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Side by side

Elche 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 ElcheAll about GijónChange a place

Data as of

City · Comunitat Valenciana

Elche

A palm-grove city of shoemakers and sunshine, beside Alicante's airport and a short drive from the beaches.

Quality of life51average
Momentum56average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Inland cityPalm groveMild wintersHot summersCar-dependentPleasant weatherAffordable rent

105th 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 Elche

  • Stronger on connectivity (57 vs 3)
  • Stronger on healthcare (48 vs 29)
  • Distance to the main airport: 10 km vs 30 km
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 59 a year vs 153 a year
  • Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 161 a year vs 116 a year
  • Buying price per m²: €1,635 vs €2,343
  • Low rents and house prices near a major airport
  • Sunny and dry winters with the airport a short drive away

Watch out: Hot and sticky summer nights; A weak job market with high unemployment and low local incomes.

Why Gijón

  • Stronger on climate (80 vs 63)
  • Stronger on prosperity (76 vs 11)
  • Stronger on safety (74 vs 52)
  • Stronger on housing (70 vs 48)
  • Stronger on jobs (66 vs 33)
  • Stronger on digital (47 vs 20)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 2 a year vs 112 a year
  • Commute by public transport: 18% of commuters vs 10% of commuters

Watch out: Grey and wet weather for much of the year; A small job market with modest pay and young people leaving.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Elche is better on 11 and Gijón on 18; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

63 · above averageClimate80 · strong
57 · averageConnectivity3 · weak
52 · averageSafety74 · above average
48 · averageHealthcare29 · below average
48 · averageHousing70 · above average
47 · averageTransport55 · average
33 · below averageJobs66 · above average
20 · weakDigital47 · average
11 · weakProsperity76 · strong

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureElcheGijónDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€5.4 a month2024€7.2 a month2024Elche 24% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€381 a month2024€505 a month2024Elche 24% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€482 a month2024€509 a month2024Elche 5% lower
Rents, change in a year5.0%20242.6%2024Elche 2.4 pts higher
Buying price per m²€1,635Q2 2026€2,343Q2 2026Elche 30% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€130,808Q2 2026€187,464Q2 2026Elche 30% lower
House prices, change in a year13.9%Q2 202612.5%Q2 2026Elche 1.4 pts higher
Money & work
Household income per person€12,552 a year2024€17,103 a year2024Elche 27% lower
Net income per household€33,516 a year2024€37,943 a year2024Elche 12% lower
Unemployment14.8%20259.4%2025Elche 5.4 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime40.2 per 1,000 people202436.5 per 1,000 people2024Elche 10% higher
Sexual offences0.54 per 1,000 people20240.31 per 1,000 people2024Elche 74% higher
Homicides1.22 per 100k people20250.37 per 100k people2025Elche 3.3×
Robberies with violence65 per 100k people202569 per 100k people2025Elche 5% lower
Home burglaries140 per 100k people202589 per 100k people2025Elche 58% higher
Thefts without violence1,046 per 100k people20251,117 per 100k people2025Elche 6% lower
Vehicle thefts107 per 100k people202521 per 100k people2025Elche 5.0×
Health
Life expectancy83.4 years202382.7 years2023about the same
Hospital beds2.9 per 1,000 people20253.7 per 1,000 people2025Elche 21% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C1 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024Elche 50% higher
Days above 30 °C36 a year2015–20246 a year2015–2024Elche 5.9×
Nights above 20 °C112 a year2015–20242 a year2015–2024Elche 62.4×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)161 a year2015–2024116 a year2015–2024Elche 40% higher
Rainfall385 mm a year2015–20241,054 mm a year2015–2024Gijón 2.7×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)59 a year2015–2024153 a year2015–2024Gijón 2.6×
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)36 min202141 min2021Elche 12% lower
Commute by public transport10% of commuters202118% of commuters2021Elche 8.1 pts lower
Commute by car67% of commuters202157% of commuters2021Elche 10.3 pts higher
Distance to the main airport10 km202630 km2026Gijón 3.0×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet96%202598%2025Elche 2.5 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%202598%2025Elche 0.7 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree32%202450%2024Elche 17.8 pts lower
People
Population245,5572025269,8942025Elche 9% lower
Median age45.5 years202552.9 years2025Elche 14% lower
Residents aged 65+18.9%202528.3%2025Elche 9.4 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad18.6%202513.5%2025Elche 5.1 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality14.2%20247.5%2024Elche 6.7 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years3.0 points20242.2 points2024Elche 0.8 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

66Beach, mountains and the outdoors59
58Retirees61
54Remote workers52
54Budget-conscious movers65
53High earners and investors59
52Students61
52Culture, food and nightlife61
51Families with children62
46Founders and self-employed54
43Young professionals63

Weather through the year

5°20°35°JFMAMJJASOND
Solid: average daily high · dashed: average nightly low, °C.

Our read of each

Elche

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Valencian is co-official here
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • You will probably want a car
  • Line up work before you come

Gijón

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

Data through Jun 2026 (Elche) 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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