Spain

Spain runs on city life, the sea and an unhurried pace: healthcare, transport and schools work steadily, and the regions differ more than the map suggests. Costs stay below France and Germany, yet rent in Madrid, Barcelona and along the coast takes a large share of any budget. The south has long hot summers, the north is green and rainy, and winter is mild almost everywhere. The permit is arranged before you arrive; after that come queues at the immigration offices and a rental market where listings disappear within a day.