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Side by side

Barcelona or Gijón?

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 BarcelonaAll about GijónChange a place

Data as of

City · Cataluña

Barcelona

The beach, Gaudí and an international crowd, packed into one compact, walkable city between the sea and the hills.

Quality of life62above average
Momentum36below average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Beach cityRegional capitalTourist-heavy centreDesign cityBilingual: Catalan & SpanishWatch your pocketsFast internetPricey rentGlobal airport

23rd of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

City · Principado de Asturias

Gijón

Asturias's biggest city: a surf-and-cider seaside town with a steel past, low crime and a lot of rain.

Quality of life60above average
Momentum67above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Beach cityPort cityGreen and rainyCool summersCider culture

39th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Barcelona

  • Stronger on prosperity (92 vs 76)
  • Stronger on healthcare (82 vs 29)
  • Stronger on digital (77 vs 47)
  • Stronger on connectivity (65 vs 3)
  • Airport passengers: 57.4 million a year vs 2.0 million a year
  • Commute by public transport: 43% of commuters vs 18% of commuters
  • Hospital beds: 6.0 per 1,000 people vs 3.7 per 1,000 people
  • Distance to the main airport: 12 km vs 30 km

Watch out: Visitor crowds and noise in the old town for much of the year; Crowded beaches and sights in summer.

Why Gijón

  • Stronger on climate (80 vs 57)
  • Stronger on safety (74 vs 13)
  • Stronger on housing (70 vs 42)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 2 a year vs 53 a year
  • Robberies with violence: 69 per 100k people vs 730 per 100k people
  • Days above 35 °C: 0 a year vs 3 a year
  • Vehicle thefts: 21 per 100k people vs 166 per 100k people
  • A city beach and a surf scene with green hills behind

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, Barcelona is better on 13 and Gijón on 17; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

92 · strongProsperity76 · strong
82 · strongHealthcare29 · below average
77 · strongDigital47 · average
65 · above averageConnectivity3 · weak
65 · above averageTransport55 · average
57 · averageClimate80 · strong
56 · averageJobs66 · above average
42 · averageHousing70 · above average
13 · weakSafety74 · above average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBarcelonaGijónDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€13.7 a month2024€7.2 a month2024Barcelona 90% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€958 a month2024€505 a month2024Barcelona 90% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€900 a month2024€509 a month2024Barcelona 77% higher
Rents, change in a year3.3%20242.6%2024Barcelona 0.7 pts higher
Buying price per m²€4,602Q2 2026€2,343Q2 2026Barcelona 2.0×
Price of an 80 m² flat€368,144Q2 2026€187,464Q2 2026Barcelona 2.0×
House prices, change in a year6.9%Q2 202612.5%Q2 2026Barcelona 5.6 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,326 a year2024€17,103 a year2024Barcelona 19% higher
Net income per household€49,915 a year2024€37,943 a year2024Barcelona 32% higher
Unemployment7.7%20259.4%2025Barcelona 1.7 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime103.5 per 1,000 people202436.5 per 1,000 people2024Barcelona 2.8×
Sexual offences0.75 per 1,000 people20240.31 per 1,000 people2024Barcelona 2.4×
Homicides0.58 per 100k people20250.37 per 100k people2025Barcelona 56% higher
Robberies with violence730 per 100k people202569 per 100k people2025Barcelona 10.7×
Home burglaries204 per 100k people202589 per 100k people2025Barcelona 2.3×
Thefts without violence4,430 per 100k people20251,117 per 100k people2025Barcelona 4.0×
Vehicle thefts166 per 100k people202521 per 100k people2025Barcelona 7.7×
Health
Life expectancy84.3 years202382.7 years2023about the same
Hospital beds6.0 per 1,000 people20253.7 per 1,000 people2025Barcelona 62% higher
Climate
Days above 35 °C3 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024Barcelona 8.0×
Days above 30 °C50 a year2015–20246 a year2015–2024Barcelona 8.3×
Nights above 20 °C53 a year2015–20242 a year2015–2024Barcelona 29.6×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)111 a year2015–2024116 a year2015–2024Barcelona 4% lower
Rainfall566 mm a year2015–20241,054 mm a year2015–2024Barcelona 46% lower
Rainy days (≥1 mm)86 a year2015–2024153 a year2015–2024Barcelona 43% lower
Frost days4 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)51 min202141 min2021Barcelona 26% higher
Commute by public transport43% of commuters202118% of commuters2021Barcelona 25.0 pts higher
Commute by car24% of commuters202157% of commuters2021Barcelona 32.8 pts lower
Distance to the main airport12 km202630 km2026Gijón 2.4×
Airport passengers57.4 million a year20252.0 million a year2025Barcelona 28.1×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202598%2025Barcelona 1.0 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door99%202598%2025Barcelona 0.9 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree62%202450%2024Barcelona 11.4 pts higher
People
Population1,731,6492025269,8942025Barcelona 6.4×
Median age41.8 years202552.9 years2025Barcelona 21% lower
Residents aged 65+21.0%202528.3%2025Barcelona 7.3 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad34.6%202513.5%2025Barcelona 21.1 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality23.3%20247.5%2024Barcelona 15.8 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years1.7 points20242.2 points2024Barcelona 0.5 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

83Culture, food and nightlife61
68Founders and self-employed54
62Young professionals63
62Beach, mountains and the outdoors59
60Remote workers52
60Students61
56Retirees61
56High earners and investors59
39Families with children62
29Budget-conscious movers65

Weather through the year

0°18°35°JFMAMJJASOND
Solid: average daily high · dashed: average nightly low, °C.

Our read of each

Barcelona

  • English gets you by day to day
  • Catalan is co-official here
  • Budget for the new-lease price
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • You can live without a car
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Easy to fly home
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work
  • Public waiting lists are long
  • A younger crowd

Gijón

  • Some English, but learn Spanish early
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

Data through Jun 2026 (Barcelona) 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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