Tools & Resources
We have loads of resources to help you make your relocation process smoother and easier. Whether it’s learning Spanish or finding a reliable moving company, we have compiled all the essential information and tools in one convenient place.
Spain Cost of Living Calculator
Answer a few questions, and our calculator will give you an idea of how much money you need to live the life you dream of in Spain.
GET FINANCIAL CLARITY
How much income do you need to live the lifestyle you dream of in Spain? This clever tool will tell you! You decide on key factors such as where you want to live, your house/apartment size, how often you eat out, and other lifestyle aspects. Our detailed research is updated every year to ensure accuracy.
Health Insurance Quote Tool
Are you feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of having to conduct extensive research to find the ideal healthcare solution for you and your loved ones?
If you’re uncertain about which health insurance provider in Spain can offer you quality service at a reasonable price, we have a helpful tool that can provide you with quotes from the top three companies in the industry. Give it a try and make an informed decision about your health insurance needs.
Find a moving company
Finding a company you can trust to relocate your treasured possessions is one of your most important decisions. Let us make it easier for you.
Save up to 40%
Moving company quotes
Moving abroad can be a stressful and challenging experience. Moving companies make the process much easier by taking care of important details like shipping, customs clearance, permits, packing – even unpacking! Choosing the right moving services is vital to minimizing relocation stress. Use our free no-obligation quote tool to help you find the right removal company.
Learning Spanish
Being able to speak to people in their native tongue enriches your life when you live in Spain.
You will connect with your local community, like the shopkeeper or your neighbor,
You can minimize the frustration of getting basic things done.
Spanish will make life easier – from booking a taxi to calling a plumber.
And for making friends with Spanish people, speaking Spanish is a great place to start.
We’ve found that learning Spanish is most accessible with a mixed approach. Here are our favorite resources that assisted our language learning journey.
El Metodo – Spanish for beginners course
You can buy this online course created by Peter Hanley on Udemy. He is English, married to a Spaniard, and has lived in Spain for a long time. His method aims to get you to speak basic Spanish in a couple of weeks. We found the repetition and copying of local pronunciations an excellent way to learn. Our Spanish improved considerably after doing this course!
With Moving to Spain you’ll $10 off your first lesson
iTalki
There is nothing better than practicing to improve your Spanish. iTalki is an online platform that lists hundreds of Spanish teachers or simply Spanish locals to practice your Spanish. You can find options to suit your needs, budget, and hours with tutors and teachers worldwide. The platform offers 1:1 structured virtual lessons or meetups all over Spain and the world, with different prices and levels. We love the flexibility and choice of the virtual lessons – brilliant if you are time-poor.
LingoPie
This is a FUN way to learn Spanish, which is pretty new. Watch movies and TV in Spanish with subtitles. However, the subtitles are clickable! So if you don’t understand something you can click on the word and the English is shown to you. You can also chat with a teacher about the program you just watched. Our son loves it!
Duolingo
Duolingo is a top-rated app for learning Spanish and other languages. You can do ten minutes while waiting for the bus or in the checkout line! It is set up like a game – you earn points and unlock new levels showing how you are improving your skills. It teaches you reading, listening, and speaking skills and has reminders built in to keep you motivated.
We wouldn’t recommend this on its own as it is not great at teaching you grammar; however, it is fantastic for improving your vocabulary and works well with all the above tools!
And most importantly, it is heaps of fun!
Moving money internationally
Need to transfer money to your new Spanish account or pay someone in another currency? Here are our recommendations.
WISE
Wise is the market leader in international money transfers, for good reasons. We use Wise for the bulk of our international money transfers. Their fees are low, exchange rates are good, it is fast and easy, and the transactions are secure. You can pay with a linked credit card, bank account, debit card, and other methods.
We also have a bank account with them which means we can hold different currencies. So if we are paying a supplier in USD, it comes out of our WISE USD account, and there are no currency charges. See our Banking in Spain article for more details.
Remitly
Remitly is an alternative to Wise, and we like them for their reliability. Remitly also has a handy app (Apple and Android) to transfer money quickly.
They offer zero fees on your first transfer if you want to try them.
Apps we use all the time
Need to transfer money to your new Spanish account or pay someone in another currency? Here are our recommendations.
You can get a discount on your first year from this link ↓
Nord VPN
This is the tool that will give you safe access to stream content from around the world so you can still watch your favorite program from home!
It also shields your IP address which improves your online privacy and security.
Google Translate
We use this many times a day. No matter how good your Spanish is, there is always a word that you have had no reason to use before. Download the app to your phone to use when you are out and about. The “download language” and “Translate from Camera” functions are excellent.
XE
XE is a fantastic great currency conversion tool. There is also a handy app for your phone.
