What’s it really like to live in Spain as an expat?

Common ways to meet other expats

Moving to a new country can be challenging, and one of the hardest reasons is leaving all your friends behind and trying to make new ones. One of the best activities you can do to meet new people living in Spain as an expat is to join clubs and other social groups. You’ll find monthly Internations events in many cities across Spain as well as many other expat groups offering similar events.

MeetUp is another good website to look on to find in-person events, where you can search by area and activity. There’s everything from meetups for food lovers to hiking groups and book clubs. Read more in our guide to making friends in Spain here. 

Online communities you could join

As well as the websites above, which encourage social events and activities in person, there are also several online communities you could join to help you get the most out of your new life in Spain. Many of these you’ll find on Facebook. There are expat Facebook groups for most of the major cities or regions in Spain, where you can find Spain expat forums to ask questions on everything from handymen in your area to advice about your local health services, babysitter recommendations and, of course, everyone’s favourite online topic in Spain – Spanish bureaucracy, as well as common problems for expats in Spain. 

Costa Women is a great online community for women, who also host events across the country as is Gone Girl International, an online community on Facebook, connecting women of all ages. There are groups for many of the major cities in Spain. Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be many similar groups for men, but even if you move to Spain as a couple, they are still good groups to join because you can always make friends and then meet on your own to introduce your partners.

Advice on learning the language

It may go without saying, but if you live in Spain as an expat, learning Spanish is pretty essential, even if you live in a very popular expat area. While many locals can speak basic English, when it comes to everyday life issues such as going to the doctors, sorting out official documents at the town hall or getting internet installed, you really will need some Spanish. According to global language training company Education First, Spaniards regularly rank among the worst English speakers in the whole of the EU.

The best advice is to sign up for some initial intensive classes. This should give you the foundation of basic vocab and grammar. To improve and practise after that, it’s a good idea for British expats in Spain to join an English-Spanish language exchange group, where you will be able to speak Spanish with a local in exchange for letting them practise their English. Joining local groups and activities such as sports, yoga or art classes in Spanish is also a great way to learn the language while doing a hobby you enjoy. Watching Spanish TV shows and movies, reading basic books in Spanish and having the confidence to practise in everyday life situations will also help you immensely. 

Dating and finding love in Spain

If you’re living in Spain as an expat and looking for love, you’ll find several differences between how Spaniard's date and how you might date back in your home country. Firstly, Spaniards are known to be much more affectionate and tactile than, say, the British are, for example and public displays of affection are very common. Secondly, Spaniards live at home much longer than people in other countries, so don’t be surprised if your date brings you back to their parent’s house afterwards. Because of this, Spaniards will often wait to get married a lot later too. Expats in Spain will find that it’s just as common in Spain for women to make the first move as it is for men, but don’t expect the man to pay for the date; bills are usually split equally.

You’ll find most of the major dating apps are popular in Spain too such as Tinder, Bumble and Grindr (for those in the LGBTQ+ community). Those more serious about dating may want to sign up for a paid matchmaking website. Some of the most popular in Spain are eDarling.es, Meetic.es and Parship.es. Of course, there’s always the old-fashioned way of meeting someone, such as getting your friends to introduce you to someone or joining social events, activities and clubs. 
 

Cost of living in Spain

Spain is generally seen as one of the cheapest countries to live in in Western Europe, but of course, it all depends on where you live and what type of lifestyle you want. Barcelona and Madrid are the two most expensive places to live in Spain, but if you choose to live in a small town somewhere in southern Spain such as Andalusia or Murcia, for example, you will find that your cost of living will be a lot less. Broadly speaking, expats in Spain find that eating out, public transport, groceries, entertainment and clothes are more likely to be cheaper than in the UK and other countries in Europe. However, keep in mind that expenses such as internet connection, phone bills, electricity and gas bills, banking and taxes for the self-employed are more expensive in Spain. Read more on the costs and considerations involved in moving to Spain here.

If you shop around, you’ll find that prices between different companies vary wildly. Look online to see what type of prices and packages energy companies and internet providers can offer. When it comes to food shopping, the larger supermarket chains generally offer more competitive prices than the smaller ones. For example, two of the cheapest supermarket chains are Alcampo and Mercadona, while some of the most expensive are Sorli, Suma and Spar. If you live in an area with only small local supermarkets, it may be cheaper to drive once a week to a nearby larger town to do your shopping. Fruit and vegetables are also more likely to be cheaper and better quality at local greengrocers than in supermarkets.

Where to look for a job

Keep in mind that if you’re a British expat in Spain after Brexit, meaning you want to move to Spain now that the UK isn’t part of the EU, you won’t have the right to work. You won’t simply be able to move to Spain and look for a job.

To work in Spain, you’ll need a work permit and to be eligible for this you’ll have to be highly skilled or be offered a job in demand. Those who want to set up their own business also have the option to apply for an entrepreneur visa. The final option is to apply for the one-year Non-Lucrative Visa, which prohibits you from working, however after one year you can exchange it for a residence permit allowing you to work or become self-employed.

The best places these days to look for a job is online, on websites such as LinkedIn, Indeed.es and Monster.es. Spain also has branches of well-known job agencies such as Adecco, Manpower and Hays.

If you’re in Spain already with permission to work another option is to join expat Facebook groups for your city or area. While you may see jobs posted on these groups, they are also ideal groups for you to advertise your own services. If you’re looking for English teaching jobs, then try contacting the language schools in your area directly. 
 

Other tips to consider if you are thinking of moving to Spain and wanting to get the most out of expat life

Think hard about where in Spain you want to move to. Each of the 17 regions is very different and offers a different way of life. Check out our guide on which region is Spain is right for you and our area destination guides here for more information.

Make sure to contact a lawyer ahead of your move so you can work out issues such as your pension, how much it will cost you to set up your business or go self-employed and tax implications. If you’re a British expat in Spain after Brexit, you’ll also need to find out what type of visa you can apply for and how much money you’ll need for it.

Research as much as you can about life in Spain before you make the move, so that you’re not surprised when you discover that it does actually get cold in winter and you may need central heating or that renovating a property can get quite complicated because you need a building licence for almost everything. Read our article on Moving to Spain: If only I’d known for more examples.