How much domestic staff costs in Spain (2026 prices)

The biggest driver of price is how many hours you need and the working arrangement. A few hours a week costs far less in total than a full-time, 40-hour contract, and live-in, live-out and by-the-hour each carry different rates. Hourly help is billed per hour (from €9.55 gross), while full-time roles are paid as a monthly salary. The more hours and the more continuity you want, the higher the monthly figure, but often the lower the effective cost per hour.

Location matters: Madrid, Barcelona, Marbella and the Balearics command higher salaries than smaller towns, reflecting local living costs and demand. Profile and experience push the price up too, as a seasoned housekeeper with verifiable references, childcare or elderly-care skills, or formal training will expect more than someone starting out. Languages are a real premium for expat households: a bilingual English-Spanish professional, or one who also speaks French or German, is scarcer and therefore costs more than a Spanish-only candidate.

What the job actually involves shapes the salary as well. A large home, several children, pets, ironing, cooking or combined housekeeper-and-nanny duties justify a higher rate than light cleaning in a small flat. Finally, urgency has a cost: if you need someone to start within days rather than weeks, the search is more demanding. At Maids & Co you pay no agency fee until you actually hire, and the first matching profiles arrive in under 3 hours, so urgency does not have to mean overpaying.

The figure you should plan around is not the salary alone but the total employer cost. On top of the agreed gross wage you pay the employer's Social Security contribution (≈ 22% of the contribution base); the worker's share is deducted from her payslip — you pay it in, but it is not extra cost. With the official 2026 brackets, a full-time role at the minimum wage (€1,424.50/month over 12 payments) costs the family around €1,742/month. Registration with Social Security is mandatory from the very first hour worked, through the Import@ss system, and there is no informal or cash arrangement that is legal.

The salary itself comes with built-in extras the law guarantees. Domestic employees are entitled to two extra payments a year (when the salary is set over 14 payments — which is why the minimum wage is quoted as €1,221 over 14 payments, equal to €1,424.50 prorated over 12), plus 30 calendar days of paid holiday. When the relationship ends you must settle a finiquito (final settlement of pending pay, proportional extra payments and unused holiday), and if you end the contract for a justified cause (the former 'withdrawal') there is severance of 12 days of salary per year worked, capped at 6 months' pay, with 20 days' notice after one year of service; without a written notice stating the cause the law presumes a dismissal and severance rises to 33 days per year (RD 1620/2011 art. 11; Workers' Statute art. 56). Our free severance calculator gives you the figure. Budget for these from day one.

One point expats often get wrong is income tax. In domestic employment there is no mandatory IRPF withholding by the employer; unlike ordinary jobs, you are not legally required to deduct it from the worker's pay. The employee still declares that income in their own annual tax return. You can agree a voluntary withholding to help them spread the tax, but it is optional. Maids & Co handles the registration, contributions and paperwork on the Spanish side, so the legal and payroll detail is managed for you.

Live-in staff reside in the family home and are the most suitable option for families needing broad availability, especially with dependent elderly or young children. A myth worth dispelling: a live-in does not earn less for living in. In fact, they usually choose this arrangement because it lets them earn more than a conventional schedule. They are entitled to the agreed salary and to the rest periods set by law (12 hours between shifts and 36 consecutive hours of weekly rest). Moreover, board and lodging do not lower the salary owed: they may only be deducted in the percentage the parties agree, capped at 30% of the total salary and always paying at least the monthly minimum wage in cash (RD 1620/2011 art. 8.2). It is very convenient for the availability it offers, but it is not usually the cheapest option.

Live-out full-time (typically 40 hours a week) means the employee comes to the home during working hours and returns to their own home afterwards. It is the most balanced option for families needing daily presence for cleaning, cooking, ironing or help with the children during school hours, without someone living in. The cost to the employer is the gross salary plus the employer's Social Security contribution; taking a full-time role at the minimum wage (€1,424.50/month over 12 payments) as a reference, the total comes to around €1,742/month. It is probably the most common choice for families who work outside the home and want the household cared for without giving up privacy at night.

By the hour is the most economical option when you need help a few days a week: we select from 15 hours a week, for example three mornings of 5 hours. The legal minimum is €9.55 gross/hour, but market rates usually run €10–15/hour for experienced or bilingual staff, and crucially it still requires Social Security registration from the first hour, however few the hours. Choose hourly when your needs are limited and predictable; choose live-out or live-in when you need more hours, continuity and one dedicated person.

If you are still weighing up live-in, live-out or hourly help, our guide compares schedules, rest periods, overnight stays and cost, with four typical cases.

Live-out, full-time (about 40 h/week) in Madrid. At the legal minimum the gross salary is €1,424.50 a month (prorated over 12 payments); add the employer's Social Security and the total cost is around €1,742/month with the official 2026 contributions. In practice, a qualified full-time housekeeper in Madrid earns €1,424.50–1,800 gross (12 payments), so realistic family budgets run from that €1,742 up to about €2,200/month all-in (the employer's contribution is about 22% of the salary and varies with each case). Remember the two extra payments and the 30 days of holiday are already included inside that salary figure.

Live-in, full-time. The salary cannot fall below the minimum wage despite accommodation being provided. Market rates for a capable live-in housekeeper, or a combined housekeeper-nanny, typically run €1,500–2,500 gross per month (12 payments). With the employer's Social Security (about 22%, roughly €334–557), the total comes to around €1,835–3,060/month, plus the in-kind cost of the room and meals you provide. As always, this already includes the two annual extra payments and 30 days of paid holiday.

By the hour, 15 hours a week. Fifteen weekly hours is about 65 hours a month. At the minimum €9.55/hour that is roughly €620 gross, or with experienced and bilingual staff at €10–15/hour, about €650–975 gross. Adding the employer's Social Security (by bracket, roughly €134–216) brings the monthly total to roughly €755 at the minimum, or €785–1,190 at market rates, and registration is still mandatory from the first hour. These figures are guidance; your exact cost depends on the profile and schedule you choose.