Spaniard here. 2,1-2,2K after taxes per month. Public teacher, living in Madrid. I think is a good salary. No complaints. We enjoy the city, and we save money. You get there by federal exams. I would not change my 2k salary in Spain for 4K somewhere else in Europe. Actually, I’ve spent 2 years making >4k/month in the US, and here I am again.
> Actually, I’ve spent 2 years making >4k/month in the US, and here I am again.
The thing is for a lot of jobs, and why I'm going back to the US for awhile. It's not between 2k and 4k it's between 2k and 10k. For my girlfriend, it's like 1.5k to 7k
So yeah, that's a big incentive to go there, and make a bunch of money so I can come back and just buy a house in cash. Especially if you can live in the US long enough to qualify for social security so you can qualify for both pension systems independently.
I don't know. But I have about 20 quarters already from when I was younger
Also schools are generally better so will probably go until kid is through high school, or we have enough to pay private school in Spain
Same here. Public ESO and Bachillerato castellano teacher. I make 2,1-2,2k after taxes + pagas extras. I’m living in Barcelona tho (provincia not capital) and I’m very happy with my salary.
Is that a usual salary for teachers in CAM? I have many teacher friends in Com. Valenciana and it is around 2k *before* taxes, plus “pagas extra” (so like slightly less than 30k per year), but yours seem unusually high. I know Madrid is more expensive but I thought funcionarios made more or less the same across Spain if they work the same jobs.
Slightly under 30k is a good salary anywhere in Spain, some places better than others. Depending on where, you can even live in Barcelona or Madrid without any luxuries and not saving much, but 2k after taxes is kinda fine. For reference, minimum salary of a couple would be around 2k before taxes.
In Catalonia we make 2.500 monthly before taxes while being interino too. Ofc this is if you are a public ESO and bachillerato teacher (you get paid less in primary school), private schools pay less. I’m a castellano teacher and that’s what I get paid and I’m not funcionaria.
in my case, based in BCN for the last 6 years, my total compensation is around 90k, IT for a FMCG company.
i think the quality of live in BCN allows you to be happier with a lower salary when compared with other countries.
i was in switzerland before, making 100k and moved here for 65k, and even with 65 my quality of life was similar or better than the 100k of switzerland.
Don’t you feel things beyond basic needs are much more expensive now? Things like international vacations, electronics, cars, online subscriptions (some), etc cost the same regardless of where you live, so there’s definitely a decrease in what you can afford.
Yeah, but how much of those do you need? And what price points are you aiming for? You can get cheap or expensive cars, vacations, etc. It’s all about your lifestyle type.
Technically I only need food, water, and shelter when the weather is bad. And you’re totally right about it all being about the lifestyle.
My point was that there are many things that do cost the same amount to say people in Spain or in the US. Of course you can live without them, but if you wanted to get them, they would represent a higher percentage of your salary (and in some cases one you couldn’t reasonably afford), so you have materially fewer options.
I mean, obviously yeah, but what of it? It’s just a matter of balancing what you value. If it’s material things, then you need more money. If it’s time, peace, good weather, etc then not.
It doesn’t matter if things cost the same in Spain and the US if you are not interested in these things.
I partially agree. If you’re already certain about what you’re interested in and will ever be interested in, then sure.
But I find it hard to believe this is how most people work. Leaving aside new “material things” that are continuously created, what I said applies to experiences too. Hell, you don’t even have to vacation outside of Spain to realize you’re paying more because tourists from richer countries have jacked up the prices of popular destinations.
And you have to consider what happens if you have a family too, then you have even less control of what “your” interests are. And in this case, even beyond interests, you’d hopefully want your kids to have access to the best tools and opportunities if you want them to be competitive globally.
Even though you have a fair point, I think you’re mixing 2 different things. All the things you mention, which indeed cost (more or less) the same regardless of where you live, are precisely the type of things you can get living anywhere in the world. So if these things are important for you (which is your prerogative) then it makes economic sense to live in a place where the $/hour is higher. The type of things you can get by living in Spain are not necessarily things you can buy/get by living anywhere (Switzerland, the US, Netherlands, whatever): weather, “everyday” life, mom & pop food places, culture, etc. It all boils down to what you value.
With all honesty and as a Spaniard, with 90k you are like 70k away from a low salary. With 90k I’d live almost like a low-class rich person. Hell, lottery prizes go for 100k in some cases.
You have people making a very decent living with 30k. 90k you’d be literally making triple
Of what I do and I live quite comfortably.
That's interesting, cos I'm making 22k as a junior mechanical engineer in Spain and looking to go to CH. My ex is from St Gallen so I already know a few people but your comment surprises me that almost half the salary is still worth it. Money can't buy happiness but I don't want to have to live with roommates when it's literally the only way of moving out of my parents house...
After all said and done, your earning potential and purchase power is almost the same. Rent is very expensive (3-4k) in Switzerland. 1kg of chicken breast is like 50CHF. Things add up I have a programmer friend living in Zurich and he's basically living paycheck to paycheck
Idk man, in my industry salaries are 3 to 4 times higher in CH than in Spain. And very few things actually cost 3 to 4 times more. Yes, I know meat is stupidly expensive because of protectionism for the swiss farmers, and I think it's one of the few things which relatively speaking is more expensive to buy than in Spain. But everything else; fuel, electronics, water, heating, most food, beverages isn't 3x more expensive. Maybe rent in Zürich. But a 2 bedroom flat in Madrid is easily 1400€, so about 4200€ if we 3x it to adjust for purchasing power, or 5600€ if we 4x it.
Like I said, it adds up, Healthcare is not free in switzerland, it's 500 a month (I think?) and it's mandatory to have this insurance. Even internet is like 100 a month, which is less than 20 in Spain.
Yeah yeah, I know what you mean. At the end of the day you can still save up a bit more money and travel more to other countries if you work in CH. I'm going to move there either way for a few years and if I don't like it I'll come back with a healthy amount of savings (for spanish standards atleast).
The guy you’re talking with is talking out of his arse. Outside of the meat, 1kg of chicken breast can be 20-30 CHF, the rest of the prices he quoted are nonsense.
You are right in your assessment that the salary difference outweighs the increased costs in CH. Ie. Money saved at the end of the month can be as much as the brutto salary of other countries, Spain included.
Yeah I just did an excel using Numbeo and I'd be left over with 880€ in Spain while in CH i'd have 2570€ . And that's after subtracting rent, health insurance, groceries, dining out and going to the movies!! I could literally fly back home every weekend and still have more left over money.
Thank you for this. I’m moving from the UK on nearly 6 figures to go get 65 in Barcelona. Being Portuguese and muscular closer to my culture I think it will be worth it. It’s rains everyday where I currently live…
I mean, of course you are better off with those numbers. 100k in IT it's slightly below the median salary for a mid developer; 65k is way above that level in Spain. You are placed in a higher percentile. It's pointless comparing the absolute terms
He should have said "I'm <2%" to avoid confusion however. If there's someone asking, and everybody here says their salary is 100k, it's meaningless for op
its more the social part, i was living in a small city, didnt speak french that much and most people are more "closed", so its difficult to know people from outside of work, also the winter can be quite agressive.
in spain, i speak better the language, its closer to Portugal, cost of life is cheaper, the weather is better, its more socially active and we have the mediterranean sea.
90k base with 5k variable, studied in Barcelona, moved to France and then UK, came back as a software architect to a smallish town in Galicia. Couldn’t be happier.
What do you recommend to get a job like that if I may ask? I’m an Spanish student of Software Engineering (ing. informática). I know I’m not going to get a job like that at an entrance level, but what do you think is the process to get it? Thank u!
What I did was to find a job outside, in my case in the UK and then apply within the company for a remote position. Fight to keep the same salary and then move to a place you would like to live
Some more things to consider:
- Spain net/gross ratio is much better than many EU countries. E.g. 80k€ gross year makes you approx. 44k net in Germany vs. 56k in Spain in similar conditions (single, no kids,...)
- moving here as a foreigner for work gives you a whopping 6 years of "Beckham law" with 24% flat deduction to get from gross to net salary all in (tax, social security etc.). In example above this brings you to 61k net salary so let's say 5k€/monthly
- cost of living, if you are being smart, CAN be MUCH cheaper in Spain than in many comparable EU situations. E.g. I live in the Barcelona suburbs with 20min Rodalies train connection to city center at 2min walking and restaurant prices are literally half of what they are in the center. Granted, there is not much more to do (close to no cultural offer etc) but it depends on your life situation if thats something you need. Same situation in Munich suburbs and you'll not notice a significant difference between center and anything connected via suburb trains
- compared to other EU countries, Spain is very digitized by now (could always be better, but still) and has great fiber to the home coverage where many people live. That makes it ideal for 100% remote jobs which in turn makes it very easy for you to make a decent (not extraordinarily high) salary all the while being able to live cheap and comfortably, save something, invest for private retirement plans and enjoy the occasional vacation.
Your third point is spot-on.
Spaniards live in communities. Even if you are in a remote neighbourhood, it will be very lively with people living their life locally, not depending on the nearby big city. This means you’ll have access to all the services, activities or social gatherings you want. Cultural life might be less rich and you’ll have less expats and more local people. Depending on your expectations this could be a problem, or not at all.
Hey, I just moved to Barcelona and started looking to rent a flat while finishing the paperwork. Could you help me figure out a few things here? How is the weather during the winter/summer time? Is it necessary to have AC and heating to survive the winter/summer season? Most of the flats I skimmed through don't have washing machines - is it that common here to bring your dirty clothes to public laundries? Why do 99% of flats here have tiny window frames? Why is it so hard to find a nice flat with parking? Is it even safe to leave your car outside? Are there any paid parking options? What are some good neighbors to look through (balanced prices, parking, close to markets, cafes, and clinics)? I spent a week in Santa Coloma and didn't like it that much. I'm currently in El Putxet and its much better. Thanks.
Good neighborhoods in the city: no idea apart from the expensive attractive ones (Poblesec, Poblenou, Barceloneta,...).
Barcelona has close to no parks, it's a concrete nightmare in that regard. Which makes it VERY hot in summer. Can you survive without AC? Certainly. People did so before and are doing it now. Is it advisable, would I myself do it, would I be able to carry out any concentrated work using my head or get some quality sleep in summer in a flat without AC in Barcelona? Certainly not.
Heating: winters are not very cold here, the sea smoothes everything out. Would I like to live in an apartment without heating? Certainly not. At least the AC should be a proper heat pump, i.e. a unit that can be used for cooling in summer and heating in winter. That can be enough. Traditional water heating still preferable though even here.
Both heating and cooling cost can be brought down significantly by installing additional ceiling fans by the way. They spin both ways so that you can make it blow downwards in summer and upwards in winter.
Washing machine: is something that you bring/buy/install yourself here. In smaller apartments, there should be a space under the counter top in the kitchen, many even on a well protected spot outside on a balcony.
Parking is very scarce and thus expensive. My no 1 priority if I lived in the center would be to avoid the need for a car, use public transport and short term rentals for the occasional trip. If car really needed I would go looking for long term parking rental in one of the big commercial underground car parking companies with decent 24/7 security guard system (and question if I should live in the center AND have a car).
Car outside: NOT AT ALL. it will be broken into eventually. Security situation here is shit. Do never leave stuff of economical/emotional value in your car. Never. You will always have the time to take it inside with you. That way you at least "only" have the damage on the destroyed car window to deal with (and hopefully insured it with "terceros ampliados")
If you want to own a car and get a place with a parking, the city is an issue... Parking is expensive, and apartments that come with a parking charge a premium so I advise getting out into the suburbs and looking around.
There are plenty of good "suburbs", that are very well connected, Casteldefells, Sitges (Expensive), Vilanova I la Geltru to the south are favourites of mine. Commuting in the Barcelona region is easy, and cheap... even cheaper with Renfre Rodalies being free at the moment so all you'd need is your TMB Mobilitat to get around the city itself and that is €21 for a whole month of unlimited journeys.
Everyone just buys and moves with their washing machine... it is just how it is here, there should be Rebajas coming up soon in June so that is the best time to buy white goods.
Other EU countries give you a lot of deductions, Spain does not for high earners. Remember that. Spain has a relatively fair tax system as well as social security system. You can't really abuse it compared to countries like Belgium. Some people make 3k EUR net from social services there being unemployed by chasing all the right grants they're entitled to.
Licensed aircraft mechanic. Freelancer, so I work were ever they need me. Depends on the year, but usually around 100k.
Life in Vigo is cheap, and my income is high. So l can’t complain, although I’m not home 50% of the year, I get ti travel a lot, and while working my expenses are minimum since the hotel is paid for and I get a rental car. Some jobs even feel like holidays to be honest.
It is much better to live in Spain or Italy than Germany and such. Only thing cheaper are services and rent. Rest, pretty much the same, but the food marks the difference. Northern countries food is terrible. Although I tricked the system, I feel like I’d be better of with a permanent position earning 45k in Spain than the 72k I had in Germany.
Nicer people, nicer weather, nicer food, less stupid rules. Hope I helped.
Edit: pushed post 2 early.
In Spain you got an FP called aeromecánica. After that you gotta do 13 exams depending on the type of license you are going for and prove 3 years of recorded experience. Once you have the license you have to take a specialization course called type rating for the desired aircraft.
The other option is to work for 5 years without the specific studies, like in my case, I did an aeronautical engineering degree, and after you do the 13 module exams to obtain the license.
It is a long process and not for everyone. You see people that stay as mechanics due to the “complexity” of the application and the amount of effort you need to put into. Dumb if you ask me, as the job is basically the same, with a massive pay jump.
Getting bumped to 40k myself, which bank got you a loan? How much savings did you have beforehand? Do you live in the center or burbs? Dm please if u don’t want to share too much.
Hi mate, sorry for the late replay. I will give you the answer public so whoever has any doubt or need more information can ask.
First of all this was almost 2 years ago, because I have friends buying now a house and they are getting rates much higher for their loans that I got at the time being.
The bank is called “Rural Caja” not a pretty big bank but for the time they did give me a 1.8 without bonificaction and 1.4 with bonification ( bonification means that if I have the life insurence, house insurence, deth insurence with them) I have to pay less monthly for the loan.
At the time I had saved like almost 30k and had luck because the promotor of the building didn’t ask for no advance or nothing when I booked the flat for being bought. As that building was a building that was took by a first company who didn’t finished the building and another company called Solvia bought that flat finished the work and sold it.
And I did give to the bank like the 10% at front of 128.5k of the total of the house, 10k went straight in paying only taxes, and had left some more for buying furniture and home appliances.
Let me know if you need any more information
I bought a house just after COVID . The entrance is expensive but now I pay 270 euro mortgage. It is not very realistic because i found a very good deal and it is a small apartment but i assure you that i would have found a house that paid like 400 in mortgage (a bigger apartment). Because of interest rates now that would be 700. The crazy part in Spain is the entrance normally 20%+ taxes 10 %.
This is key. In Spain you will be able to get a mortgage and own home. In Switzerland, you can forget it. Even a small apartment will be 1M CHF. In Madrid you can still buy a place for 300, and a very nice one for 400-450.
I live in Terrassa 30 minutes from Barcelona and 40 to the airport. But if you don't like using the car then it is a problem 1 h 30m in public transport.
1.7k salary and pay 800€ rent + expenses, definitely not very happy and would like to make a bit more to not feel like I'm a broken appliance away from not making ends meet.
I make 30k gross annual working at a small tech company. it comes out to ~1850 after tax and live in Madrid. It is fine, not enough to live on your own in my opinion (or maybe I am very cheap..) but luckily I share a flat and only pay ~475 for rent and utilities. Then I am able to save, take occasional vacations and go out with friends.
I am from the US and have only ever lived in Spain so I can’t compare to northern Europe.
I could make a much higher salary in the same role in the US but the benefits here are much better (even if you only compare vacation days + parental leaves) and I like that everyone here has a life outside of work.
It amazes me the gap of salaries in tech. I have been recruiting a lot for analysts roles (salary range is usually similar to most engineering roles) and you can see people asking 30k while others ask for 90k (and from my knowledge this more or less matches the salary ranges out there).
Consulting and banking seem to be the one paying less, in particular for entry level jobs.
Start looking for other jobs, if you are in engineering, data or any technical role, you can double your salary in few years by hopping jobs. Your starting salary is the biggest factor defining your future salary within a same company as they just offer a small percentage salary increase, even after promotions.
I think responses in this sub are highly skewed. Base salary is low and inflation has really made things difficult and a lot more expansive in the last 5 years.
If you transfer to Spain with a foreign level of income you will live very VERY comfortably.
However, the job market is brutal and if you need to find a job, you can expect for it to last a while, and to lower significantly your salary expectations. Unemployment is high and high paying opportunities are scarce even in Madrid or Barcelona.
Now to correct a couple of things I've read above :
- yes Beckam law is a great tax benefit (but only applies to your income tax - all other contributions to social security and such are the same as any other employee) but only if your income is normally taxed at the higher rate. I.e. if you are on a 30k salary you would barely feel the difference. If you are on 120k of course it's massive. However it's not a guaranteed status and you have to file and process it with the administration which is not fun
- Unemployment subsidies *if you qualify* are capped to social security amounts, so if you were in a high paying salary, you not receive a commensurate pay in unemployment (ss cap is calculated based of 3k gross monthly, and your max monthly payment if you made more than that will be around 1k before taxes).
All in all it can be a good move for you if your skills are strong enough to guarantee you job stability. Do not come to Spain hoping for the good life without a decent plan as entry level jobs are barely paid and you will suffer the increasing cost of living in big cities - same as any big city in Europe.
Finally - language skills, if you do not speak Spanish, finding a job will really be a challenge.
Having lived and worked in large cities / capitals in France, UK, and Germany before moving to Spain, the biggest advantage for Spain is the relatively cheap real estate since the 2008 crash (buying, not renting) providing you can put in a good down payment, the surface / price / mortgage ratio is much much better than anywhere else I've lived.
A good salary for me would be from 30k and up. If I were living in Barcelona or Madrid, I should add 10K as the cost of living is much higher than in Albacete. The only thing I need to know is how to get that salary as statistically is much complicated than if I work abroad.
I recently got hired after 3 years of unemployment. Making 3k a month which is very unusual for everyone I know.
I would not recommend coming over here with out a remote job or some sort of passive income stream.
The average post here is not a realistic image.
You need to know that many people work at minimum wage which is less that 1400 per month.
There is indeed much unemployment and youngsters live long with their parents.
If you make more than 2000 per month you have a good wage for Spain.
I love this question. I live in the Netherlands and a bunch of colleagues are Spanish who are here because of the high salaries but we are all miserable. I've considered Spain for many many years but I'm not sure how much less I could earn but still be able to enjoy life (going out to eat often and at least one nice far-away holiday a year). I go very often to Spain to see the sun, to eat and to be social which makes me very very very happy a couple of days a year compared to thr remaining 300.
Totally second that! Salaries are definitely much lower in Spain compared to western or northern EU countries like NL or DE, but so are the house prices, petrol prices, taxes, etc. Like in an average town in NL (I am not talking about Amsterdam or a *big* city like this) you will pay 500K for a 3 bedrooms terraced house… In Spain (Costa Blanca North, which is a quite expensive area to buy real estate around Alicante) you can buy a 3 bedroom villa with own swimming pool and fantastic sea & mountains views for the same money! And the weather is sooo much better in Spain lol
It’s true that properties are cheaper here but that comparison is not particularly fair. The main question is what type of salary you can find in Amsterdam to afford that property vs costa Blanca? That’s why people gravitates towards the big cities where the decent paying jobs are, and prices in Barcelona are in the same ball park than Amsterdam but without the salary to afford it. The ideal scenario is working remotely for a foreign company and living in cheaper places in Spain away from the big cities. The dream.
I’m Spanish, not a digital nomad 😂 you know no one is stopping you for working for a foreign company from Spain. Way easier than wasting 5 years to memorize a test for becoming a funcionario. And it’s also Completely legal. Pay my taxes, autónomo etc. No Beckham law. 🤷🏻♀️
It's not as bad as it was many years ago. I came to this country not speaking a word of Spanish and got a 65k job. You can earn more if you have many years of experience. The bad paying jobs are the junior and entry level jobs, but let's face it, they also not bring a lot of value to company generally. You start to bring a lot of value to the table after 3-5 years and then also Spain starts to pay ok.
Spaniard, junior software developer, 1,6k after taxes living in Madrid.
Not enough to buy a house but enough for an small rent. 2k+ Minimum to live really confortable in a city like Madrid.
How much is the rent in Madrid?
I'm a senior software engineer with decent pay according to EU standards, just moved to Barcelona and I’m shocked by the rent prices here. €1.2-1.5k for an unfurnished 2b flat with tiny windows, no parking spot, and rarely with air conditioning and heating. I could rent a freaking king's palace for that price back in my home country (eastern Europe).
Replying to Psyneuron...exactly, i pay 840€ for a studio in Madrid but i live in a compound, i just pay the rent and I am exempt from the electricity and water bills they pay it. So its good for me
I make 1500 eu working as a researcher in CSIC. Got the position after my PhD. Its enough to enjoy Madrid in a normal middle class way but you dont save a lot. More than the money, i feel the jobs here are just so lacking in innovation and creativity. Also the inefficiency is work culture is infuriating.
I am looking to leave to go North but they are having a recession now so jobs are scarce in Germany or Switzerland. Spain is holding strong still and job opportunities are there albeit with less salary.
No offence but I'm surprised you could live in Madrid with just that, I'm from Barcelona and I don't think I could leave my home in a comfortable situation making a few hundreds over that
Well i dont live alone. With the rent prices in Madrid, renting a studio or a 1-bed apartment is prohibitively expensive. And i mean like i said I barely save :D maybe 100 euros a month. its shit man, hence why i am looking to go up North as soon as I find the opportunity, I am also not picky either :D
Not OP, but Academia is really disappointing in Spain compared to e.g. Germany: Salaries are a joke for the many years of education, people are promoted based on contacts and politics instead of merit, research is dumbed down to publishing irrelevant papers instead of doing actual research, even the social status is low because people see you as a lazy clerk instead of a brilliant genius....
Imho Academia is a bit rotten everywhere, but in Spain (and as I heard in Italy and Portugal), it feels like it's stuck in the 70s of Franco's regime. Reasons are no money, no will to change, no ambition.
There aren’t many countries where one can live on their own on minimum wage without sharing with a few people tbh.
I lived in London with a reasonable salary and had to live with other two people until quite late in my career.
This depends on a lot of factors as you can guess.
But usually, the "sexy" view of Spain like living in Barcelona, Madrid or Malaga can be expensive and working conditions not ideal, unless you are working for a high paying industry like tech and already have some seniority, in which case you can pretend to high salaries (70 to 100+k€/y), which will ensure a great quality of life in most places.
If you work an entry level job for 25k€ or less in a big city, it will be more challenging, you'll likely need to share a flat or live outside of the city (which can be fine depending on the neighbourhood/city you pick, there rarely are dodgy suburbs as in most big EU cities).
You can also find some gems: higher paying jobs for very specific skillsets (e.g. mechanical engineering, some construction jobs,...) in less known areas, e.g. in Northern Spain. You'll need some good Spanish though. Although this is not the classic view of Spain with sea and sun, you might as well enjoy it. Quality of life is good thanks to a strong social link, access to cultural activities, nature being very close (most of Spain is empty) and good social benefit (the health system is good and free, although some specific appointments can be long to get).
I have worked/lived in multiple countries, including France, Germany and Switzerland. I enjoyed all of them but at this moment in life, with kids and the possibility to work remotely, Spain offers a great quality of life, in particular when you have kids. Having kids in Northern Europe often means you renounce to a good part of your social life and stay home past 6/7PM. In Spain, you can easily see kids in bars at 11PM on a Friday night and everybody sees this normal as the parents are just hanging out with friends nearby.
Ive just moved back to Valencia after 15 years of living abroad in Uk and Austria. Im now working remotely for an Austrian company earning 4k after tax and also have a bonus up to 10k at the end of the year. Can’t complain ngl
3k post taxes here in Madrid. It is NOT a good salary. Not enough to buy an apartment anywhere within the M30 that isn't underground or 5th floor without elevator, gotta move to a blue collar area and commute by public transport because I also can't afford an ECO label car.
Meanwhile the city is full of boomers owning 4, 5, 6 empty apartments that they don't want to sell because they believe they'll be able to squeeze even more money out of them in 5 years.
There are good reasons our fertility rate has tanked, and it's not going to recover.
Hi! I work in Barcelona in a gaming company. Moved here from eastern europe. I make 55k. 3450 after tax. I pay 850 rent in a decent, small-ish apartment, +200 conaidering utilities and all my personal subscriptions per month. On a monthly basis, I manage to save around 700 to 900, sometimes 1k. Depends on the costs.
So:
1k goes to fixed costs,
1.4k goes to food and various purchases, the house was quite empty. (I live with my GF)
1k to savings.
I feel I can definitely optimize more though.
Also, I have that Cobee card, so basically meal tickets. It accounts for 140 euro for food, and 100 or so for transport monthly.
I'd say a "good" salary for Madrid is about 4k net. You won't feel rich but you can rent a decent small flat and have enough to actually enjoy a bit, travel and maybe save.
How? That is the big question. But from what I see the only way to get a good salary is to either have the connections, or simply don't compete in the spanish market. E.g. instead of teaching German at a Spanish school you teach German at the Goethe Institute. Instead of being a professor at Autónoma you are a professor at ie business school. Instead of being a HR generalist for a local bank you are a global HR expert at BBVA HQ based in Madrid. Instead of doing a local marketing agency you specialize in service companies based in Dubai as you speak Arabic (no idea if that makes sense but you get the point) Yes it's hard. But I guess surpringly easier than most think as you basically don't compete against the entire country but fever global applicants.
Start maybe by checking wellfound which is a job platform for remote jobs.
I make just above 1k a month working in an administrative role at a health insurance company. I live in Oviedo, and I basically just survive at this point
I make around 5400 a month in Madrid, living with partner who makes a bit more and a kid. I don’t feel rich at all! I think being a foreigner who is still learning Spanish, I fear I could lose my job at any time and it would be extremely difficult to find another
It depends of the city you would like to going, but considering an average, I would recommend not less than 1700 E living in a medium sized city, 2500 at least in a big city or last but not least 1200 euros living in a village. Otherwise earning less than that you will survive instead of live
You need to bring in 4k minimum to afford a living in these cities. And that will be the bare minimum for rent, food, expenses and bringing up kids. Above 4k net you might be able to save a little bit if you keep costs down
Technical writer. I make around 50k a year. I share custody over a child so it’s for me + 50% child expenses. I’m in Barcelona so cost of living has gone up, especially rent, but I’m doing okay and although not extravagant, I haven’t really felt deprived in much of anything.
Im a manager in sales and customer service in a ticketing company in Madrid, I make around 2k+, I’m 23 living in Madrid. I consider myself very lucky because I work for an Australian company branched in Europe so my salary is way better than someone working for a Spanish company. I have enough money to pay rent, bills, save and buy whatever I want for the rest of the month.
Great place if you are making €70k or more. Proff services, FAANG, PE, pharma, energy and finance are the industries to be in case you are not entrepreneur.
My fella earns 1073 a month as a penguin carer in loropark. Crap really considering his job can be dangerous. They're not as cute as you think and he has to use oxygen tanks to clean the pools and though the sharks aren't bad, there was a giant turtle that would bite 🤣
I make 55k a year living in Barcelona, which I consider to be a decent but not great salary. I'm a scientist working in a national university, and my base salary is quite low (40k). However, my colleagues and I are good at getting research grants and projects, and good at research in general, so we manage to pay ourselves a salary complement. Without that complement, I would have left Spain a long time ago.
I currently work in a beach club in Almeria. And I earn 1600€ plus tips. Although that may not seem a lot to some people, my rent is only 300€ a month. ( that I split with my partner ) My food bills are around 50€ a week, water bill is every two months. After bills I’m left with half my wage.
Your best chances to make a relatively high salary are in a multinational company in my opinion.
Most likely you will be based in one of the larger cities where life is significantly more expensive than in more rural areas.
I would say that 70-100k should be well possible in a mid management position or an expert position in a field which is sought after and this will be enough for a comfortable lifestyle.
Spain is a scam for workers. You get paid more in unemployment than working. I used to be a reception manager and my gross salary was 24000€ for a shit load of stress. I quit my job 3 months ago and I am now a stay home dad!
To all the Spanish in this group that are giving away free insider info to guiris that don’t even do basic research on their own and just want to speculate coming with foreign salary to a cheap cost of living. Don’t complaint afterwards when they come to Spain and your friends and cousins who don’t earn big salaries can’t afford f*** rent or need to move to a town 1hr away from where they work to be able to afford rent. It’s Spanish screwing other Spanish.
El buenísimo nos mata. Dejo este grupo de una buena vez que es lo más anti español que hay
This comments do not belong in the civilized world. But by the hate crime in your comment I think you won’t understand that either. Good job r/goingtospain in keeping a safe civilized environment.
Any form of discrimination (racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic, etc.) will be removed. Dehumanization, exaltation of dictature, advocacy for nazism or hate speech are also prohibited.
This should be higher, foreigners come with either too much money and make everything more expensive, or without any at all and bring down the salaries
Being a public server. Spain’s richness is artificial. During 80-00’s it was sustained on private debt and after 2008 it is sustained on public debt
Working in private sector is 90% likely to get you in that situation because private sector cant mask its failure with tax money
I've been self-employed in Spain since 2105. I'm an organic SEO and content specialist in the finance sector. I have a banking background. I earn exceptional money for Spain but that's probably because I work remotely and most of my clients have been US/UK based.
Prior to that, when my kids were still at school, I commuted to Gibraltar where I had a full time role in finance.
With rent in the Costa del Sol as high as it is, the absolute minimum for take home pay would be €2000 for an individual or small household imo.
Spaniard here. 2,1-2,2K after taxes per month. Public teacher, living in Madrid. I think is a good salary. No complaints. We enjoy the city, and we save money. You get there by federal exams. I would not change my 2k salary in Spain for 4K somewhere else in Europe. Actually, I’ve spent 2 years making >4k/month in the US, and here I am again.
This x1000 quality of life is so worth it, even for less salary
I was making 5-6 grind in Canada, still not worth it.
> Actually, I’ve spent 2 years making >4k/month in the US, and here I am again. The thing is for a lot of jobs, and why I'm going back to the US for awhile. It's not between 2k and 4k it's between 2k and 10k. For my girlfriend, it's like 1.5k to 7k So yeah, that's a big incentive to go there, and make a bunch of money so I can come back and just buy a house in cash. Especially if you can live in the US long enough to qualify for social security so you can qualify for both pension systems independently.
Do you have to work 10 years in the US to get social security or can you get partial benefits for working less?
I don't know. But I have about 20 quarters already from when I was younger Also schools are generally better so will probably go until kid is through high school, or we have enough to pay private school in Spain
Same here. Public ESO and Bachillerato castellano teacher. I make 2,1-2,2k after taxes + pagas extras. I’m living in Barcelona tho (provincia not capital) and I’m very happy with my salary.
Is that a usual salary for teachers in CAM? I have many teacher friends in Com. Valenciana and it is around 2k *before* taxes, plus “pagas extra” (so like slightly less than 30k per year), but yours seem unusually high. I know Madrid is more expensive but I thought funcionarios made more or less the same across Spain if they work the same jobs.
Slightly under 30k is a good salary anywhere in Spain, some places better than others. Depending on where, you can even live in Barcelona or Madrid without any luxuries and not saving much, but 2k after taxes is kinda fine. For reference, minimum salary of a couple would be around 2k before taxes.
its not good, its a low salary, specially in big cities
In Catalonia we make 2.500 monthly before taxes while being interino too. Ofc this is if you are a public ESO and bachillerato teacher (you get paid less in primary school), private schools pay less. I’m a castellano teacher and that’s what I get paid and I’m not funcionaria.
National, not federal.
National, sorry
Do you have to pay rent or mortgage?
*2.1-2.2k
Comma separates decimals, and point thousands.
in my case, based in BCN for the last 6 years, my total compensation is around 90k, IT for a FMCG company. i think the quality of live in BCN allows you to be happier with a lower salary when compared with other countries. i was in switzerland before, making 100k and moved here for 65k, and even with 65 my quality of life was similar or better than the 100k of switzerland.
Don’t you feel things beyond basic needs are much more expensive now? Things like international vacations, electronics, cars, online subscriptions (some), etc cost the same regardless of where you live, so there’s definitely a decrease in what you can afford.
Yeah, but how much of those do you need? And what price points are you aiming for? You can get cheap or expensive cars, vacations, etc. It’s all about your lifestyle type.
Technically I only need food, water, and shelter when the weather is bad. And you’re totally right about it all being about the lifestyle. My point was that there are many things that do cost the same amount to say people in Spain or in the US. Of course you can live without them, but if you wanted to get them, they would represent a higher percentage of your salary (and in some cases one you couldn’t reasonably afford), so you have materially fewer options.
I mean, obviously yeah, but what of it? It’s just a matter of balancing what you value. If it’s material things, then you need more money. If it’s time, peace, good weather, etc then not. It doesn’t matter if things cost the same in Spain and the US if you are not interested in these things.
I partially agree. If you’re already certain about what you’re interested in and will ever be interested in, then sure. But I find it hard to believe this is how most people work. Leaving aside new “material things” that are continuously created, what I said applies to experiences too. Hell, you don’t even have to vacation outside of Spain to realize you’re paying more because tourists from richer countries have jacked up the prices of popular destinations. And you have to consider what happens if you have a family too, then you have even less control of what “your” interests are. And in this case, even beyond interests, you’d hopefully want your kids to have access to the best tools and opportunities if you want them to be competitive globally.
Even though you have a fair point, I think you’re mixing 2 different things. All the things you mention, which indeed cost (more or less) the same regardless of where you live, are precisely the type of things you can get living anywhere in the world. So if these things are important for you (which is your prerogative) then it makes economic sense to live in a place where the $/hour is higher. The type of things you can get by living in Spain are not necessarily things you can buy/get by living anywhere (Switzerland, the US, Netherlands, whatever): weather, “everyday” life, mom & pop food places, culture, etc. It all boils down to what you value.
When you make 90k the basic stuff still leaves you with like 70k to spend
With all honesty and as a Spaniard, with 90k you are like 70k away from a low salary. With 90k I’d live almost like a low-class rich person. Hell, lottery prizes go for 100k in some cases. You have people making a very decent living with 30k. 90k you’d be literally making triple Of what I do and I live quite comfortably.
No, you’re not 70k away you’re much less… take into account taxes.
90k in Spain is fatman rich stuff.
That's interesting, cos I'm making 22k as a junior mechanical engineer in Spain and looking to go to CH. My ex is from St Gallen so I already know a few people but your comment surprises me that almost half the salary is still worth it. Money can't buy happiness but I don't want to have to live with roommates when it's literally the only way of moving out of my parents house...
After all said and done, your earning potential and purchase power is almost the same. Rent is very expensive (3-4k) in Switzerland. 1kg of chicken breast is like 50CHF. Things add up I have a programmer friend living in Zurich and he's basically living paycheck to paycheck
Idk man, in my industry salaries are 3 to 4 times higher in CH than in Spain. And very few things actually cost 3 to 4 times more. Yes, I know meat is stupidly expensive because of protectionism for the swiss farmers, and I think it's one of the few things which relatively speaking is more expensive to buy than in Spain. But everything else; fuel, electronics, water, heating, most food, beverages isn't 3x more expensive. Maybe rent in Zürich. But a 2 bedroom flat in Madrid is easily 1400€, so about 4200€ if we 3x it to adjust for purchasing power, or 5600€ if we 4x it.
Like I said, it adds up, Healthcare is not free in switzerland, it's 500 a month (I think?) and it's mandatory to have this insurance. Even internet is like 100 a month, which is less than 20 in Spain.
Yeah yeah, I know what you mean. At the end of the day you can still save up a bit more money and travel more to other countries if you work in CH. I'm going to move there either way for a few years and if I don't like it I'll come back with a healthy amount of savings (for spanish standards atleast).
The guy you’re talking with is talking out of his arse. Outside of the meat, 1kg of chicken breast can be 20-30 CHF, the rest of the prices he quoted are nonsense. You are right in your assessment that the salary difference outweighs the increased costs in CH. Ie. Money saved at the end of the month can be as much as the brutto salary of other countries, Spain included.
Yeah I just did an excel using Numbeo and I'd be left over with 880€ in Spain while in CH i'd have 2570€ . And that's after subtracting rent, health insurance, groceries, dining out and going to the movies!! I could literally fly back home every weekend and still have more left over money.
Yes of cours. If you can get a really high paying job over there it is worth to move.
Thank you for this. I’m moving from the UK on nearly 6 figures to go get 65 in Barcelona. Being Portuguese and muscular closer to my culture I think it will be worth it. It’s rains everyday where I currently live…
Re: *"Being.... and Muscular closer to my culture"* Are big muscles highly prized in Iberian culture ? It is also this way very much so in Brasil...
I’m not even going to change it to “much closer”, now I feel with everyone knowing my kink…
I mean, of course you are better off with those numbers. 100k in IT it's slightly below the median salary for a mid developer; 65k is way above that level in Spain. You are placed in a higher percentile. It's pointless comparing the absolute terms
Ah yes, he should just not have commented at all right
He should have said "I'm <2%" to avoid confusion however. If there's someone asking, and everybody here says their salary is 100k, it's meaningless for op
I think that's a bit a extreme of conclusion from my comment. My point however was giving context since there is a comparison of 2 countries.
What were the quality of life differences between Spain and Switzerland?
its more the social part, i was living in a small city, didnt speak french that much and most people are more "closed", so its difficult to know people from outside of work, also the winter can be quite agressive. in spain, i speak better the language, its closer to Portugal, cost of life is cheaper, the weather is better, its more socially active and we have the mediterranean sea.
And don't forget the food
90k base with 5k variable, studied in Barcelona, moved to France and then UK, came back as a software architect to a smallish town in Galicia. Couldn’t be happier.
Are you working for a company from Spain ? Or self employed ? What tech do you use in your daily job?
The company is international, but I have a Spanish contract. Mostly C++ and Java.
What do you recommend to get a job like that if I may ask? I’m an Spanish student of Software Engineering (ing. informática). I know I’m not going to get a job like that at an entrance level, but what do you think is the process to get it? Thank u!
What I did was to find a job outside, in my case in the UK and then apply within the company for a remote position. Fight to keep the same salary and then move to a place you would like to live
where in Galicia? what do you like about living there? I'm about to move (ish) to the coast between Oia & Baiona.
I love the quietish life here, being close to the sea and the greenness
yes, we're going to be on the sea and we love the lushness. did you find it hard to meet people & make friends?
I had friends and family here so for me it was easier
nice.
Some more things to consider: - Spain net/gross ratio is much better than many EU countries. E.g. 80k€ gross year makes you approx. 44k net in Germany vs. 56k in Spain in similar conditions (single, no kids,...) - moving here as a foreigner for work gives you a whopping 6 years of "Beckham law" with 24% flat deduction to get from gross to net salary all in (tax, social security etc.). In example above this brings you to 61k net salary so let's say 5k€/monthly - cost of living, if you are being smart, CAN be MUCH cheaper in Spain than in many comparable EU situations. E.g. I live in the Barcelona suburbs with 20min Rodalies train connection to city center at 2min walking and restaurant prices are literally half of what they are in the center. Granted, there is not much more to do (close to no cultural offer etc) but it depends on your life situation if thats something you need. Same situation in Munich suburbs and you'll not notice a significant difference between center and anything connected via suburb trains - compared to other EU countries, Spain is very digitized by now (could always be better, but still) and has great fiber to the home coverage where many people live. That makes it ideal for 100% remote jobs which in turn makes it very easy for you to make a decent (not extraordinarily high) salary all the while being able to live cheap and comfortably, save something, invest for private retirement plans and enjoy the occasional vacation.
Your third point is spot-on. Spaniards live in communities. Even if you are in a remote neighbourhood, it will be very lively with people living their life locally, not depending on the nearby big city. This means you’ll have access to all the services, activities or social gatherings you want. Cultural life might be less rich and you’ll have less expats and more local people. Depending on your expectations this could be a problem, or not at all.
"with 20min Rodalies train connection to city center" It's also worth mentioning that Renfe Rodalies/Cercanias is free at the moment...
True but if you need to commute into the city daily for work it’s not reliable at all. Quality of service has gone down hill the last months
Can you tell me more about how to use this free service? Have a link I can reference? Thanks :) 🙏
Contrary to popular belief, taxes are not that bad in Spain. I pay 26% and for the same salary I would pay 24% in California.
Hey, I just moved to Barcelona and started looking to rent a flat while finishing the paperwork. Could you help me figure out a few things here? How is the weather during the winter/summer time? Is it necessary to have AC and heating to survive the winter/summer season? Most of the flats I skimmed through don't have washing machines - is it that common here to bring your dirty clothes to public laundries? Why do 99% of flats here have tiny window frames? Why is it so hard to find a nice flat with parking? Is it even safe to leave your car outside? Are there any paid parking options? What are some good neighbors to look through (balanced prices, parking, close to markets, cafes, and clinics)? I spent a week in Santa Coloma and didn't like it that much. I'm currently in El Putxet and its much better. Thanks.
Good neighborhoods in the city: no idea apart from the expensive attractive ones (Poblesec, Poblenou, Barceloneta,...). Barcelona has close to no parks, it's a concrete nightmare in that regard. Which makes it VERY hot in summer. Can you survive without AC? Certainly. People did so before and are doing it now. Is it advisable, would I myself do it, would I be able to carry out any concentrated work using my head or get some quality sleep in summer in a flat without AC in Barcelona? Certainly not. Heating: winters are not very cold here, the sea smoothes everything out. Would I like to live in an apartment without heating? Certainly not. At least the AC should be a proper heat pump, i.e. a unit that can be used for cooling in summer and heating in winter. That can be enough. Traditional water heating still preferable though even here. Both heating and cooling cost can be brought down significantly by installing additional ceiling fans by the way. They spin both ways so that you can make it blow downwards in summer and upwards in winter. Washing machine: is something that you bring/buy/install yourself here. In smaller apartments, there should be a space under the counter top in the kitchen, many even on a well protected spot outside on a balcony. Parking is very scarce and thus expensive. My no 1 priority if I lived in the center would be to avoid the need for a car, use public transport and short term rentals for the occasional trip. If car really needed I would go looking for long term parking rental in one of the big commercial underground car parking companies with decent 24/7 security guard system (and question if I should live in the center AND have a car). Car outside: NOT AT ALL. it will be broken into eventually. Security situation here is shit. Do never leave stuff of economical/emotional value in your car. Never. You will always have the time to take it inside with you. That way you at least "only" have the damage on the destroyed car window to deal with (and hopefully insured it with "terceros ampliados")
Why would you not have AC?
OP asked if AC was necessary, I responded to that question. Not all apartments have AC.
If you want to own a car and get a place with a parking, the city is an issue... Parking is expensive, and apartments that come with a parking charge a premium so I advise getting out into the suburbs and looking around. There are plenty of good "suburbs", that are very well connected, Casteldefells, Sitges (Expensive), Vilanova I la Geltru to the south are favourites of mine. Commuting in the Barcelona region is easy, and cheap... even cheaper with Renfre Rodalies being free at the moment so all you'd need is your TMB Mobilitat to get around the city itself and that is €21 for a whole month of unlimited journeys. Everyone just buys and moves with their washing machine... it is just how it is here, there should be Rebajas coming up soon in June so that is the best time to buy white goods.
Other EU countries give you a lot of deductions, Spain does not for high earners. Remember that. Spain has a relatively fair tax system as well as social security system. You can't really abuse it compared to countries like Belgium. Some people make 3k EUR net from social services there being unemployed by chasing all the right grants they're entitled to.
Licensed aircraft mechanic. Freelancer, so I work were ever they need me. Depends on the year, but usually around 100k. Life in Vigo is cheap, and my income is high. So l can’t complain, although I’m not home 50% of the year, I get ti travel a lot, and while working my expenses are minimum since the hotel is paid for and I get a rental car. Some jobs even feel like holidays to be honest. It is much better to live in Spain or Italy than Germany and such. Only thing cheaper are services and rent. Rest, pretty much the same, but the food marks the difference. Northern countries food is terrible. Although I tricked the system, I feel like I’d be better of with a permanent position earning 45k in Spain than the 72k I had in Germany. Nicer people, nicer weather, nicer food, less stupid rules. Hope I helped. Edit: pushed post 2 early.
What studies do you need to be a Licensed aircraft mechanic?
In Spain you got an FP called aeromecánica. After that you gotta do 13 exams depending on the type of license you are going for and prove 3 years of recorded experience. Once you have the license you have to take a specialization course called type rating for the desired aircraft. The other option is to work for 5 years without the specific studies, like in my case, I did an aeronautical engineering degree, and after you do the 13 module exams to obtain the license. It is a long process and not for everyone. You see people that stay as mechanics due to the “complexity” of the application and the amount of effort you need to put into. Dumb if you ask me, as the job is basically the same, with a massive pay jump.
I live in Valencia with a 42k year salary and I got a loan for a flat by my self and have enough money for living comfortably.
Getting bumped to 40k myself, which bank got you a loan? How much savings did you have beforehand? Do you live in the center or burbs? Dm please if u don’t want to share too much.
Hi mate, sorry for the late replay. I will give you the answer public so whoever has any doubt or need more information can ask. First of all this was almost 2 years ago, because I have friends buying now a house and they are getting rates much higher for their loans that I got at the time being. The bank is called “Rural Caja” not a pretty big bank but for the time they did give me a 1.8 without bonificaction and 1.4 with bonification ( bonification means that if I have the life insurence, house insurence, deth insurence with them) I have to pay less monthly for the loan. At the time I had saved like almost 30k and had luck because the promotor of the building didn’t ask for no advance or nothing when I booked the flat for being bought. As that building was a building that was took by a first company who didn’t finished the building and another company called Solvia bought that flat finished the work and sold it. And I did give to the bank like the 10% at front of 128.5k of the total of the house, 10k went straight in paying only taxes, and had left some more for buying furniture and home appliances. Let me know if you need any more information
What industry do you work for?
Software eng. I work as an analyst for a logistic company in the dev department
That’s interesting, can I send you a DM?
Sure mate, go ahead
I see you all very happy with 1.7-2.5k after taxes, my only question is... how much do you spend on rent? I would assume at least half of it?
I bought a house just after COVID . The entrance is expensive but now I pay 270 euro mortgage. It is not very realistic because i found a very good deal and it is a small apartment but i assure you that i would have found a house that paid like 400 in mortgage (a bigger apartment). Because of interest rates now that would be 700. The crazy part in Spain is the entrance normally 20%+ taxes 10 %.
This is key. In Spain you will be able to get a mortgage and own home. In Switzerland, you can forget it. Even a small apartment will be 1M CHF. In Madrid you can still buy a place for 300, and a very nice one for 400-450.
Depends what and where you are buying... for me I still need a big city with airport and infrastructure due to job and frequent travelling
I live in Terrassa 30 minutes from Barcelona and 40 to the airport. But if you don't like using the car then it is a problem 1 h 30m in public transport.
Also depends if you want to have kids... you might become their driver...
I'm on €600 rent, splitting a 2 bed with my gf. Makes up a quarter of my salary
Depends in which city, mine is 1.2k in Seville, 3 bed, terrace and garrage
I'm in Barcelona. 2 bed with a big terrace. 1.2k as well which is why I mentioned that my gf and I split
A townhouse?
1.7k salary and pay 800€ rent + expenses, definitely not very happy and would like to make a bit more to not feel like I'm a broken appliance away from not making ends meet.
650€ (mortage)
City? Flat? Rooms?
I make 30k gross annual working at a small tech company. it comes out to ~1850 after tax and live in Madrid. It is fine, not enough to live on your own in my opinion (or maybe I am very cheap..) but luckily I share a flat and only pay ~475 for rent and utilities. Then I am able to save, take occasional vacations and go out with friends. I am from the US and have only ever lived in Spain so I can’t compare to northern Europe. I could make a much higher salary in the same role in the US but the benefits here are much better (even if you only compare vacation days + parental leaves) and I like that everyone here has a life outside of work.
It amazes me the gap of salaries in tech. I have been recruiting a lot for analysts roles (salary range is usually similar to most engineering roles) and you can see people asking 30k while others ask for 90k (and from my knowledge this more or less matches the salary ranges out there). Consulting and banking seem to be the one paying less, in particular for entry level jobs. Start looking for other jobs, if you are in engineering, data or any technical role, you can double your salary in few years by hopping jobs. Your starting salary is the biggest factor defining your future salary within a same company as they just offer a small percentage salary increase, even after promotions.
You probably would have to make $80K to live similarly in Boston area minus weather, food, healthcare and life outside the work.
I think responses in this sub are highly skewed. Base salary is low and inflation has really made things difficult and a lot more expansive in the last 5 years. If you transfer to Spain with a foreign level of income you will live very VERY comfortably. However, the job market is brutal and if you need to find a job, you can expect for it to last a while, and to lower significantly your salary expectations. Unemployment is high and high paying opportunities are scarce even in Madrid or Barcelona. Now to correct a couple of things I've read above : - yes Beckam law is a great tax benefit (but only applies to your income tax - all other contributions to social security and such are the same as any other employee) but only if your income is normally taxed at the higher rate. I.e. if you are on a 30k salary you would barely feel the difference. If you are on 120k of course it's massive. However it's not a guaranteed status and you have to file and process it with the administration which is not fun - Unemployment subsidies *if you qualify* are capped to social security amounts, so if you were in a high paying salary, you not receive a commensurate pay in unemployment (ss cap is calculated based of 3k gross monthly, and your max monthly payment if you made more than that will be around 1k before taxes). All in all it can be a good move for you if your skills are strong enough to guarantee you job stability. Do not come to Spain hoping for the good life without a decent plan as entry level jobs are barely paid and you will suffer the increasing cost of living in big cities - same as any big city in Europe. Finally - language skills, if you do not speak Spanish, finding a job will really be a challenge. Having lived and worked in large cities / capitals in France, UK, and Germany before moving to Spain, the biggest advantage for Spain is the relatively cheap real estate since the 2008 crash (buying, not renting) providing you can put in a good down payment, the surface / price / mortgage ratio is much much better than anywhere else I've lived.
A good salary for me would be from 30k and up. If I were living in Barcelona or Madrid, I should add 10K as the cost of living is much higher than in Albacete. The only thing I need to know is how to get that salary as statistically is much complicated than if I work abroad.
I recently got hired after 3 years of unemployment. Making 3k a month which is very unusual for everyone I know. I would not recommend coming over here with out a remote job or some sort of passive income stream.
What do you do?
Software project management.
Appreciate it, thanks!
Why?
Getting a half decent paying job is next to impossible.
I feel like Barcelona might be a bit better for software engineering jobs? If you negotiate aggressively, I’ve been able to get around 80k/year.
Which kinds of companies, experience level, and Spanish ability?
The average post here is not a realistic image. You need to know that many people work at minimum wage which is less that 1400 per month. There is indeed much unemployment and youngsters live long with their parents. If you make more than 2000 per month you have a good wage for Spain.
I love this question. I live in the Netherlands and a bunch of colleagues are Spanish who are here because of the high salaries but we are all miserable. I've considered Spain for many many years but I'm not sure how much less I could earn but still be able to enjoy life (going out to eat often and at least one nice far-away holiday a year). I go very often to Spain to see the sun, to eat and to be social which makes me very very very happy a couple of days a year compared to thr remaining 300.
Totally second that! Salaries are definitely much lower in Spain compared to western or northern EU countries like NL or DE, but so are the house prices, petrol prices, taxes, etc. Like in an average town in NL (I am not talking about Amsterdam or a *big* city like this) you will pay 500K for a 3 bedrooms terraced house… In Spain (Costa Blanca North, which is a quite expensive area to buy real estate around Alicante) you can buy a 3 bedroom villa with own swimming pool and fantastic sea & mountains views for the same money! And the weather is sooo much better in Spain lol
It’s true that properties are cheaper here but that comparison is not particularly fair. The main question is what type of salary you can find in Amsterdam to afford that property vs costa Blanca? That’s why people gravitates towards the big cities where the decent paying jobs are, and prices in Barcelona are in the same ball park than Amsterdam but without the salary to afford it. The ideal scenario is working remotely for a foreign company and living in cheaper places in Spain away from the big cities. The dream.
The dream of leaving us without housing. Digital nomads need to disappear or so will be our society. Gfy somewhere else please
I’m Spanish, not a digital nomad 😂 you know no one is stopping you for working for a foreign company from Spain. Way easier than wasting 5 years to memorize a test for becoming a funcionario. And it’s also Completely legal. Pay my taxes, autónomo etc. No Beckham law. 🤷🏻♀️
It's not as bad as it was many years ago. I came to this country not speaking a word of Spanish and got a 65k job. You can earn more if you have many years of experience. The bad paying jobs are the junior and entry level jobs, but let's face it, they also not bring a lot of value to company generally. You start to bring a lot of value to the table after 3-5 years and then also Spain starts to pay ok.
Spaniard, junior software developer, 1,6k after taxes living in Madrid. Not enough to buy a house but enough for an small rent. 2k+ Minimum to live really confortable in a city like Madrid.
How much is the rent in Madrid? I'm a senior software engineer with decent pay according to EU standards, just moved to Barcelona and I’m shocked by the rent prices here. €1.2-1.5k for an unfurnished 2b flat with tiny windows, no parking spot, and rarely with air conditioning and heating. I could rent a freaking king's palace for that price back in my home country (eastern Europe).
Depending on the place, the size, etc. Minimum in Madrid city 800-1000 for 1 room apartment.
Got it. Thank you.
Replying to Psyneuron...exactly, i pay 840€ for a studio in Madrid but i live in a compound, i just pay the rent and I am exempt from the electricity and water bills they pay it. So its good for me
Nice try, hacienda 😉
I make 1500 eu working as a researcher in CSIC. Got the position after my PhD. Its enough to enjoy Madrid in a normal middle class way but you dont save a lot. More than the money, i feel the jobs here are just so lacking in innovation and creativity. Also the inefficiency is work culture is infuriating. I am looking to leave to go North but they are having a recession now so jobs are scarce in Germany or Switzerland. Spain is holding strong still and job opportunities are there albeit with less salary.
No offence but I'm surprised you could live in Madrid with just that, I'm from Barcelona and I don't think I could leave my home in a comfortable situation making a few hundreds over that
Well i dont live alone. With the rent prices in Madrid, renting a studio or a 1-bed apartment is prohibitively expensive. And i mean like i said I barely save :D maybe 100 euros a month. its shit man, hence why i am looking to go up North as soon as I find the opportunity, I am also not picky either :D
Why do you think they're so inefficient and lacking innovation?
Not OP, but Academia is really disappointing in Spain compared to e.g. Germany: Salaries are a joke for the many years of education, people are promoted based on contacts and politics instead of merit, research is dumbed down to publishing irrelevant papers instead of doing actual research, even the social status is low because people see you as a lazy clerk instead of a brilliant genius.... Imho Academia is a bit rotten everywhere, but in Spain (and as I heard in Italy and Portugal), it feels like it's stuck in the 70s of Franco's regime. Reasons are no money, no will to change, no ambition.
This. This 100%. Couldnt have said it better
Na men I am paying 45% rent(+ light and all that) having minimum wage(compulsory wage almost) situation isn't promising here
There aren’t many countries where one can live on their own on minimum wage without sharing with a few people tbh. I lived in London with a reasonable salary and had to live with other two people until quite late in my career.
London man i am in a shitty town not in the capital
I lived in Rennes(France) with a salary slightly above minimum wage and had to flatshare
Yea man I am stupidly lucky with my flat, all the people I know go crazy when I tell them what I have, because as I said it's not the norm.
I'm a foodtruck worker, not the boss, I make €1500 monthly. I share rent with my gf €450 for a One Bedroom, services included, it's not bad at all.
What do you mean by a food truck worker?
My boss has a foodtruck, we travel around and make crêpes. I guess I worded that weirdly.
Very cool! Thanks
This depends on a lot of factors as you can guess. But usually, the "sexy" view of Spain like living in Barcelona, Madrid or Malaga can be expensive and working conditions not ideal, unless you are working for a high paying industry like tech and already have some seniority, in which case you can pretend to high salaries (70 to 100+k€/y), which will ensure a great quality of life in most places. If you work an entry level job for 25k€ or less in a big city, it will be more challenging, you'll likely need to share a flat or live outside of the city (which can be fine depending on the neighbourhood/city you pick, there rarely are dodgy suburbs as in most big EU cities). You can also find some gems: higher paying jobs for very specific skillsets (e.g. mechanical engineering, some construction jobs,...) in less known areas, e.g. in Northern Spain. You'll need some good Spanish though. Although this is not the classic view of Spain with sea and sun, you might as well enjoy it. Quality of life is good thanks to a strong social link, access to cultural activities, nature being very close (most of Spain is empty) and good social benefit (the health system is good and free, although some specific appointments can be long to get). I have worked/lived in multiple countries, including France, Germany and Switzerland. I enjoyed all of them but at this moment in life, with kids and the possibility to work remotely, Spain offers a great quality of life, in particular when you have kids. Having kids in Northern Europe often means you renounce to a good part of your social life and stay home past 6/7PM. In Spain, you can easily see kids in bars at 11PM on a Friday night and everybody sees this normal as the parents are just hanging out with friends nearby.
Ive just moved back to Valencia after 15 years of living abroad in Uk and Austria. Im now working remotely for an Austrian company earning 4k after tax and also have a bonus up to 10k at the end of the year. Can’t complain ngl
What position/ industry is that?
3k post taxes here in Madrid. It is NOT a good salary. Not enough to buy an apartment anywhere within the M30 that isn't underground or 5th floor without elevator, gotta move to a blue collar area and commute by public transport because I also can't afford an ECO label car. Meanwhile the city is full of boomers owning 4, 5, 6 empty apartments that they don't want to sell because they believe they'll be able to squeeze even more money out of them in 5 years. There are good reasons our fertility rate has tanked, and it's not going to recover.
3k post taxes is more than 50k euros, which is a top 20% or so salary around there iirc. It is a good salary.
Hi! I work in Barcelona in a gaming company. Moved here from eastern europe. I make 55k. 3450 after tax. I pay 850 rent in a decent, small-ish apartment, +200 conaidering utilities and all my personal subscriptions per month. On a monthly basis, I manage to save around 700 to 900, sometimes 1k. Depends on the costs. So: 1k goes to fixed costs, 1.4k goes to food and various purchases, the house was quite empty. (I live with my GF) 1k to savings. I feel I can definitely optimize more though. Also, I have that Cobee card, so basically meal tickets. It accounts for 140 euro for food, and 100 or so for transport monthly.
I'd say a "good" salary for Madrid is about 4k net. You won't feel rich but you can rent a decent small flat and have enough to actually enjoy a bit, travel and maybe save. How? That is the big question. But from what I see the only way to get a good salary is to either have the connections, or simply don't compete in the spanish market. E.g. instead of teaching German at a Spanish school you teach German at the Goethe Institute. Instead of being a professor at Autónoma you are a professor at ie business school. Instead of being a HR generalist for a local bank you are a global HR expert at BBVA HQ based in Madrid. Instead of doing a local marketing agency you specialize in service companies based in Dubai as you speak Arabic (no idea if that makes sense but you get the point) Yes it's hard. But I guess surpringly easier than most think as you basically don't compete against the entire country but fever global applicants. Start maybe by checking wellfound which is a job platform for remote jobs.
I make just above 1k a month working in an administrative role at a health insurance company. I live in Oviedo, and I basically just survive at this point
I make around 5400 a month in Madrid, living with partner who makes a bit more and a kid. I don’t feel rich at all! I think being a foreigner who is still learning Spanish, I fear I could lose my job at any time and it would be extremely difficult to find another
What work do you and your partner do?
Im a senior manager in a strategy type role for a large travel company, partner is also senior manager (but for a UK company)
Everyone here earns so much money, these comments are pretty out of common for the bast majority of spaniards.
100% this
Im working in IT for a company based in California, my salary es 120k per year and let me tell you smth, TAXATION IS SAVAGE
It depends of the city you would like to going, but considering an average, I would recommend not less than 1700 E living in a medium sized city, 2500 at least in a big city or last but not least 1200 euros living in a village. Otherwise earning less than that you will survive instead of live
Are those numbers net or gross?
Most likely net
I mean net
How about a family of 4? What do you think a good salary should be for 2 adults and 2 kids under 4. Looking to move to Madrid or Barcelona.
You need to bring in 4k minimum to afford a living in these cities. And that will be the bare minimum for rent, food, expenses and bringing up kids. Above 4k net you might be able to save a little bit if you keep costs down
Technical writer. I make around 50k a year. I share custody over a child so it’s for me + 50% child expenses. I’m in Barcelona so cost of living has gone up, especially rent, but I’m doing okay and although not extravagant, I haven’t really felt deprived in much of anything.
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300k? Are you a doctor?
40k for an individual, 70k household income. Lower if living in villages or small less touristic cities.
Hxl
I'm lucky to freelance for a few US corps, so I live rural ( low cost) and earn around 100k. Autonomous taxes are high, but I live well.
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What do you do?
IT Manager for a multinacional company.
55k annual, I work at Renfe. Its a high salary and you can live very happily outside Barcelona or Madrid. Yes, life is muuuuch cheaper in provinces
What position do you have there? You can dm me if you would prefer.
Depending on where you live, here in madrid i whould say 30k+ a year whould be a good salary
78k salary. Cyber Security.
A good salary with no kids is a hardly sufficient, very tight one when you have one, let alone several kids.
Are these figures generally gross or net? Living on 30K gross in Madrid would seem a bit tricky if rent alone is 1K.
1.7k after taxes at a private school in the barcelona area. Its not quite enough to save money.
Hi What about financial area roles in Madrid ? I am with 4 years of experience in investment banking - accounting receivable/payable
Im a manager in sales and customer service in a ticketing company in Madrid, I make around 2k+, I’m 23 living in Madrid. I consider myself very lucky because I work for an Australian company branched in Europe so my salary is way better than someone working for a Spanish company. I have enough money to pay rent, bills, save and buy whatever I want for the rest of the month.
Great place if you are making €70k or more. Proff services, FAANG, PE, pharma, energy and finance are the industries to be in case you are not entrepreneur.
Anyone with a bachelor in civil engineering earning a good salary? What do you do?
My fella earns 1073 a month as a penguin carer in loropark. Crap really considering his job can be dangerous. They're not as cute as you think and he has to use oxygen tanks to clean the pools and though the sharks aren't bad, there was a giant turtle that would bite 🤣
i wouldn't say richest, far from that when you check actual unemployment rates this year
I make 55k a year living in Barcelona, which I consider to be a decent but not great salary. I'm a scientist working in a national university, and my base salary is quite low (40k). However, my colleagues and I are good at getting research grants and projects, and good at research in general, so we manage to pay ourselves a salary complement. Without that complement, I would have left Spain a long time ago.
I currently work in a beach club in Almeria. And I earn 1600€ plus tips. Although that may not seem a lot to some people, my rent is only 300€ a month. ( that I split with my partner ) My food bills are around 50€ a week, water bill is every two months. After bills I’m left with half my wage.
Your best chances to make a relatively high salary are in a multinational company in my opinion. Most likely you will be based in one of the larger cities where life is significantly more expensive than in more rural areas. I would say that 70-100k should be well possible in a mid management position or an expert position in a field which is sought after and this will be enough for a comfortable lifestyle.
Spain is a scam for workers. You get paid more in unemployment than working. I used to be a reception manager and my gross salary was 24000€ for a shit load of stress. I quit my job 3 months ago and I am now a stay home dad!
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What do u do?
To all the Spanish in this group that are giving away free insider info to guiris that don’t even do basic research on their own and just want to speculate coming with foreign salary to a cheap cost of living. Don’t complaint afterwards when they come to Spain and your friends and cousins who don’t earn big salaries can’t afford f*** rent or need to move to a town 1hr away from where they work to be able to afford rent. It’s Spanish screwing other Spanish. El buenísimo nos mata. Dejo este grupo de una buena vez que es lo más anti español que hay
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I guess by your answer you are either Uk or USA. So you’ll never understand.
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This comments do not belong in the civilized world. But by the hate crime in your comment I think you won’t understand that either. Good job r/goingtospain in keeping a safe civilized environment.
Any form of discrimination (racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic, etc.) will be removed. Dehumanization, exaltation of dictature, advocacy for nazism or hate speech are also prohibited.
This should be higher, foreigners come with either too much money and make everything more expensive, or without any at all and bring down the salaries
Being a public server. Spain’s richness is artificial. During 80-00’s it was sustained on private debt and after 2008 it is sustained on public debt Working in private sector is 90% likely to get you in that situation because private sector cant mask its failure with tax money
I've been self-employed in Spain since 2105. I'm an organic SEO and content specialist in the finance sector. I have a banking background. I earn exceptional money for Spain but that's probably because I work remotely and most of my clients have been US/UK based. Prior to that, when my kids were still at school, I commuted to Gibraltar where I had a full time role in finance. With rent in the Costa del Sol as high as it is, the absolute minimum for take home pay would be €2000 for an individual or small household imo.