Walter Finch
A BRIT in Madrid and a Spaniard abroad have ignited a debate after giving contrasting perspectives on the pros and cons of living in Spain.
Tom, who has lived in the Spanish capital for six years, shared a video on TikTok reflecting on why life in Spain feels so much more joyful than in the UK — or even the USA.
“Are the Spanish just happier, or is it just me?” he asked. “Here in Spain, it feels like people work to live, not live to work.”
He spoke of his daily routine in Madrid — finishing work, going for a walk along the river, seeing friends — and said it felt like ‘there are just more hours in the day.’
The contrast, he said, was stark compared to his old life in London, which he described as ‘rushed and rainy.’
The video, which has racked up nearly 100,000 likes, ends on a heartfelt note. “I don’t know if I’ll stay in Spain until the day I die… but there are worse ways to spend your years.”
But not everyone is so eager to live in Spain.
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Ismael, a Spanish physiotherapist based in Switzerland, told Spanish daily La Razon ‘I wouldn’t go back to Spain to do the same job, not even for a joke.’
In his native country he was earning €1,182 a month. Now, in Switzerland he takes home the equivalent of €5,100 each paycheck.
“I’m not going through that again; [living on that salary] was the most difficult year of my life,” he said.
“You have to take action in your life, or your future looks very bleak.’
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“In this world, salaries are generally based on collective agreements, and there’s little progression, so people who’ve been working for 20 years only earn a little more than when they started.”
Ismael noted some key differences between the people and the life in Switzerland and Spain.
“People there are colder. They live to work. They don’t work to live,” he said, echoing Tom’s sentiment — but in reverse.
“To enjoy life in Switzerland, you have to work hard. In Switzerland, nothing is given for free, and the level of work standards is very high.”
There are, of course, many things Ismael misses from back home: “The little things; a hug from your parents, a beer with your mates — those things are priceless. No salary can replace that.”
