Informed Move
Menu
Updated Contains AI-generated informationMore information

Side by side

Gijón or Málaga?

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 GijónAll about MálagaChange a place

Data as of

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

City · Andalucía

Málaga

Winter sun, a beach in the city and a growing scene of museums and tech offices on the Costa del Sol.

Quality of life49average
Momentum41average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Beach cityPort cityMild wintersTourist-heavy centreMuseum cityPleasant weatherGlobal airport

124th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Gijón

  • Stronger on prosperity (76 vs 35)
  • Stronger on safety (74 vs 29)
  • Stronger on housing (70 vs 18)
  • Stronger on jobs (66 vs 29)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 2 a year vs 95 a year
  • Vehicle thefts: 21 per 100k people vs 136 per 100k people
  • Homicides: 0.37 per 100k people vs 1.17 per 100k people
  • Robberies with violence: 69 per 100k people vs 149 per 100k people

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

Why Málaga

  • Stronger on connectivity (70 vs 3)
  • Airport passengers: 26.7 million a year vs 2.0 million a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 8 km vs 30 km
  • Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 189 a year vs 116 a year
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 58 a year vs 153 a year
  • Mild winters with sea and mountains within an hour
  • An airport on the city edge and a high-speed rail link to Madrid

Watch out: A crowded housing market with tourist-flat rules still changing; Tourist and cruise-ship crowds in the historic centre.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Gijón is better on 18 and Málaga on 7; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

80 · strongClimate72 · above average
76 · strongProsperity35 · below average
74 · above averageSafety29 · below average
70 · above averageHousing18 · weak
66 · above averageJobs29 · below average
55 · averageTransport55 · average
47 · averageDigital46 · average
29 · below averageHealthcare18 · weak
3 · weakConnectivity70 · above average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureGijónMálagaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.2 a month2024€9.6 a month2024Gijón 25% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€505 a month2024€669 a month2024Gijón 25% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€509 a month2024€718 a month2024Gijón 29% lower
Rents, change in a year2.6%20245.2%2024Gijón 2.6 pts lower
Buying price per m²€2,343Q2 2026€3,320Q2 2026Gijón 29% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€187,464Q2 2026€265,640Q2 2026Gijón 29% lower
House prices, change in a year12.5%Q2 202614.8%Q2 2026Gijón 2.2 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€17,103 a year2024€14,753 a year2024Gijón 16% higher
Net income per household€37,943 a year2024€38,950 a year2024about the same
Unemployment9.4%202512.4%2025Gijón 3.0 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime36.5 per 1,000 people202463.1 per 1,000 people2024Gijón 42% lower
Sexual offences0.31 per 1,000 people20240.52 per 1,000 people2024Gijón 40% lower
Homicides0.37 per 100k people20251.17 per 100k people2025Málaga 3.2×
Robberies with violence69 per 100k people2025149 per 100k people2025Málaga 2.2×
Home burglaries89 per 100k people202582 per 100k people2025Gijón 8% higher
Thefts without violence1,117 per 100k people20252,144 per 100k people2025Málaga 1.9×
Vehicle thefts21 per 100k people2025136 per 100k people2025Málaga 6.3×
Health
Life expectancy82.7 years202382.1 years2023about the same
Hospital beds3.7 per 1,000 people20255.4 per 1,000 people2025Gijón 32% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Days above 30 °C6 a year2015–20249 a year2015–2024Gijón 31% lower
Nights above 20 °C2 a year2015–202495 a year2015–2024Málaga 52.8×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)116 a year2015–2024189 a year2015–2024Gijón 39% lower
Rainfall1,054 mm a year2015–2024434 mm a year2015–2024Gijón 2.4×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202458 a year2015–2024Gijón 2.6×
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)41 min202141 min2021about the same
Commute by public transport18% of commuters202117% of commuters2021Gijón 0.8 pts higher
Commute by car57% of commuters202156% of commuters2021Gijón 1.1 pts higher
Distance to the main airport30 km20268 km2026Gijón 3.6×
Airport passengers2.0 million a year202526.7 million a year2025Málaga 13.1×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%202598%2025about the same
Homes with fibre to the door98%202598%2025about the same
Education
Adults with a university degree50%202442%2024Gijón 8.5 pts higher
People
Population269,8942025599,0632025Málaga 2.2×
Median age52.9 years202545.1 years2025Gijón 17% higher
Residents aged 65+28.3%202519.5%2025Gijón 8.8 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad13.5%202516.8%2025Gijón 3.3 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality7.5%202411.0%2024Gijón 3.5 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.2 points20242.3 points2024about the same

Who each suits, 0–100

65Budget-conscious movers20
63Young professionals33
62Families with children26
61Retirees53
61Students35
61Culture, food and nightlife36
59High earners and investors43
59Beach, mountains and the outdoors84
54Founders and self-employed46
52Remote workers55

Weather through the year

5°18°30°JFMAMJJASOND
Solid: average daily high · dashed: average nightly low, °C.

Our read of each

Gijón

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

Málaga

  • Some English, but learn Spanish early
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Easy to fly home
  • Ready for remote work
  • Public waiting lists are long

Data through Jun 2026 (Gijón) and Jun 2026 (Málaga). 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.