Informed Move
Menu
Updated Contains AI-generated informationMore information

Side by side

Barcelona or Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

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 Las Palmas de Gran CanariaChange 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 · Canarias

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

A big Atlantic port city with a city beach, an all-year spring climate and a growing remote-working crowd.

Quality of life47average
Momentum34below average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Island capitalBeach cityPort cityYear-round mild climateSurf cityPleasant weather

132nd of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Barcelona

  • Stronger on prosperity (92 vs 58)
  • Stronger on healthcare (82 vs 5)
  • Stronger on digital (77 vs 48)
  • Stronger on connectivity (65 vs 19)
  • Stronger on jobs (56 vs 11)
  • Airport passengers: 57.4 million a year vs 15.7 million a year
  • Homicides: 0.58 per 100k people vs 2.10 per 100k people
  • Commute by public transport: 43% of commuters vs 25% of commuters

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

Why Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

  • Stronger on climate (72 vs 57)
  • Stronger on safety (32 vs 13)
  • Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 319 a year vs 111 a year
  • Robberies with violence: 130 per 100k people vs 730 per 100k people
  • Thefts without violence: 1,182 per 100k people vs 4,430 per 100k people
  • Home burglaries: 63 per 100k people vs 204 per 100k people
  • One of the steadiest climates in Europe and a city beach in town
  • A working city with a university and a port and not a resort

Watch out: A small low-paid job market and high unemployment; Distance from the mainland with flights of several hours.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Barcelona is better on 13 and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 15; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

92 · strongProsperity58 · average
82 · strongHealthcare5 · weak
77 · strongDigital48 · average
65 · above averageConnectivity19 · weak
65 · above averageTransport56 · average
57 · averageClimate72 · above average
56 · averageJobs11 · weak
42 · averageHousing48 · average
13 · weakSafety32 · below average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBarcelonaLas Palmas de Gran CanariaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€13.7 a month2024€8.1 a month2024Barcelona 69% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€958 a month2024€567 a month2024Barcelona 69% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€900 a month2024€600 a month2024Barcelona 50% higher
Rents, change in a year3.3%20243.3%2024about the same
Buying price per m²€4,602Q2 2026€2,337Q2 2026Barcelona 2.0×
Price of an 80 m² flat€368,144Q2 2026€186,992Q2 2026Barcelona 2.0×
House prices, change in a year6.9%Q2 202614.2%Q2 2026Barcelona 7.3 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,326 a year2024€16,088 a year2024Barcelona 26% higher
Net income per household€49,915 a year2024€41,738 a year2024Barcelona 20% higher
Unemployment7.7%202517.4%2025Barcelona 9.7 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime103.5 per 1,000 people202451.3 per 1,000 people2024Barcelona 2.0×
Sexual offences0.75 per 1,000 people20240.68 per 1,000 people2024Barcelona 10% higher
Homicides0.58 per 100k people20252.10 per 100k people2025Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 3.6×
Robberies with violence730 per 100k people2025130 per 100k people2025Barcelona 5.6×
Home burglaries204 per 100k people202563 per 100k people2025Barcelona 3.3×
Thefts without violence4,430 per 100k people20251,182 per 100k people2025Barcelona 3.7×
Vehicle thefts166 per 100k people202581 per 100k people2025Barcelona 2.1×
Health
Life expectancy84.3 years202381.3 years2023about the same
Hospital beds6.0 per 1,000 people20257.0 per 1,000 people2025Barcelona 15% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C3 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Days above 30 °C50 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Nights above 20 °C53 a year2015–2024156 a year2015–2024Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2.9×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)111 a year2015–2024319 a year2015–2024Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2.9×
Rainfall566 mm a year2015–2024163 mm a year2015–2024Barcelona 3.5×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)86 a year2015–202435 a year2015–2024Barcelona 2.4×
Frost days4 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)51 min202142 min2021Barcelona 24% higher
Commute by public transport43% of commuters202125% of commuters2021Barcelona 17.9 pts higher
Commute by car24% of commuters202158% of commuters2021Barcelona 33.9 pts lower
Distance to the main airport12 km202622 km2026Barcelona 43% lower
Airport passengers57.4 million a year202515.7 million a year2025Barcelona 3.6×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202597%2025Barcelona 2.0 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door99%202598%2025Barcelona 1.3 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree62%202442%2024Barcelona 19.7 pts higher
People
Population1,731,6492025381,8682025Barcelona 4.5×
Median age41.8 years202548.7 years2025Barcelona 14% lower
Residents aged 65+21.0%202520.7%2025about the same
Who lives here
Residents born abroad34.6%202516.6%2025Barcelona 18.0 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality23.3%20248.9%2024Barcelona 14.4 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years1.7 points20241.3 points2024about the same

Who each suits, 0–100

83Culture, food and nightlife64
68Founders and self-employed48
62Young professionals44
62Beach, mountains and the outdoors75
60Remote workers52
60Students55
56Retirees50
56High earners and investors45
39Families with children33
29Budget-conscious movers35

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

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

  • Some English, but learn Spanish early
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Easy to fly home
  • Ready for remote work

Data through Jun 2026 (Barcelona) and Jun 2026 (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria). 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.