Moving to Spain for 6 months with kids: a complete guide for families
Dreaming of moving to Spain for 6 months with your family? This article will guide you through all the practical aspects: from costs to accommodation, transportation to daily life with kids. We’ve done it, and now we’re sharing our experience!
Let’s explore together how to move to Spain for 6 months with kids!
In this article, we’ll talk about:
Why choose Spain for a long stay with the family?
We chose to spend 6 months in Spain for three main reasons:
Lower cost of living compared to Italy: With the right choices, it’s possible to save and live on a reduced budget.
Perfect climate: In southern Spain, winters are mild and summers are hot but not suffocating.
Ease of travel by car: The country is perfect for road trips, and having your own vehicle is a huge advantage when traveling with kids.
We explored Spain with our Land Rover Evoque, a compact car but perfect for visiting both cities and natural reserves like Cabo de Gata. (If you’re planning to pass by that area, don’t forget to check out our article on Cabo de Gata with kids!)
How to organize a 6-month stay in Spain with kids?
How to reach Spain for a long stay
We chose to arrive by ferry from Civitavecchia to Barcelona, a 22-hour journey that allowed us to bring our car without facing the long highways of France. The price for the crossing, including the car transport and cabin, was under €500. You can check the different routes on the official website of Grimaldi Lines, which we found to be the best for this trip.
Other options to reach Spain:
By car: Through France, although tolls can be expensive.
By plane: Faster but less practical for those who need to move around often. Keep in mind that car rental costs in Spain are fairly high.
Where to stay to move to Spain for 6 months on a budget
Accommodation is the most significant expense, but there are strategies to save:
Medium to long-term rentals on Idealista: there are good deals outside the more touristy areas.
Special offers with the Genius system on Booking.
Campsites in the summer months: a perfect choice to reduce costs and give kids an unforgettable experience. (If you’re interested in a wild adventure, here’s the Decathlon tent we lived in for several months.)
We stayed in Palomares, in the Almeria province, one of the most affordable areas in southern Spain. We spent €500 per month for the campsite, while rentals in the same area were over €2500 per month.
In the summer months, when rental prices go up, we stayed at the campsite. During less touristy periods, we moved around more to visit the more expensive cities.
How much does it cost to live when moving to Spain for 6 months?
Cost of living in Spain: groceries and restaurants
Grocery shopping in Spain is much cheaper than in Italy. The best supermarkets for saving money are:
Mercadona
Lidl
Local supermarkets and markets
We kept costs down by cooking often at home and, in summer, having lunch with fresh fruit at the beach to be freer with our movements.
Eating out is affordable if you avoid touristy areas. For €10-15 per person, you can enjoy a good menú del día at a local restaurant, which includes a starter, side dish, dessert, and drink. The price drops even further if you choose some local tapas.
Monthly budget for a family living in Spain for six months
During our stay, we never spent more than €1800 per month for a family of four.
Here’s an estimate of the monthly costs:
Accommodation: €500-650
Groceries: €300-400
Restaurants and dinners out: €200
Fuel and transport: €200-300
Living in a campsite: the most beautiful part of our adventure in Spain
The months spent in a campsite were our favorites!
Here’s what our typical day looked like:
Wake up at dawn, we worked while Aldo and Giulia played with the kids in the campsite.
When the heat became intense, we jumped in the pool or went to the beach.
Light lunch with fresh fruit and a nap in the shade by the sea.
Afternoon at the beach until sunset.
In the evening, we went out for dinner, then the kids played in the campsite while we relaxed.
Living outdoors and at a slow pace allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the Spanish lifestyle.
Kids and the language: how they learned Spanish
Aldo and Giulia learned Spanish quickly because in the small towns where we stayed, no one spoke English. By playing with local kids, within a few months, they were communicating easily!
Healthcare and documents: what’s needed when moving to Spain for 6 months?
If you are an EU citizen, no special documents are needed for a stay of up to 6 months.
For healthcare, you just need the European Health Insurance Card.
We needed it and were seen for free. Matteo also had a brief hospital stay with ambulance transport, all covered by the Spanish public healthcare system.
Best areas to live in Spain for 6 months
Recommended cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia
For nature lovers: Cabo de Gata, Sierra Nevada, Picos de Europa
Affordable areas to live: Almeria, Murcia, inland Andalusian villages
What is the NIE and what is it for?
The NIE is an essential document for daily life in Spain, whether you need to open a bank account or access social services.
NIE stands for Número de Identidad de Extranjero (foreign identity number). It is an ID document assigned to every foreign resident in Spain, equivalent to the DNI (Documento nacional de identidad, national ID card) for Spanish citizens. Spanish public institutions use this document to identify foreign nationals living in the country. Your NIE has a permanent number that will remain with you for life. The only way to change it would be to obtain Spanish citizenship. In short, it is a unique, personal, non-transferable number. But for what procedures do you need the NIE?
Open a bank account
Sign a contract
Register for Spanish social security and get a social security number
Cancel your Spanish social security registration
Buy a car
Buy or sell a house
Pay taxes
Start a business
Apply for a residence permit
Extra tip for long-term living in Spain
Are you about to move to Spain or plan to live in the country for a medium to long period?
Get a local SIM card for your phone. Not all phone companies offer affordable plans, especially if you need unlimited data. It’s not easy to find a provider that offers these plans for those without a Spanish bank account or NIE. Check out Digi’s plans, as they have the most affordable offers.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Living 6 Months in Spain
How much does it cost to rent a house in Spain for 6 months?
It depends on the area. In tourist cities like Barcelona or Madrid, prices are higher, but in less touristy areas, such as the provinces of Almería or Murcia, you can find apartments starting from €600-800 per month.
What is the most affordable area to live in Spain?
If you’re looking for an affordable area, the province of Almería is a great choice. Even in the summer months, when other coastal areas increase in price, this region remains reasonably priced.
Do I need a visa to live in Spain for 6 months?
No, if you’re an EU citizen, you can stay in Spain for up to 6 months without the need for a visa or special permits.
Is it better to rent a house or stay in a campsite?
It depends on the kind of experience you’re looking for. If you want an affordable and more authentic adventure, camping is a great option, especially during the summer months. It allows you to immerse yourself in nature, save money, and live a simple life while connecting with the local community.
Living 6 months in Spain with kids is an incredible experience and accessible to everyone with the right planning!
We came out of it culturally and emotionally enriched, both adults and children, having formed many new bonds that we will carry with us forever. The kids also learned Spanish with no difficulty at all.
Travel the world with MiniLonely
In Spain, there are endless opportunities to live unique and authentic experiences. I hope this article has helped answer your questions on how to live 6 months in Spain and inspires you to discover new places and activities.
Remember that traveling is also a way to grow, and every experience, even away from the beach, can enrich the collection of memories to share with your kids.
Spain is also the destination for several MiniLonely: the travel journals for kids written by us.
If you haven’t heard of them, they are true interactive notebooks divided by destination:
- MiniLonely Spain
- MiniLonely Almeria
- MiniLonely Valencia
- MiniLonely Barcelona
- MiniLonely Siviglia
- MiniLonely Malaga
In these journals, you’ll find:
– Pages dedicated to games,
– Blank pages for drawing and pasting photos or tickets,
– Stickers to color and cut out,
– A dictionary,
– An itinerary,
– Fun facts and information about the places you’ll visit,
– And much more.
Pack your backpack, grab the right MiniLonely, and set off on an adventure: Spain is waiting for you!
Digitally Yours
☀️ Sara ☀️
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