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Side by side

Elche or Vigo?

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 VigoChange 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 · Galicia

Vigo

Galicia's biggest city: a working port and car-making town on a spectacular bay, with oysters, hills and rain.

Quality of life59average
Momentum63above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Port cityIndustrial cityGreen and rainySeafood cityHilly streets

55th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Elche

  • Stronger on connectivity (57 vs 1)
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 0 a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 10 km vs 77 km
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 59 a year vs 137 a year
  • Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 161 a year vs 120 a year
  • 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 Vigo

  • Stronger on climate (79 vs 63)
  • Stronger on safety (64 vs 52)
  • Stronger on prosperity (63 vs 11)
  • Stronger on housing (60 vs 48)
  • Stronger on jobs (52 vs 33)
  • Stronger on digital (49 vs 20)
  • Hospital beds: 7.6 per 1,000 people vs 2.9 per 1,000 people
  • Nights above 20 °C: 1 a year vs 112 a year

Watch out: Rain on well over a hundred days a year and damp homes in winter; A plain functional centre and steep streets.

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

Life domains

63 · above averageClimate79 · strong
57 · averageConnectivity1 · weak
52 · averageSafety64 · above average
48 · averageHealthcare56 · average
48 · averageHousing60 · average
47 · averageTransport47 · average
33 · below averageJobs52 · average
20 · weakDigital49 · average
11 · weakProsperity63 · above average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureElcheVigoDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€5.4 a month2024€7.6 a month2024Elche 28% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€381 a month2024€533 a month2024Elche 28% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€482 a month2024€549 a month2024Elche 12% lower
Rents, change in a year5.0%20243.0%2024Elche 2.0 pts higher
Buying price per m²€1,635Q2 2026€2,346Q2 2026Elche 30% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€130,808Q2 2026€187,704Q2 2026Elche 30% lower
House prices, change in a year13.9%Q2 202612.2%Q2 2026Elche 1.8 pts higher
Money & work
Household income per person€12,552 a year2024€16,256 a year2024Elche 23% lower
Net income per household€33,516 a year2024€40,775 a year2024Elche 18% lower
Unemployment14.8%202510.9%2025Elche 4.0 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime40.2 per 1,000 people202441.3 per 1,000 people2024about the same
Sexual offences0.54 per 1,000 people20240.51 per 1,000 people2024Elche 6% higher
Homicides1.22 per 100k people20250.34 per 100k people2025Elche 3.6×
Robberies with violence65 per 100k people202550 per 100k people2025Elche 30% higher
Home burglaries140 per 100k people202576 per 100k people2025Elche 84% higher
Thefts without violence1,046 per 100k people2025974 per 100k people2025Elche 7% higher
Vehicle thefts107 per 100k people202545 per 100k people2025Elche 2.4×
Health
Life expectancy83.4 years202383.5 years2023about the same
Hospital beds2.9 per 1,000 people20257.6 per 1,000 people2025Vigo 2.6×
Climate
Days above 35 °C1 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Elche 33% lower
Days above 30 °C36 a year2015–202416 a year2015–2024Elche 2.2×
Nights above 20 °C112 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Elche 80.3×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)161 a year2015–2024120 a year2015–2024Elche 35% higher
Rainfall385 mm a year2015–20241,288 mm a year2015–2024Vigo 3.3×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)59 a year2015–2024137 a year2015–2024Vigo 2.3×
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024Elche 100% lower
Getting around
Average commute (one way)36 min202139 min2021Elche 8% lower
Commute by public transport10% of commuters202113% of commuters2021Elche 3.7 pts lower
Commute by car67% of commuters202162% of commuters2021Elche 5.3 pts higher
Distance to the main airport10 km202677 km2026Vigo 7.6×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet96%202598%2025Elche 2.3 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%202598%2025Elche 0.5 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree32%202450%2024Elche 17.4 pts lower
People
Population245,5572025294,4892025Elche 17% lower
Median age45.5 years202550.0 years2025Elche 9% lower
Residents aged 65+18.9%202524.7%2025Elche 5.8 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad18.6%202515.0%2025Elche 3.6 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality14.2%20247.3%2024Elche 6.9 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years3.0 points20241.9 points2024Elche 1.1 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

66Beach, mountains and the outdoors59
58Retirees63
54Remote workers50
54Budget-conscious movers54
53High earners and investors58
52Students55
52Culture, food and nightlife59
51Families with children59
46Founders and self-employed50
43Young professionals53

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

Vigo

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Galician is co-official here
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

Data through Jun 2026 (Elche) and Jun 2026 (Vigo). 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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