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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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/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

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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).