🇪🇸 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.
Sunny days (capital)
Open-Meteo, days with over 4.5h of sunshine
317 days / yr
295 days / yr
Air quality (capital)
WAQI, capital station
AQI 93 · Moderate
AQI 45 · Good
Prices vs EU average
Eurostat price level index, EU27 = 100
−8% (2025)
—
Big Mac price
The Economist Big Mac index (euro-area countries share one euro-area price)
$7.05
$6.12
Living costs · single, excl. rent (capital)
Reloka cost research, excludes rent
$800–$1,150 / mo
—
Living costs · family of four, excl. rent (capital)
Reloka cost research, excludes rent
$2,750–$3,650 / mo
—
Employment taxes (not your rate)
OECD tax wedge, single average worker
~41% of what a job costs goes to tax (2025)
~30% of what a job costs goes to tax (2025)
Special tax regimes
Official tax authorities, verified June 2026
Beckham regime
No inbound regime (worldwide taxation)
Avg advertised salary
Adzuna job listings, local currency
€46,256 / yr (June 2026)
$81,656 / yr (June 2026)
Inflation
World Bank
2.7% / yr (2025)
3.0% / yr (2024)
Unemployment
World Bank, ILO-modelled estimate
10.4% (2025)
4.2% (2025)
Internet (median fixed)
Ookla Speedtest Global Index
~200 Mbps
~250 Mbps
English proficiency
EF English Proficiency Index
moderate
native
Messenger apps
OONI network measurements, last 6 months
No known issues
No known issues
Safety advisory
U.S. State Department travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Level 1 · Exercise Normal Precautions
Population
World Bank total population
49.4M (2025)
341.8M (2025)
Population density
World Bank, people per km²
97 / km² (2023)
37 / km² (2023)
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
Legal
Legal
Short-term gains
28.0%
37%
Long-term gains
28.0%
20%
Long-term holding period
—
—
Staking income
47%
37%
Mining income
47%
37%
General rates, not personal tax advice.
Climate, inflation and life expectancy verified 12 July 2026. Prices, taxes and air quality verified 7 July 2026. Sources shown per row.
Bottom line: which should you choose?
Pick 🇪🇸 Spain if you want
more sunshine.
Pick 🇺🇸 United States if you want
lower day-to-day costs, lighter employment taxes and a stronger safety rating.
Based only on the sourced metrics above. Visa eligibility and paperwork depend on your passport — build a free plan for the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spain or United States cheaper?
United States is the cheaper of the two on our comparable cost measure (Big Mac $6.12 vs $7.05). Your real cost depends on the city and lifestyle — see the full table above, then generate a free plan for a budget matched to your exact move.
Should I choose Spain over United States?
On the data we track, Spain comes out ahead for more sunshine, while United States wins on lower day-to-day costs, lighter employment taxes and a stronger safety rating. Every figure has a source in the table above.
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 June 2026 · Agencia Tributaria
🇺🇸 United States
Residents are taxed on worldwide income
Verified June 2026 · IRS
Numbers are half the story
Your visa route, paperwork and deadlines depend on where you hold a passport. Get a free checklist personalized to your exact move.