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Side by side

Alicante or Valencia?

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 ValenciaChange 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

Valencia

Sea, sun and a city you can cross by bike, with a river-bed park, a city beach and the home of paella.

Quality of life54average
Momentum44average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Beach cityRegional capitalUniversity townBike-friendlyPort cityWatch your pocketsFast internetInternational crowd

88th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Alicante

  • Stronger on housing (37 vs 20)
  • Frost days: 1 a year vs 4 a year
  • Airport passengers: 19.9 million a year vs 11.8 million a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 14 a year vs 24 a year
  • House prices, change in a year: 12.6% vs 17.0%
  • 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 Valencia

  • Stronger on digital (88 vs 37)
  • Stronger on prosperity (75 vs 30)
  • Homicides: 0.71 per 100k people vs 1.37 per 100k people
  • Unemployment: 10.9% vs 14.8%
  • Vehicle thefts: 83 per 100k people vs 111 per 100k people
  • Adults with a university degree: 55% vs 44%
  • A flat and bikeable city with a beach and an airport
  • Warm winters and a long spring that suit working outdoors

Watch out: Competition for flats in Ruzafa and El Carmen; Crowds around the centre and the beach in summer.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Alicante is better on 14 and Valencia on 14; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

55 · averageConnectivity46 · average
53 · averageClimate51 · average
53 · averageTransport64 · above average
48 · averageHealthcare46 · average
37 · below averageDigital88 · strong
37 · below averageHousing20 · weak
36 · below averageJobs37 · below average
30 · below averageProsperity75 · above average
16 · weakSafety20 · weak

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureAlicanteValenciaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.1 a month2024€8.2 a month2024Alicante 13% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€497 a month2024€573 a month2024Alicante 13% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€608 a month2024€681 a month2024Alicante 11% lower
Rents, change in a year5.1%20245.9%2024Alicante 0.8 pts lower
Buying price per m²€2,279Q2 2026€2,973Q2 2026Alicante 23% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€182,336Q2 2026€237,824Q2 2026Alicante 23% lower
House prices, change in a year12.6%Q2 202617.0%Q2 2026Alicante 4.4 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€14,361 a year2024€16,944 a year2024Alicante 15% lower
Net income per household€36,891 a year2024€42,374 a year2024Alicante 13% lower
Unemployment14.8%202510.9%2025Alicante 4.0 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime67.9 per 1,000 people202475.3 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 10% lower
Sexual offences0.68 per 1,000 people20240.54 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 26% higher
Homicides1.37 per 100k people20250.71 per 100k people2025Alicante 1.9×
Robberies with violence244 per 100k people2025248 per 100k people2025about the same
Home burglaries185 per 100k people2025188 per 100k people2025about the same
Thefts without violence2,206 per 100k people20252,811 per 100k people2025Alicante 22% lower
Vehicle thefts111 per 100k people202583 per 100k people2025Alicante 33% higher
Health
Life expectancy83.4 years202383.3 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.1 per 1,000 people20255.0 per 1,000 people2025Alicante 17% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C14 a year2015–202424 a year2015–2024Alicante 42% lower
Days above 30 °C75 a year2015–202481 a year2015–2024Alicante 7% lower
Nights above 20 °C60 a year2015–202453 a year2015–2024Alicante 12% higher
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)127 a year2015–2024119 a year2015–2024Alicante 7% higher
Rainfall399 mm a year2015–2024462 mm a year2015–2024Alicante 14% lower
Rainy days (≥1 mm)63 a year2015–202470 a year2015–2024Alicante 10% lower
Frost days1 a year2015–20244 a year2015–2024Valencia 6.0×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)42 min202142 min2021about the same
Commute by public transport18% of commuters202122% of commuters2021Alicante 3.5 pts lower
Commute by car57% of commuters202148% of commuters2021Alicante 9.0 pts higher
Distance to the main airport10 km20269 km2026Alicante 5% higher
Airport passengers19.9 million a year202511.8 million a year2025Alicante 69% higher
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%2025100%2025Alicante 1.8 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%2025100%2025Alicante 1.7 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree44%202455%2024Alicante 10.5 pts lower
People
Population366,2212025840,7922025Valencia 2.3×
Median age45.8 years202546.0 years2025about the same
Residents aged 65+19.9%202521.4%2025Alicante 1.5 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad28.9%202526.5%2025Alicante 2.4 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality20.7%202418.8%2024Alicante 1.9 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years6.0 points20245.1 points2024Alicante 0.9 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

70Culture, food and nightlife62
56Students51
54Founders and self-employed59
52Remote workers61
51Beach, mountains and the outdoors62
48High earners and investors49
47Young professionals48
44Retirees46
38Budget-conscious movers28
34Families with children33

Weather through the year

0°18°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

Valencia

  • English gets you by day to day
  • Valencian is co-official here
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work

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