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Side by side

Elche or Zaragoza?

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 ZaragozaChange 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 · Aragón

Zaragoza

Big-city services at mid-size prices, halfway between Madrid and Barcelona on the fast train.

Quality of life61above average
Momentum36below average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalLogistics cityUniversity townRiver cityHot summersScorching summers

37th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Elche

  • Stronger on climate (63 vs 49)
  • Stronger on connectivity (57 vs 25)
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 15 a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 1 a year vs 35 a year
  • Robberies with violence: 65 per 100k people vs 160 per 100k people
  • Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 161 a year vs 102 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 Zaragoza

  • Stronger on prosperity (78 vs 11)
  • Stronger on healthcare (68 vs 48)
  • Stronger on safety (64 vs 52)
  • Stronger on transport (62 vs 47)
  • Stronger on jobs (52 vs 33)
  • Stronger on digital (50 vs 20)
  • Commute by public transport: 24% of commuters vs 10% of commuters
  • Hospital beds: 5.4 per 1,000 people vs 2.9 per 1,000 people

Watch out: The cierzo wind and the extremes of heat and cold; Quiet August weeks when many bars and shops close.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Elche is better on 13 and Zaragoza on 16; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

63 · above averageClimate49 · average
57 · averageConnectivity25 · below average
52 · averageSafety64 · above average
48 · averageHealthcare68 · above average
48 · averageHousing56 · average
47 · averageTransport62 · above average
33 · below averageJobs52 · average
20 · weakDigital50 · average
11 · weakProsperity78 · strong

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureElcheZaragozaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€5.4 a month2024€7.7 a month2024Elche 29% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€381 a month2024€541 a month2024Elche 29% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€482 a month2024€550 a month2024Elche 12% lower
Rents, change in a year5.0%20243.2%2024Elche 1.8 pts higher
Buying price per m²€1,635Q2 2026€2,240Q2 2026Elche 27% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€130,808Q2 2026€179,224Q2 2026Elche 27% lower
House prices, change in a year13.9%Q2 202612.6%Q2 2026Elche 1.3 pts higher
Money & work
Household income per person€12,552 a year2024€17,199 a year2024Elche 27% lower
Net income per household€33,516 a year2024€41,707 a year2024Elche 20% lower
Unemployment14.8%20258.1%2025Elche 6.8 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime40.2 per 1,000 people202441.0 per 1,000 people2024about the same
Sexual offences0.54 per 1,000 people20240.35 per 1,000 people2024Elche 54% higher
Homicides1.22 per 100k people20250.29 per 100k people2025Elche 4.2×
Robberies with violence65 per 100k people2025160 per 100k people2025Zaragoza 2.5×
Home burglaries140 per 100k people202585 per 100k people2025Elche 64% higher
Thefts without violence1,046 per 100k people20251,203 per 100k people2025Elche 13% lower
Vehicle thefts107 per 100k people202523 per 100k people2025Elche 4.6×
Health
Life expectancy83.4 years202383.8 years2023about the same
Hospital beds2.9 per 1,000 people20255.4 per 1,000 people2025Elche 46% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C1 a year2015–202435 a year2015–2024Zaragoza 58.8×
Days above 30 °C36 a year2015–202486 a year2015–2024Zaragoza 2.4×
Nights above 20 °C112 a year2015–202421 a year2015–2024Elche 5.3×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)161 a year2015–2024102 a year2015–2024Elche 59% higher
Rainfall385 mm a year2015–2024381 mm a year2015–2024about the same
Rainy days (≥1 mm)59 a year2015–202473 a year2015–2024Elche 19% lower
Frost days0 a year2015–202415 a year2015–2024Zaragoza Infinity×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)36 min202145 min2021Elche 20% lower
Commute by public transport10% of commuters202124% of commuters2021Elche 13.9 pts lower
Commute by car67% of commuters202147% of commuters2021Elche 20.2 pts higher
Distance to the main airport10 km202613 km2026Elche 21% lower
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet96%202599%2025Elche 2.7 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%202599%2025Elche 0.9 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree32%202450%2024Elche 17.3 pts lower
People
Population245,5572025693,0912025Zaragoza 2.8×
Median age45.5 years202548.0 years2025Elche 5% lower
Residents aged 65+18.9%202522.6%2025Elche 3.7 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad18.6%202519.4%2025Elche 0.8 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality14.2%202413.8%2024about the same
Foreign residents, change in 5 years3.0 points20242.0 points2024Elche 1.0 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

66Beach, mountains and the outdoors60
58Retirees60
54Remote workers54
54Budget-conscious movers51
53High earners and investors62
52Students53
52Culture, food and nightlife53
51Families with children59
46Founders and self-employed51
43Young professionals55

Weather through the year

0°18°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

Zaragoza

  • English gets you by day to day
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work
  • Public waiting lists are long

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