Informed Move
Menu
Updated Contains AI-generated informationMore information

Side by side

Alicante or Vigo?

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 VigoChange 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 · Galicia

Vigo

Galicia's biggest city: a working port and car-making town on a spectacular bay, with oysters, hills and rain.

Quality of life59average
Momentum63above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Port cityIndustrial cityGreen and rainySeafood cityHilly streets

55th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Alicante

  • Stronger on connectivity (55 vs 1)
  • Airport passengers: 19.9 million a year vs 1.1 million a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 10 km vs 77 km
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 63 a year vs 137 a year
  • Commute by public transport: 18% of commuters vs 13% of commuters
  • 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 Vigo

  • Stronger on climate (79 vs 53)
  • Stronger on safety (64 vs 16)
  • Stronger on prosperity (63 vs 30)
  • Stronger on housing (60 vs 37)
  • Stronger on jobs (52 vs 36)
  • Stronger on digital (49 vs 37)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 1 a year vs 60 a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 1 a year vs 14 a year

Watch out: Rain on well over a hundred days a year and damp homes in winter; A plain functional centre and steep streets.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Alicante is better on 8 and Vigo on 18; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

55 · averageConnectivity1 · weak
53 · averageClimate79 · strong
53 · averageTransport47 · average
48 · averageHealthcare56 · average
37 · below averageDigital49 · average
37 · below averageHousing60 · average
36 · below averageJobs52 · average
30 · below averageProsperity63 · above average
16 · weakSafety64 · above average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureAlicanteVigoDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.1 a month2024€7.6 a month2024Alicante 7% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€497 a month2024€533 a month2024Alicante 7% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€608 a month2024€549 a month2024Alicante 11% higher
Rents, change in a year5.1%20243.0%2024Alicante 2.1 pts higher
Buying price per m²€2,279Q2 2026€2,346Q2 2026about the same
Price of an 80 m² flat€182,336Q2 2026€187,704Q2 2026about the same
House prices, change in a year12.6%Q2 202612.2%Q2 2026about the same
Money & work
Household income per person€14,361 a year2024€16,256 a year2024Alicante 12% lower
Net income per household€36,891 a year2024€40,775 a year2024Alicante 10% lower
Unemployment14.8%202510.9%2025Alicante 4.0 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime67.9 per 1,000 people202441.3 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 65% higher
Sexual offences0.68 per 1,000 people20240.51 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 33% higher
Homicides1.37 per 100k people20250.34 per 100k people2025Alicante 4.0×
Robberies with violence244 per 100k people202550 per 100k people2025Alicante 4.9×
Home burglaries185 per 100k people202576 per 100k people2025Alicante 2.4×
Thefts without violence2,206 per 100k people2025974 per 100k people2025Alicante 2.3×
Vehicle thefts111 per 100k people202545 per 100k people2025Alicante 2.4×
Health
Life expectancy83.4 years202383.5 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.1 per 1,000 people20257.6 per 1,000 people2025Alicante 46% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C14 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Alicante 15.2×
Days above 30 °C75 a year2015–202416 a year2015–2024Alicante 4.6×
Nights above 20 °C60 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Alicante 42.7×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)127 a year2015–2024120 a year2015–2024Alicante 6% higher
Rainfall399 mm a year2015–20241,288 mm a year2015–2024Vigo 3.2×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)63 a year2015–2024137 a year2015–2024Vigo 2.2×
Frost days1 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024Alicante 7.0×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)42 min202139 min2021Alicante 7% higher
Commute by public transport18% of commuters202113% of commuters2021Alicante 4.9 pts higher
Commute by car57% of commuters202162% of commuters2021Alicante 4.8 pts lower
Distance to the main airport10 km202677 km2026Vigo 7.9×
Airport passengers19.9 million a year20251.1 million a year2025Alicante 17.9×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%202598%2025about the same
Homes with fibre to the door98%202598%2025about the same
Education
Adults with a university degree44%202450%2024Alicante 5.7 pts lower
People
Population366,2212025294,4892025Alicante 24% higher
Median age45.8 years202550.0 years2025Alicante 8% lower
Residents aged 65+19.9%202524.7%2025Alicante 4.8 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad28.9%202515.0%2025Alicante 13.9 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality20.7%20247.3%2024Alicante 13.4 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years6.0 points20241.9 points2024Alicante 4.1 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

70Culture, food and nightlife59
56Students55
54Founders and self-employed50
52Remote workers50
51Beach, mountains and the outdoors59
48High earners and investors58
47Young professionals53
44Retirees63
38Budget-conscious movers54
34Families with children59

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

Vigo

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

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

Need certainty before you act?

For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.

Consult with a human specialist

For decisions that depend on your own circumstances, a qualified human professional should look at your case. Tell us what you need help with and we will reply by email.

Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.

What matters to me

Tell us who you are and what you care about. Fit scores and rankings across the site follow your answers.