Side by side
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 GijónChange a place
Data as of
City · Comunitat Valenciana
A sunny port city with a long town beach, mild winters and a big, settled international community.
121st of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000
City · Principado de Asturias
Asturias's biggest city: a surf-and-cider seaside town with a steel past, low crime and a lot of rain.
39th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000
Watch out: A seasonal population that swells in summer and at the Hogueras; Crowded beach and nightlife areas in summer.
Watch out: Grey and wet weather for much of the year; A small job market with modest pay and young people leaving.
Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Alicante is better on 6 and Gijón on 14; the rest are close or have no better direction.
| Figure | Alicante | Gijón | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent per m² | €7.1 a month2024 | €7.2 a month2024 | about the same |
| Rent for a 70 m² flat | €497 a month2024 | €505 a month2024 | about the same |
| Typical rent, existing lease | €608 a month2024 | €509 a month2024 | Alicante 19% higher |
| Rents, change in a year | 5.1%2024 | 2.6%2024 | Alicante 2.5 pts higher |
| Buying price per m² | €2,279Q2 2026 | €2,343Q2 2026 | about the same |
| Price of an 80 m² flat | €182,336Q2 2026 | €187,464Q2 2026 | about the same |
| House prices, change in a year | 12.6%Q2 2026 | 12.5%Q2 2026 | about the same |
| Money & work | |||
| Household income per person | €14,361 a year2024 | €17,103 a year2024 | Alicante 16% lower |
| Net income per household | €36,891 a year2024 | €37,943 a year2024 | about the same |
| Unemployment | 14.8%2025 | 9.4%2025 | Alicante 5.4 pts higher |
| Safety | |||
| Recorded crime | 67.9 per 1,000 people2024 | 36.5 per 1,000 people2024 | Alicante 86% higher |
| Sexual offences | 0.68 per 1,000 people2024 | 0.31 per 1,000 people2024 | Alicante 2.2× |
| Homicides | 1.37 per 100k people2025 | 0.37 per 100k people2025 | Alicante 3.7× |
| Robberies with violence | 244 per 100k people2025 | 69 per 100k people2025 | Alicante 3.6× |
| Home burglaries | 185 per 100k people2025 | 89 per 100k people2025 | Alicante 2.1× |
| Thefts without violence | 2,206 per 100k people2025 | 1,117 per 100k people2025 | Alicante 2.0× |
| Vehicle thefts | 111 per 100k people2025 | 21 per 100k people2025 | Alicante 5.1× |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 83.4 years2023 | 82.7 years2023 | about the same |
| Hospital beds | 4.1 per 1,000 people2025 | 3.7 per 1,000 people2025 | Alicante 12% higher |
| Climate | |||
| Days above 35 °C | 14 a year2015–2024 | 0 a year2015–2024 | Alicante 34.2× |
| Days above 30 °C | 75 a year2015–2024 | 6 a year2015–2024 | Alicante 12.5× |
| Nights above 20 °C | 60 a year2015–2024 | 2 a year2015–2024 | Alicante 33.2× |
| Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry) | 127 a year2015–2024 | 116 a year2015–2024 | Alicante 10% higher |
| Rainfall | 399 mm a year2015–2024 | 1,054 mm a year2015–2024 | Gijón 2.6× |
| Rainy days (≥1 mm) | 63 a year2015–2024 | 153 a year2015–2024 | Gijón 2.4× |
| Frost days | 1 a year2015–2024 | 0 a year2015–2024 | about the same |
| Getting around | |||
| Average commute (one way) | 42 min2021 | 41 min2021 | about the same |
| Commute by public transport | 18% of commuters2021 | 18% of commuters2021 | Alicante 0.5 pts higher |
| Commute by car | 57% of commuters2021 | 57% of commuters2021 | about the same |
| Distance to the main airport | 10 km2026 | 30 km2026 | Gijón 3.1× |
| Airport passengers | 19.9 million a year2025 | 2.0 million a year2025 | Alicante 9.7× |
| Internet | |||
| Homes that can get gigabit internet | 98%2025 | 98%2025 | about the same |
| Homes with fibre to the door | 98%2025 | 98%2025 | about the same |
| Education | |||
| Adults with a university degree | 44%2024 | 50%2024 | Alicante 6.1 pts lower |
| People | |||
| Population | 366,2212025 | 269,8942025 | Alicante 36% higher |
| Median age | 45.8 years2025 | 52.9 years2025 | Alicante 13% lower |
| Residents aged 65+ | 19.9%2025 | 28.3%2025 | Alicante 8.4 pts lower |
| Who lives here | |||
| Residents born abroad | 28.9%2025 | 13.5%2025 | Alicante 15.4 pts higher |
| Residents with a foreign nationality | 20.7%2024 | 7.5%2024 | Alicante 13.2 pts higher |
| Foreign residents, change in 5 years | 6.0 points2024 | 2.2 points2024 | Alicante 3.8 pts higher |
Data through Jun 2026 (Alicante) and Jun 2026 (Gijón). 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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