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Side by side

Alicante or Valladolid?

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 ValladolidChange 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 · Castilla y León

Valladolid

A solid, flat, well-run industrial city on the Castilian plateau, with good schools, cold winters and few tourists.

Quality of life64above average
Momentum67above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalUniversity townIndustrial cityCold and foggy wintersVery safeSafety firstFast internet

13th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Alicante

  • Stronger on connectivity (55 vs 0)
  • Airport passengers: 19.9 million a year vs 0.1 million a year
  • Frost days: 1 a year vs 45 a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 10 km vs 161 km
  • Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 127 a year vs 93 a year
  • 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 Valladolid

  • Stronger on safety (80 vs 16)
  • Stronger on prosperity (79 vs 30)
  • Stronger on healthcare (78 vs 48)
  • Stronger on digital (76 vs 37)
  • Stronger on housing (62 vs 37)
  • Stronger on jobs (57 vs 36)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 4 a year vs 60 a year
  • Robberies with violence: 44 per 100k people vs 244 per 100k people

Watch out: Cold foggy winters with a long run of frost; An old population and a quiet nightlife and international scene.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Alicante is better on 7 and Valladolid on 21; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

55 · averageConnectivity0 · weak
53 · averageClimate53 · average
53 · averageTransport54 · average
48 · averageHealthcare78 · strong
37 · below averageDigital76 · strong
37 · below averageHousing62 · above average
36 · below averageJobs57 · average
30 · below averageProsperity79 · strong
16 · weakSafety80 · strong

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureAlicanteValladolidDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.1 a month2024€6.8 a month2024Alicante 5% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€497 a month2024€473 a month2024Alicante 5% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€608 a month2024€531 a month2024Alicante 14% higher
Rents, change in a year5.1%20243.0%2024Alicante 2.1 pts higher
Buying price per m²€2,279Q2 2026€1,946Q2 2026Alicante 17% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€182,336Q2 2026€155,720Q2 2026Alicante 17% higher
House prices, change in a year12.6%Q2 202617.3%Q2 2026Alicante 4.7 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€14,361 a year2024€17,380 a year2024Alicante 17% lower
Net income per household€36,891 a year2024€39,685 a year2024Alicante 7% lower
Unemployment14.8%202510.6%2025Alicante 4.3 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime67.9 per 1,000 people202437.1 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 83% higher
Sexual offences0.68 per 1,000 people20240.34 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 2.0×
Homicides1.37 per 100k people20250.00 per 100k people2025about the same
Robberies with violence244 per 100k people202544 per 100k people2025Alicante 5.6×
Home burglaries185 per 100k people2025102 per 100k people2025Alicante 80% higher
Thefts without violence2,206 per 100k people2025898 per 100k people2025Alicante 2.5×
Vehicle thefts111 per 100k people202523 per 100k people2025Alicante 4.7×
Health
Life expectancy83.4 years202384.1 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.1 per 1,000 people20256.4 per 1,000 people2025Alicante 35% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C14 a year2015–202414 a year2015–2024about the same
Days above 30 °C75 a year2015–202458 a year2015–2024Alicante 29% higher
Nights above 20 °C60 a year2015–20244 a year2015–2024Alicante 16.6×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)127 a year2015–202493 a year2015–2024Alicante 36% higher
Rainfall399 mm a year2015–2024443 mm a year2015–2024Alicante 10% lower
Rainy days (≥1 mm)63 a year2015–202485 a year2015–2024Alicante 26% lower
Frost days1 a year2015–202445 a year2015–2024Valladolid 63.7×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)42 min202143 min2021about the same
Commute by public transport18% of commuters202115% of commuters2021Alicante 3.3 pts higher
Commute by car57% of commuters202152% of commuters2021Alicante 5.2 pts higher
Distance to the main airport10 km2026161 km2026Valladolid 16.6×
Airport passengers19.9 million a year20250.1 million a year2025Alicante 228.6×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%2025100%2025Alicante 1.7 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%2025100%2025Alicante 1.5 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree44%202452%2024Alicante 8.0 pts lower
People
Population366,2212025302,6142025Alicante 21% higher
Median age45.8 years202553.1 years2025Alicante 14% lower
Residents aged 65+19.9%202528.3%2025Alicante 8.4 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad28.9%202512.2%2025Alicante 16.7 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality20.7%20247.9%2024Alicante 12.8 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years6.0 points20242.7 points2024Alicante 3.3 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

70Culture, food and nightlife60
56Students60
54Founders and self-employed55
52Remote workers52
51Beach, mountains and the outdoors38
48High earners and investors64
47Young professionals59
44Retirees59
38Budget-conscious movers62
34Families with children69

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

Valladolid

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Winters need real heating
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

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