🇪🇸 Spain vs 🇺🇸 United States
Side by side on the data that actually changes your life: prices, taxes, climate, air, safety. Every number has a source and a date.
Climate (capital)
Open-Meteo historical weather
Jan 7° · Jul 28° · Madrid
Jan -2° · Jul 27° · Washington, D.C.
Air quality (capital)
WAQI, capital station
AQI 93 · Moderate
AQI 36 · Good
Prices vs EU average
Eurostat price level index, EU27 = 100
−8% (2025)
—
Big Mac price
The Economist Big Mac index
$7.05
$6.12
Taxes on salary
OECD tax wedge, single average worker
~41% of labour cost (2025)
~30% of labour cost (2025)
Special tax regimes
Official tax authorities, verified 2026-06
Beckham regime
No inbound regime (worldwide taxation)
Avg advertised salary
Adzuna job listings, local currency
€46,256 / yr (2026-06)
$81,656 / yr (2026-06)
Inflation
World Bank
2.7% / yr (2025)
3.0% / yr (2024)
Internet (median fixed)
Ookla Speedtest Global Index
~200 Mbps
~250 Mbps
English proficiency
EF English Proficiency Index
moderate
native
Messenger apps
OONI network measurements, 6-month window
All measured apps work
All measured apps work
Safety advisory
U.S. State Department travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Level 1 · Exercise Normal Precautions
Foreign-born residents
World Bank migrant stock
18.5% of population (2024)
15.2% of population (2024)
Life expectancy
WHO
83 yrs
76 yrs
Currency
ISO 4217
EUR
USD
Timezone (capital)
Open-Meteo
UTC+2
UTC-4
Climate, inflation and life expectancy verified 2026-07-07. Prices, taxes and air quality verified 2026-07-07. Sources shown per row.
Special tax regimes, verified
Regimes change often and many sites still advertise closed ones. We link the official source for each.
🇪🇸 Spain
24% flat tax on Spanish employment income up to ~€600k · 6 years
Verified 2026-06 · Agencia Tributaria
🇺🇸 United States
Residents are taxed on worldwide income
Verified 2026-06 · IRS
Numbers are half the story
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