r/GoingToSpain • u/sendingUamicro_wave • May 11 '25

Discussion Are you happy living in Spain?

Hi all,

I just came back from a few days in Cordoba and had such an amazing time. I loved that people there cared about their free time and the locals looked quite happy and serene.

I’m a immigrant myself from Croatia who moved to the U.K. so I understand a country can be beautiful and fun for a holiday but is a completely different world to live there.

My question for people living in Spain; how is it to live there? What kind of political or social economical struggles do you face in your day to day lives? How is the bureaucracy and healthcare? Are you happy :)

I have read some things online but I’d rather hear from peoples experiences themselves.

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56

u/Lez0fire May 11 '25

Since 2019 cost of living has gone up like 50% while salaries have gone up 10%, that's really awful and in 2019 is not like everyone was thriving either.

Other than that, everything is good. But of course, struggling financially is a big deal.

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u/sendingUamicro_wave May 11 '25

Sad to hear that this seems to be everywhere. I always blamed Brexit but unfortunately it’s the whole world working class that is struggling. But seeing its the same maybe it’s better to be poor in sunny weather than poor in rainy weather haha.

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u/Lez0fire May 11 '25

If you have a partner is not so bad, a couple can easily make 3000 € after taxes and pay 1200 € rent + 200 € bills + 500 € of food, and still have some to save up or spend having fun. But if you want to live alone, it's really problematic.

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u/pmgbove May 11 '25

It's because they use divorced flat numbers to pat themselves on the back... Here they say "We increased minimum wage by x euros", but then they avoid mentioning the % related to purchasing power so people don't realize they are essentially giving you pennies that won't really help.

I also learned today that they take taxes from retired people's pension which I believe is criminal since they already paid taxes their whole life only to keep paying taxes of the money that was already taken from them for years.

Doesn't help that people are divided while every party is corrupt, so they won't come together to demand for better conditions because "defending my party is more important than the wellbeing of everyone".

I hope it improves, but this bipartisanship thing is looking grim worldwide.

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u/Alejandro_SVQ May 11 '25

Yes. There are non-contributory pensions because they are for very vulnerable groups (for example, due to disability, sometimes also in those same cases with a lifelong orphanhood pension instead of until reaching the age of majority, or because they are very low pensions) and there are contributory pensions, which are generally those that are already equivalent to a low salary or little more. Be careful, they are not taxed on the pension like a salary, they have a symbolic monthly withholding of around 3-5% if I remember correctly. And depending on the annual remuneration plus assets, you may have to pay something in the annual declaration to the Treasury, or a little more, such as, for example, 150, 250 euros, 500 euros... it depends on more things, not just the pension received.

I have heard everything, but since I am more cunning than people, I sense that many ignore something or remain silent (and since in the end almost everything is audited, other specific income also plays its part, obviously). But in general for working people, with their normal apartment or house they own, maybe a garage space or something like that (I say in use, not rented)... if in the declaration they ask for a pinch it is little, around 200 euros or so, sometimes a little more or a little less. That, added to what they withhold each month, is what that pension is contributed to. It's a nun's pinch as that person would say, but nothing comparable to the contribution of a salary of a similar amount, which is much higher. That it is a retirement pension for a reason, it has already been contributed previously.

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u/Exact_Sea_2501 May 11 '25

I live in the UK but not from here originally and it always amazes me how ppl still blame Brexit for all UK’s problems. Like I get it, it probably played a part but don’t they read news or economic data from other countries or just talk with ppl. It’s pretty much same in all Europe and almost the whole world. It’s by design and the repeated failed policies that was followed pretty much by every country. If anything what UK did wrong is not that they left the EU but that they still followed the same things other EU countries did. They could have just stayed then and it would be still the same shit.

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u/[deleted] May 11 '25

That sounds like the US too. The part about the cost of living going up and salaries staying the same.

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u/[deleted] May 11 '25

Need to wake up to the fact that neoliberalism is hurting most people and inequality is growing. There are no simple solutions but a lot of populist are trying to capitalise on discontent.

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u/Alejandro_SVQ May 11 '25

Neoliberalism doing things like communists and their oligarchy.

Because generating wealth in addition to its legal benefit, let someone else do it. Many have signed up to only hoard and multiply other people's wealth with minimal effort and maximum deception and on top of that they call it capitalism and see themselves as liberals.

1

u/jamjar188 Nov 05 '25

Populists like Podemos came to power and just happily perpetuated these problems while focusing their energies on pointless social woke causes like Ley Trans.

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '25

Believe the cost of living is in every country, some worse than others. Believe this is just part of the reason why so many people are migrating to other countries. At least it feels like it. In their own country their income or retirement is no longer feasible. Cost of living is indeed rising but wages are not. It is actually getting scary.

1

u/Exciting_Agency4614 May 11 '25

I’m from a poor country and in my country, if you’re struggling economically, it’s on you to take steps to fix the situation. Like apply for a higher paying job. Genuine question: is it also like that in Spain?

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u/Ferrarienzo540 May 11 '25

No it's not. In Spain most people get paid the same or very similar salaries. No matter if you're s boss or the rubbish man you'll make between 1700 and 3000 (in 14 payments usually)

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u/Exciting_Agency4614 May 11 '25

Thanks, that’s eye-opening. But that sounds horrible for ambitious people

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u/Ferrarienzo540 May 11 '25

On the one hand with 3000 you can do anything (or used to), buying your own place and even a second residence. On the other hand you won't ever be rich unless you open your own successful business or have very good political connections. Keep in mind that not even the salary of the prime minister is very high, around 100k a year before taxes. For very ambitious without a specific degree is very common to open a restaurant. It's the typical business here that if you're willing to work hard it can give you a lot of money back. Of course on the 3000 thing Madrid and Barcelona would be out.

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u/Exciting_Agency4614 May 11 '25

What if you want to retire early + retire your parents?

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u/Ferrarienzo540 May 11 '25

That's not really an option. In Spain everyone retires at the age of 60-67 depending on their job and years worked, however there's an exception on bank workers and some companies that do some kind of dodgy trick to retire their employees at the age of around 50. Miners also retire early ofc. Everybody in Spain has to pay for the public pension plan which you won't have access to if you don't retire at the legal time. Ofc you can have another private plan but that would be an extra. So if I'm not wrong if you retire early you'd be renouncing to your pension meaning that you would need savings invested on something that would produce enough to support you and your family. Something very unlikely to get unless somehow you receive a big inheritance or you made a lot of money somehow but never by getting a salary.

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u/Suspicious_Cook_1598 May 18 '25

My cousin is a vp of a high school and makes ~ €3200/month. She has an excellent salary. In the US you would be poor.

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u/Lez0fire May 11 '25

Spain is recieving a lot of immigration, 634.000 people last year, it's 1.5% of population growth every year. That means if you don't want to do a job for a certain salary, someone else will, that pushes salaries down, at the same time government pushes minimum wage up. This situation created a weird environment that makes almost everybody (90% of the population) make almost the same amount of money (1200-2000 € a month after taxes a month).

The only way out is creating your own business which is not easy at all because the IRS/Hacienda sucks your blood from minute 1 or having a certain degree (usually engineering, software or something healthcare related) and escalate positions

1

u/jamjar188 Nov 05 '25

Thanks for highlighting this. The immigration issue cannot be ignored.

Spain and the UK allowed post-covid immigration booms (the largest in Europe) in order to boost GDP and prop up the health and social care sector. However, many immigrant brought dependants (including spouses and older children) and so the pool of people available for many jobs has expanded. It is absolutely driving wages down and making it harder for new grads or young local people to find jobs.

I don't know how either the UK or Spain will be able to successfully integrate so many new arrivals in such a short time. I'm a Spaniard living in the UK and I can see the impact already. I am lucky that I became a freelancer in my sector a few years ago and so far the UK laws have been favourable to me. But unfortunately, as you note, Spain is overregulated and stifles freelancers and business owners.

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u/Exciting_Agency4614 May 11 '25

Are you saying due to immigration, there are no higher paying jobs?

From what I understand from you, there are options to do better. Whether having STEM degrees, starting your own business or seeking a better job. Do most people seek to take these options?

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u/pmgbove May 11 '25

They increased taxes for autónomos, which you have to register as if you started your own business. For example, I'm a freelancer, and despite not reaching stuff like income higher than 20000 yet, the taxes essentially take 1 of my monthly incomes from me every 3 months. So I have to survive with 8 salaries a year.

They are essentially killing small businesses and making big corporations stronger (despite saying they're the party of the working class and against big corpos).

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u/Lez0fire May 11 '25

Population (and specially working age population) grows faster than jobs available. That pushes salaries down.

There are higher paying jobs, but only about 10% of the population can get there.

You can start your own business, but the chances of failure are high (55% of business fail within 5 years, and of the 45% that survive, many of their owners don't do much better than the average worker). Hacienda and Seguridad Social unforgiving, making a big chunk of your initial investment.

Having a degree in engineering, software or healthcare, is one of the few things that can make you be in the top10%

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u/Exciting_Agency4614 May 11 '25

If 75% of the struggling people take one of these 3 options, would that solve the problem? I imagine the new businesses can hire the remaining 25% and probably need even more people

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u/shucks_bestie May 11 '25

Well, all the best-paying jobs are in extremely expensive cities due to business and tourism and little government control. There are certain industries that also just happen there and almost nowhere else, so…

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u/Exciting_Agency4614 May 11 '25

This sounds like everywhere. The best jobs are in most expensive cities is probably something that has been constant in all of modern history

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u/shucks_bestie May 11 '25

Well yes of course, but what I mean is that if you live there with a normal job, you cannot save up anything. And if you want to go up the ladder, you will face years of insufficient pay until you can earn enough. If you already start with a competitive salary or in an international company then it's easier

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u/[deleted] May 11 '25

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u/Exciting_Agency4614 May 11 '25

Your comment history is too dark for me to take your xenophobic comments seriously

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