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Side by side

A Coruña or Bilbao?

Each place uses its own local data. National rules (economy, geopolitical stability, governance, tax & finance) are the same for both, so they cannot separate them. Neither wins everywhere; the tradeoffs below are what matter.

All about A CoruñaAll about BilbaoChange a place

Data as of

City · Galicia

A Coruña

A glass-fronted port city on a peninsula, with a Roman lighthouse, a long seafront and the Atlantic on three sides.

Quality of life63above average
Momentum56average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Port cityBeach cityGreen and rainyCool summersSeafood capital

18th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

City · País Vasco

Bilbao

A food city that reinvented itself around the Guggenheim, with green hills, cool summers and serious pintxos.

Quality of life66above average
Momentum68above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalFormer industrial portGreen and rainyFood cityCo-official BasqueFast internetPricey rentLive without a car

5th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why A Coruña

  • Stronger on climate (85 vs 67)
  • Stronger on digital (70 vs 58)
  • Stronger on safety (54 vs 27)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 0 a year vs 23 a year
  • Hospital beds: 7.2 per 1,000 people vs 4.0 per 1,000 people
  • Robberies with violence: 87 per 100k people vs 217 per 100k people
  • Sexual offences: 0.25 per 1,000 people vs 0.57 per 1,000 people
  • A compact city with a long walkable seafront and city beaches

Watch out: Rain and wind for much of the year; Few direct flights so Santiago or Madrid are the usual hubs.

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 61)
  • Stronger on connectivity (56 vs 1)
  • Airport passengers: 7.1 million a year vs 1.3 million a year
  • Commute by public transport: 37% of commuters vs 19% of commuters
  • Distance to the main airport: 5 km vs 52 km
  • Days above 35 °C: 0 a year vs 0 a year
  • A mid-sized city with a metro and tram and a strong Basque identity
  • A serious food culture and a bar life built around the pintxo

Watch out: Rain on many days of the year; Hills that shape where and how the city can grow.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, A Coruña is better on 15 and Bilbao on 9; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

86 · strongProsperity93 · strong
85 · strongClimate67 · above average
70 · above averageDigital58 · average
70 · above averageHealthcare74 · above average
64 · above averageJobs70 · above average
61 · above averageTransport76 · strong
54 · averageSafety27 · below average
49 · averageHousing–
1 · weakConnectivity56 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureA CoruñaBilbaoDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.1 a month2024€11.5 a month2024A Coruña 38% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€497 a month2024€806 a month2024A Coruña 38% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€538 a month2024€800 a month2024A Coruña 33% lower
Buying price per m²€2,775Q2 2026€3,529Q2 2026A Coruña 21% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€221,984Q2 2026€282,344Q2 2026A Coruña 21% lower
House prices, change in a year7.9%Q2 20268.0%Q2 2026about the same
Money & work
Household income per person€18,040 a year2024€20,598 a year2024A Coruña 12% lower
Net income per household€41,843 a year2024€47,550 a year2024A Coruña 12% lower
Unemployment8.5%20259.0%2025A Coruña 0.6 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime50.0 per 1,000 people202468.1 per 1,000 people2024A Coruña 27% lower
Sexual offences0.25 per 1,000 people20240.57 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 2.3×
Homicides1.19 per 100k people20250.85 per 100k people2025A Coruña 40% higher
Robberies with violence87 per 100k people2025217 per 100k people2025Bilbao 2.5×
Home burglaries80 per 100k people2025122 per 100k people2025A Coruña 35% lower
Thefts without violence1,394 per 100k people20252,993 per 100k people2025Bilbao 2.1×
Vehicle thefts15 per 100k people202524 per 100k people2025A Coruña 37% lower
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202383.9 years2023about the same
Hospital beds7.2 per 1,000 people20254.0 per 1,000 people2025A Coruña 82% higher
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024A Coruña 5.0×
Days above 30 °C5 a year2015–20244 a year2015–2024A Coruña 34% higher
Nights above 20 °C0 a year2015–202423 a year2015–2024Bilbao 232.0×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)118 a year2015–2024107 a year2015–2024A Coruña 10% higher
Rainfall1,118 mm a year2015–20241,146 mm a year2015–2024about the same
Rainy days (≥1 mm)147 a year2015–2024153 a year2015–2024about the same
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202140 min2021about the same
Commute by public transport19% of commuters202137% of commuters2021A Coruña 17.6 pts lower
Commute by car53% of commuters202130% of commuters2021A Coruña 23.6 pts higher
Distance to the main airport52 km20265 km2026A Coruña 11.0×
Airport passengers1.3 million a year20257.1 million a year2025Bilbao 5.4×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202599%2025about the same
Homes with fibre to the door99%202599%2025about the same
Education
Adults with a university degree57%202458%2024A Coruña 0.7 pts lower
People
Population251,5432025351,1242025A Coruña 28% lower
Median age49.9 years202550.5 years2025about the same
Residents aged 65+25.7%202525.3%2025about the same
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.8%202517.6%2025about the same
Residents with a foreign nationality8.9%202411.7%2024A Coruña 2.8 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.9 points20242.0 points2024A Coruña 0.9 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

72Culture, food and nightlife54
66Young professionals56
64Retirees66
62Students51
60High earners and investors63
59Founders and self-employed63
59Beach, mountains and the outdoors69
58Budget-conscious movers33
57Families with children48
55Remote workers60

Weather through the year

5°15°25°JFMAMJJASOND
Solid: average daily high · dashed: average nightly low, °C.

Our read of each

A Coruña

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Galician is co-official here
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

Bilbao

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Basque is co-official here
  • You can live without a car
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

Data through Jun 2026 (A Coruña) and Dec 2025 (Bilbao). Figures are compared only when both places publish them in the same unit; a dot marks the better value where better is clear.

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