NEWS

Comparison of a single man or woman with no children, with a gross salary of €37,000 per year in Andalusia and a single man or woman with no children with a gross salary of €37,000 per year in Flanders.

Case 1: Flanders (Belgium)
Belgium is known for its very high tax burden on labour, especially for single people.

· Net Salary: Approximately €1,776/month.
· Fixed Costs (estimate): Approximately €1,000/month.
· Money Left Over: Approximately €776/month.

Case 2: Marbella, Andalusia (Spain)
The Spanish system is different, with national and regional brackets. Andalusia has relatively low tax rates.

· Net Salary: Approximately €2,313/month.
· Fixed Costs (estimate): Approximately €850/month.
· Money Left Over: Approximately €1,463/month.

Conclusion
Despite the infamous "single tax" within Spain's family-friendly system, the single person in Marbella comes out significantly better off than their counterpart in Flanders. The main reason is the much lower total tax burden on labour in Spain. With the same gross salary, a single person in Marbella has almost double the disposable income per month.

Is it the same for Brussels (Belgium) and Barcelona (Spain)?
No, the Brussels vs. Barcelona comparison paints a very different picture, as Barcelona is one of the most expensive and highly taxed cities in Spain.

Case 1: Brussels (Belgium)

· Net Salary: Approximately €1,776/month (similar to Flanders).
· Fixed Costs (estimate): Approximately €1,150/month (higher rent).
· Money Left Over: Approximately €626/month.

Case 2: Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain)
Catalonia has the highest regional income tax in Spain.

· Net Salary: Approximately €2,256/month (less than in Andalusia).
· Fixed Costs (estimate): Approximately €1,250/month (very high rent).
· Money Left Over: Approximately €1,006/month.

Conclusion
The advantage for the Spanish single person remains, but it is smaller. Even so, in Barcelona, they have about €380 more per month left over than in Brussels after fixed costs. This shows the crucial importance of the region within Spain.