and a culture of walking and socialising all play a part.
2. A strong public health system, once you are in it. Workers paying into Spanish social security, UK and EU state pensioners with an S1 form, and some other residents can use the public system. Non-working newcomers usually need private cover first. Our Healthcare in Spain for Expats guide explains who qualifies, and How to Register for Healthcare in Spain walks through the registration.
3. Money goes further outside the hotspots. Asking rents in cities such as Jaén and Cáceres (€8.3 per m²) are about a third of Madrid’s (€23.3 per m²). Day-to-day costs such as groceries and public transport are moderate by western European standards. See our Cost of Living in Spain for Expats guide for city-by-city budgets.
4. Visa routes for people who bring their income. The digital nomad visa suits remote employees and freelancers working mainly for clients outside Spain; the non-lucrative visa suits retirees and people living on savings or passive income. Details are in the Spain Digital Nomad Visa guide and the How to Get Residency in Spain guide.
5. An outdoor, social way of life. Late dinners, busy squares and a strong café culture are not clichés; they shape daily routines, and many expats say this is what keeps them in Spain. Our companion guide, What Is It Like Living in Spain as an Expat?, covers the day-to-day experience in more depth.
6. Location and connections. Spain is well connected by air to the UK and the rest of Europe, and its high-speed rail network links Madrid with most major cities. If you plan to drive, read Driving in Spain as a Foreigner before you arrive.
Downside 1: wages and the job market
Spanish pay is low by western European standards and jobs are hard to find without fluent Spanish: the median gross salary is €24,497 a year, and unemployment is close to 10%, around four points above the EU average.
INE’s wage survey, published on 28 May 2026 and covering 2024, put the average gross salary at €29,540 a year. The average is pulled up by high earners; the median, the salary in the middle, is €24,497, and the single most common salary band was €16,000 to €17,000. Pay also varies sharply by region.
| Wage measure (2024, gross, per worker) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Average (mean) annual salary | €29,540 |
| Median annual salary | €24,497 |
| Most common salary (mode) | €16,520 |
| Highest regional average (Basque Country) | €35,170 |
| Lowest regional average (Extremadura) | €24,979 |
| 2026 minimum wage (14 payments) | €17,094 a year |
Unemployment has fallen, but it remains high. In the second quarter of 2026, 22,779,000 people were in work and the unemployment rate was 9.87%. The regional spread matters if you plan to look for work locally: the Balearic Islands, boosted by summer tourism, had the lowest rate at 6.11%, while Andalusia, home to much of the Costa del Sol, had the highest at 14.56%.
What this means in practice: Employers can choose among many local candidates, so a foreign applicant without fluent Spanish is often competing for a small pool of roles, usually in tourism, teaching English, international companies or technology. Sort your income before you move, not after. Our Working in Spain as an Expat and Jobs for English Speakers in Spain guides cover the realistic options, and you can browse employers and recruiters in our Employment directory for Spain.
If you plan to work for yourself, read How to Start a Business in Spain as a Foreigner and speak to an accountant early; self-employed social security and tax filings are a regular source of surprise. You can find advisers in our Accountants directory for Spain.
Downside 2: housing pressure and rents
Renting in Spain’s popular cities is expensive relative to local pay and getting more so: national asking rents rose 5.8% in the year to August 2026, reaching €15.1 per square metre.
| City (Idealista, August 2026) | Asking rent per m² a month | Change over 12 months | Illustrative 60 m² flat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid | €23.3 | +5.1% | about €1,400 |
| Barcelona | €20.2 | +0.7% | about €1,210 |
| Palma | €19.3 | +5.9% | about €1,160 |
| Spain (national average) | €15.1 | +5.8% | about €910 |
| Jaén and Cáceres (cheapest capitals) | €8.3 | not stated | about €500 |
The “illustrative 60 m² flat” column is our own calculation (asking price per square metre multiplied by 60). Asking prices are what landlords advertise, not what tenants finally sign for. Idealista also stopped counting seasonal (short-term) lets in its index from July 2026 and recalculated its historical series, so older articles quoting Idealista figures may not be directly comparable.
Set those rents against wages. The median gross salary of €24,497 works out at roughly €2,040 a month before tax over 12 months. A 60 m² flat in Madrid at about €1,400 would take around two thirds of that gross figure, and an even larger share of take-home pay.
Rising rents are also fastest in some smaller cities that newcomers see as affordable alternatives: Idealista recorded annual increases of more than 10% in Huesca, Huelva, Soria, Toledo, Zaragoza and Oviedo.
Do not rely on finding a flat after you arrive in August or September. Competition in big cities is intense, landlords often ask for proof of Spanish income, and many visa applications need an address. Read Renting in Spain: Complete Expat Guide for deposits, contracts and your rights, and use our Housing directory for Spain to find letting agents and relocation help.
If you are thinking of buying instead, see How to Buy Property in Spain as a Foreigner, How to Find an English-Speaking Estate Agent in Spain, and our Real Estate directory for Spain. For named agencies, see our shortlist of the best English-speaking real estate agents in Spain.
Downside 3: bureaucracy and residence paperwork
Spanish administration is slow, appointment-driven and often requires paper documents in Spanish. The single biggest frustration for newcomers is securing appointments (cita previa), particularly for the fingerprinting that produces your residence card (TIE).
After you arrive, you typically need to complete several separate registrations, each with its own office and paperwork:
| Step | What it is | Where it happens | Detailed guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIE | Foreigner identity number for tax and contracts | Police or consulate | How to Get Residency in Spain |
| TIE | Physical residence card, issued after fingerprinting | National Police (by appointment) | How to Get Residency in Spain |
| Padrón (empadronamiento) | Registration at your local town hall | Ayuntamiento | How to Move to Spain |
| Social security and healthcare | Access to public healthcare where eligible | INSS and regional health service | How to Register for Healthcare in Spain |
| Bank account | Usually needed for rent, utilities and payroll | Bank branch or online | How to Open a Bank Account in Spain |
The authorities themselves recognise the appointment problem. From 8 October 2026, the National Police began a pilot in which residence-card fingerprint appointments are assigned automatically by email and text message. It covers initially about 10% of newly resolved files and is rolling out province by province, with Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Málaga and Murcia added from 9 October. If you are not given an appointment within about 20 days of your favourable residence decision, you must book one yourself through the usual appointment system.
Watch out: Documents from outside Spain often need an apostille and a sworn (certified) translation into Spanish before an office will accept them. Allow time and budget for this. Our guide to Certified Translation Services in Spain explains what counts as a sworn translation.
Many expats decide the paperwork is worth paying someone else to handle. If you would rather not navigate it alone, see How to Find an Immigration Lawyer in Spain, or browse our Visa Lawyers and Immigration directories for Spain.
Tax is the other area where Spanish bureaucracy catches people out. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, and there are additional reporting duties for overseas assets. Read Taxes for Expats Living in Spain before you become tax resident, and consider the planned Expat Tax Advisers in Spain guide or our Tax Advisors directory for Spain.
Downside 4: the heat
Spanish summers are getting hotter, fast. Summer 2026 was the warmest since official records began in 1961, at a peninsular average of 24.5°C, 2.4°C above the 1991–2020 norm and 0.3°C warmer than the previous record, set in 2025.
| Summer | Peninsular average | Anomaly vs 1991–2020 | Heatwaves | Highest readings reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 24.5°C | +2.4°C | 3 heatwaves on the peninsula and Balearic Islands, a record 61 days in total (plus a fourth in early September) | Murcia 44.2°C; Granada and Alcantarilla 43.9°C; Valencia Airport 43.7°C |
According to AEMET, Spain’s state meteorological agency, the ten warmest summers in its series have all occurred in the 21st century. In 2026, July equalled the record for the warmest July, and the northeast of the peninsula ran 3.5°C to 4.5°C above normal. Two heatwaves in 2026 lasted more than three weeks each.
For daily life, this means:
- Air conditioning is close to essential in much of inland and southern Spain, which adds to electricity bills in summer. See our Cost of Living in Spain guide for utility costs.
- Older flats are often poorly insulated. Ask about orientation, shutters and cooling when you view a property.
- Health matters. If you are older, or have heart, lung or kidney conditions, think carefully about inland cities such as Seville, Córdoba, Madrid or Murcia, and check your health cover. Our Health Insurance for Expats in Spain guide explains what visa-grade cover looks like.
- Location makes a large difference. The Atlantic north (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country) has milder summers and much more rain. Our Best Places to Live in Spain guide compares regions.
Language, integration and daily life
You can arrive in Spain without Spanish, but you will struggle to settle, work or deal with officials without learning it. Spain ranks 36th of 123 countries for adult English proficiency in the 2025 EF index, in the “moderate” band.
In tourist areas and big-city international circles you will get by in English. Outside them, in town halls, police stations, health centres and with most landlords, Spanish is the working language. In Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country and Galicia, a regional co-official language is also used in schools and local administration.
Daily rhythms also take adjustment: lunch is often eaten between two and four in the afternoon, dinner late, and many smaller shops close in the afternoon and in August. Most expats come to enjoy this, but it is a genuine change if you are used to northern European routines.
A practical tip: Book language classes before you arrive and keep them going for your first year. It is the single change most likely to improve your job prospects, your dealings with officials and your social life. Our Lifestyle & Community directory for Spain lists language schools, clubs and expat groups.
Healthcare, schools and safety nets
Spain’s public health system and its schools are strengths, but access is not automatic for newcomers: non-working arrivals usually need private health insurance, and many expat families pay for international schooling.
| Area | The reality for newcomers | Read next |
|---|---|---|
| Public healthcare | Free at the point of use once you qualify through work, an S1 pension form or another route; most non-working newcomers start with private cover | Healthcare in Spain for Expats |
| Private health insurance | Required for most non-EU visa applications; insurers and consulates set conditions that rule out basic travel policies | Health Insurance for Expats in Spain |
| State schools | Free; teaching in Spanish and, in some regions, a co-official language | International Schools in Spain |
| International schools | Fee-paying; concentrated around Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and the Costa del Sol | International Schools in Spain |
| Banking and money | A Spanish account makes paying rent and bills much easier | How to Open a Bank Account in Spain |
You can compare providers in our Healthcare, Insurance, Education and Banking directories for Spain.
Where you live in Spain changes the answer
“Is Spain a good place to live?” has a different answer in Bilbao than in Seville or Palma. Pay, unemployment, rents and summer heat all vary sharply by region.
| Factor | Better end | Harder end |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment (Q2 2026) | Balearic Islands, 6.11% | Andalusia, 14.56% |
| Average gross salary (2024) | Basque Country, €35,170 | Extremadura, €24,979 |
| Asking rent (August 2026) | Jaén and Cáceres, €8.3 per m² | Madrid, €23.3 per m² |
| Summer heat | Atlantic north (milder, wetter) | Inland south and southeast (Murcia 44.2°C in July 2026) |
The trade-offs rarely line up neatly. The Balearic Islands have the lowest unemployment but some of the most expensive rents (Palma €19.3 per m²). Andalusia has lower rents in many towns but the highest unemployment and the hottest summers. The Basque Country pays best and stays cooler but is less familiar to English speakers.
For a fuller comparison of cities and regions, see Best Places to Live in Spain and the Cost of Living in Spain guide.
Is Spain right for you? A profile-by-profile check
Spain works best for retirees, remote workers and people moving with a job offer; it is most difficult for people who need to find local work without strong Spanish.
| Your situation | Verdict | Main hurdle | Start here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retiree with a pension or savings | Usually a good fit | Meeting the non-lucrative visa income test (commonly cited as €28,800 a year for one person in 2026) and private health cover | How to Get Residency in Spain |
| Remote employee or freelancer | Often a good fit | Digital nomad visa income test, pegged to twice the minimum wage | Spain Digital Nomad Visa |
| Professional with a Spanish job offer | Good fit | Employer-sponsored permit timings and Spanish tax residence | Taxes for Expats Living in Spain |
| Job-seeker without fluent Spanish | Difficult | High unemployment and low local pay | Jobs for English Speakers in Spain |
| Family with school-age children | Depends on budget | School choice and housing near good schools | International Schools in Spain |
| UK citizen moving after Brexit | Possible, with planning | Now treated as a non-EU national for visas and the 90/180-day rule | Moving to Spain from the UK |
| Investor hoping to buy residence | No longer possible | Golden Visa closed on 3 April 2025 | How to Get Residency in Spain |
On the visa income figures: The non-lucrative threshold is 400% of IPREM, an income index that has stayed at €600 a month because the state budget has not been updated. At €600 a month, 400% gives €28,800 a year for one person. The digital nomad threshold is 200% of the minimum wage. The Large Companies Unit (UGE) states it as 200% of the monthly minimum wage of €1,221, which read literally gives €2,442, while most advisers spread the 14 payments over 12 months, which gives about €2,849. Plan to the higher figure and confirm the amount your consulate applies before you apply.
Once you have decided, the practical next steps are planning the move and its costs. See How Much Does It Cost to Move to Spain?, Best International Moving Companies for Spain, and, if you will drive, How to Exchange a UK Driving Licence in Spain.
Frequently asked questions
