Side by side
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 CartagenaAll about Región de MurciaChange a place
Data as of
City · Región de Murcia
A naval port with a Roman theatre, a modernist centre and wild beaches in the hills behind, at very low prices.
130th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000
Region
A sunny, dry south-eastern corner of orchards, lagoons and big skies, with prices well below the Mediterranean average.
29th of 35 European metro regions
Cartagena is a city and Región de Murcia a region. Each figure is that place’s own; scores compare each with its own peers (regions with regions, cities with cities), so read them side by side rather than as a contest.
Watch out: A weak job market with high unemployment and low incomes; Long and hot summers with very warm nights.
Watch out: Intense summer heat and a constant shortage of water; The Mar Menor lagoon's water quality and flash floods in autumn.
Of 13 figures both publish in the same unit, Cartagena is better on 3 and Región de Murcia on 4; the rest are close or have no better direction.
| Figure | Cartagena | Región de Murcia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent per m² | €5.4 a month2024 | €5.4 a month2024 | about the same |
| Rent for a 70 m² flat | €380 a month2024 | €376 a month2024 | about the same |
| Typical rent, existing lease | €500 a month2024 | €450 a month2024 | Cartagena 11% higher |
| Rents, change in a year | 2.9%2024 | 3.4%2024 | Cartagena 0.5 pts lower |
| Buying price per m² | €1,486Q2 2026 | €1,350Q2 2026 | Cartagena 10% higher |
| Price of an 80 m² flat | €118,848Q2 2026 | €108,008Q2 2026 | Cartagena 10% higher |
| House prices, change in a year | 13.6%Q2 2026 | 14.4%Q2 2026 | Cartagena 0.8 pts lower |
| Money & work | |||
| Unemployment | 14.5%2025 | 12.1%2025 | Cartagena 2.4 pts higher |
| Safety | |||
| Recorded crime | 46.0 per 1,000 people2024 | 46.8 per 1,000 people2025 | about the same |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 82.2 years2023 | 83.5 years2024 | about the same |
| Education | |||
| Adults with a university degree | 37%2024 | 35%2025 | Cartagena 1.9 pts higher |
| People | |||
| Population | 220,7042025 | 1,586,9892025 | Región de Murcia 7.2× |
| Who lives here | |||
| Residents born abroad | 15.9%2025 | 20.4%2025 | Cartagena 4.5 pts lower |
Data through Jun 2026 (Cartagena) and Jun 2026 (Región de Murcia). 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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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.