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Side by side

Alicante or Elche?

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 AlicanteAll about ElcheChange a place

Data as of

City · Comunitat Valenciana

Alicante

A sunny port city with a long town beach, mild winters and a big, settled international community.

Quality of life49average
Momentum60above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Beach cityPort cityMild wintersInternational communityUniversity townWatch your pocketsInternational crowd

121st of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

City · Comunitat Valenciana

Elche

A palm-grove city of shoemakers and sunshine, beside Alicante's airport and a short drive from the beaches.

Quality of life51average
Momentum56average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Inland cityPalm groveMild wintersHot summersCar-dependentPleasant weatherAffordable rent

105th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Alicante

  • Stronger on digital (37 vs 20)
  • Stronger on prosperity (30 vs 11)
  • Commute by public transport: 18% of commuters vs 10% of commuters
  • Nights above 20 °C: 60 a year vs 112 a year
  • Hospital beds: 4.1 per 1,000 people vs 2.9 per 1,000 people
  • Adults with a university degree: 44% vs 32%
  • Mild bright winters and an airport close to the city
  • A walkable centre with a beach a few minutes away

Watch out: A seasonal population that swells in summer and at the Hogueras; Crowded beach and nightlife areas in summer.

Why Elche

  • Stronger on safety (52 vs 16)
  • Days above 35 °C: 1 a year vs 14 a year
  • Robberies with violence: 65 per 100k people vs 244 per 100k people
  • Thefts without violence: 1,046 per 100k people vs 2,206 per 100k people
  • Recorded crime: 40.2 per 1,000 people vs 67.9 per 1,000 people
  • Low rents and house prices near a major airport
  • Sunny and dry winters with the airport a short drive away

Watch out: Hot and sticky summer nights; A weak job market with high unemployment and low local incomes.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Alicante is better on 10 and Elche on 15; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

55 · averageConnectivity57 · average
53 · averageClimate63 · above average
53 · averageTransport47 · average
48 · averageHealthcare48 · average
37 · below averageDigital20 · weak
37 · below averageHousing48 · average
36 · below averageJobs33 · below average
30 · below averageProsperity11 · weak
16 · weakSafety52 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureAlicanteElcheDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.1 a month2024€5.4 a month2024Alicante 30% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€497 a month2024€381 a month2024Alicante 30% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€608 a month2024€482 a month2024Alicante 26% higher
Rents, change in a year5.1%20245.0%2024about the same
Buying price per m²€2,279Q2 2026€1,635Q2 2026Alicante 39% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€182,336Q2 2026€130,808Q2 2026Alicante 39% higher
House prices, change in a year12.6%Q2 202613.9%Q2 2026Alicante 1.4 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€14,361 a year2024€12,552 a year2024Alicante 14% higher
Net income per household€36,891 a year2024€33,516 a year2024Alicante 10% higher
Unemployment14.8%202514.8%2025about the same
Safety
Recorded crime67.9 per 1,000 people202440.2 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 69% higher
Sexual offences0.68 per 1,000 people20240.54 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 26% higher
Homicides1.37 per 100k people20251.22 per 100k people2025Alicante 12% higher
Robberies with violence244 per 100k people202565 per 100k people2025Alicante 3.7×
Home burglaries185 per 100k people2025140 per 100k people2025Alicante 32% higher
Thefts without violence2,206 per 100k people20251,046 per 100k people2025Alicante 2.1×
Vehicle thefts111 per 100k people2025107 per 100k people2025about the same
Health
Life expectancy83.4 years202383.4 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.1 per 1,000 people20252.9 per 1,000 people2025Alicante 41% higher
Climate
Days above 35 °C14 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Alicante 22.8×
Days above 30 °C75 a year2015–202436 a year2015–2024Alicante 2.1×
Nights above 20 °C60 a year2015–2024112 a year2015–2024Alicante 47% lower
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)127 a year2015–2024161 a year2015–2024Alicante 21% lower
Rainfall399 mm a year2015–2024385 mm a year2015–2024about the same
Rainy days (≥1 mm)63 a year2015–202459 a year2015–2024Alicante 6% higher
Frost days1 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)42 min202136 min2021Alicante 17% higher
Commute by public transport18% of commuters202110% of commuters2021Alicante 8.6 pts higher
Commute by car57% of commuters202167% of commuters2021Alicante 10.1 pts lower
Distance to the main airport10 km202610 km2026about the same
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%202596%2025Alicante 2.1 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door98%202598%2025Alicante 0.5 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree44%202432%2024Alicante 11.7 pts higher
People
Population366,2212025245,5572025Alicante 49% higher
Median age45.8 years202545.5 years2025about the same
Residents aged 65+19.9%202518.9%2025Alicante 1.0 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad28.9%202518.6%2025Alicante 10.3 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality20.7%202414.2%2024Alicante 6.5 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years6.0 points20243.0 points2024Alicante 3.0 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

70Culture, food and nightlife52
56Students52
54Founders and self-employed46
52Remote workers54
51Beach, mountains and the outdoors66
48High earners and investors53
47Young professionals43
44Retirees58
38Budget-conscious movers54
34Families with children51

Weather through the year

5°20°35°JFMAMJJASOND
Solid: average daily high · dashed: average nightly low, °C.

Our read of each

Alicante

  • Some English, but learn Spanish early
  • Valencian is co-official here
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Easy to fly home
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work

Elche

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Valencian is co-official here
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • You will probably want a car
  • Line up work before you come

Data through Jun 2026 (Alicante) and Jun 2026 (Elche). 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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