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Side by side

Alicante or Vitoria-Gasteiz?

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 Vitoria-GasteizChange 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 · País Vasco

Vitoria-Gasteiz

The calm, green, well-planned capital of the Basque Country, with a medieval centre and a ring of woods and wetlands.

Quality of life66above average
Momentum67above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalInland cityGreen cityCycle-friendlyCool summersFast internetStrong job market

6th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Alicante

  • Stronger on connectivity (55 vs 0)
  • Airport passengers: 19.9 million a year vs 0.3 million a year
  • Frost days: 1 a year vs 13 a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 10 km vs 54 km
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 63 a year vs 150 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 Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Stronger on healthcare (92 vs 48)
  • Stronger on prosperity (89 vs 30)
  • Stronger on jobs (81 vs 36)
  • Stronger on climate (70 vs 53)
  • Stronger on digital (56 vs 37)
  • Stronger on safety (47 vs 16)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 1 a year vs 60 a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 1 a year vs 14 a year

Watch out: Cold and damp winters with fog and frost; Rents high for an inland northern city and few flats to choose from.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Alicante is better on 11 and Vitoria-Gasteiz on 17; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

55 · averageConnectivity0 · weak
53 · averageClimate70 · above average
53 · averageTransport62 · above average
48 · averageHealthcare92 · strong
37 · below averageDigital56 · average
37 · below averageHousing–
36 · below averageJobs81 · strong
30 · below averageProsperity89 · strong
16 · weakSafety47 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureAlicanteVitoria-GasteizDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.1 a month2024€9.2 a month2024Alicante 23% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€497 a month2024€645 a month2024Alicante 23% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€608 a month2024€721 a month2024Alicante 16% lower
Buying price per m²€2,279Q2 2026€2,681Q2 2026Alicante 15% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€182,336Q2 2026€214,472Q2 2026Alicante 15% lower
House prices, change in a year12.6%Q2 20265.8%Q2 2026Alicante 6.8 pts higher
Money & work
Household income per person€14,361 a year2024€18,920 a year2024Alicante 24% lower
Net income per household€36,891 a year2024€44,228 a year2024Alicante 17% lower
Unemployment14.8%20257.2%2025Alicante 7.6 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime67.9 per 1,000 people202449.5 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 37% higher
Sexual offences0.68 per 1,000 people20240.61 per 1,000 people2024Alicante 11% higher
Homicides1.37 per 100k people20250.00 per 100k people2025about the same
Robberies with violence244 per 100k people2025105 per 100k people2025Alicante 2.3×
Home burglaries185 per 100k people202598 per 100k people2025Alicante 88% higher
Thefts without violence2,206 per 100k people20251,789 per 100k people2025Alicante 23% higher
Vehicle thefts111 per 100k people202530 per 100k people2025Alicante 3.7×
Health
Life expectancy83.4 years202384.8 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.1 per 1,000 people20254.1 per 1,000 people2025about the same
Climate
Days above 35 °C14 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Alicante 10.5×
Days above 30 °C75 a year2015–202414 a year2015–2024Alicante 5.3×
Nights above 20 °C60 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Alicante 66.4×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)127 a year2015–202498 a year2015–2024Alicante 29% higher
Rainfall399 mm a year2015–2024950 mm a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 2.4×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)63 a year2015–2024150 a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 2.4×
Frost days1 a year2015–202413 a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 18.6×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)42 min202138 min2021Alicante 11% higher
Commute by public transport18% of commuters202114% of commuters2021Alicante 4.3 pts higher
Commute by car57% of commuters202153% of commuters2021Alicante 4.0 pts higher
Distance to the main airport10 km202654 km2026Vitoria-Gasteiz 5.6×
Airport passengers19.9 million a year20250.3 million a year2025Alicante 65.5×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%202599%2025Alicante 1.1 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%202599%2025Alicante 1.0 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree44%202454%2024Alicante 10.1 pts lower
People
Population366,2212025260,6992025Alicante 40% higher
Median age45.8 years202548.1 years2025Alicante 5% lower
Residents aged 65+19.9%202522.9%2025Alicante 3.0 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad28.9%202518.1%2025Alicante 10.8 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality20.7%202412.2%2024Alicante 8.5 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years6.0 points20241.7 points2024Alicante 4.3 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

70Culture, food and nightlife69
56Students55
54Founders and self-employed58
52Remote workers46
51Beach, mountains and the outdoors45
48High earners and investors64
47Young professionals71
44Retirees62
38Budget-conscious movers54
34Families with children60

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

Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Basque is co-official here
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work

Data through Jun 2026 (Alicante) and Dec 2025 (Vitoria-Gasteiz). 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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