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Side by side

Gijón or Murcia?

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.

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 · Región de Murcia

Murcia

A warm, flat university city in the middle of an orchard, with low prices and long, hot summers.

Quality of life44average
Momentum47average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalUniversity townOrchard cityHot summersMild wintersScorching summers

147th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Gijón

  • Stronger on climate (80 vs 48)
  • Stronger on prosperity (76 vs 34)
  • Stronger on safety (74 vs 29)
  • Stronger on housing (70 vs 52)
  • Stronger on jobs (66 vs 33)
  • Stronger on transport (55 vs 33)
  • Stronger on digital (47 vs 16)
  • Airport passengers: 2.0 million a year vs 0.9 million a year

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

Why Murcia

  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 45 a year vs 153 a year
  • Buying price per m²: €1,580 vs €2,343
  • Price of an 80 m² flat: €126,368 vs €187,464
  • Distance to the main airport: 21 km vs 30 km
  • Prices low enough to live comfortably on a modest income
  • A warm bright winter and a young sociable student population

Watch out: Very hot summers and weak summer evenings without air conditioning; A thin job market and low local wages.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Gijón is better on 20 and Murcia on 9; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

80 · strongClimate48 · average
76 · strongProsperity34 · below average
74 · above averageSafety29 · below average
70 · above averageHousing52 · average
66 · above averageJobs33 · below average
55 · averageTransport33 · below average
47 · averageDigital16 · weak
29 · below averageHealthcare36 · below average
3 · weakConnectivity4 · weak

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureGijónMurciaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.2 a month2024€6.5 a month2024Gijón 11% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€505 a month2024€457 a month2024Gijón 11% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€509 a month2024€525 a month2024about the same
Rents, change in a year2.6%20243.7%2024Gijón 1.1 pts lower
Buying price per m²€2,343Q2 2026€1,580Q2 2026Gijón 48% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€187,464Q2 2026€126,368Q2 2026Gijón 48% higher
House prices, change in a year12.5%Q2 202613.8%Q2 2026Gijón 1.3 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€17,103 a year2024€14,716 a year2024Gijón 16% higher
Net income per household€37,943 a year2024€40,763 a year2024Gijón 7% lower
Unemployment9.4%202512.8%2025Gijón 3.4 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime36.5 per 1,000 people202453.4 per 1,000 people2024Gijón 32% lower
Sexual offences0.31 per 1,000 people20240.52 per 1,000 people2024Gijón 40% lower
Homicides0.37 per 100k people20251.04 per 100k people2025Murcia 2.8×
Robberies with violence69 per 100k people2025257 per 100k people2025Murcia 3.8×
Home burglaries89 per 100k people2025219 per 100k people2025Murcia 2.5×
Thefts without violence1,117 per 100k people20251,303 per 100k people2025Gijón 14% lower
Vehicle thefts21 per 100k people202576 per 100k people2025Murcia 3.5×
Health
Life expectancy82.7 years202383.0 years2023about the same
Hospital beds3.7 per 1,000 people20254.8 per 1,000 people2025Gijón 23% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–202440 a year2015–2024Murcia 100.5×
Days above 30 °C6 a year2015–2024107 a year2015–2024Murcia 17.9×
Nights above 20 °C2 a year2015–202463 a year2015–2024Murcia 35.1×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)116 a year2015–2024131 a year2015–2024Gijón 12% lower
Rainfall1,054 mm a year2015–2024317 mm a year2015–2024Gijón 3.3×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202445 a year2015–2024Gijón 3.4×
Frost days0 a year2015–20243 a year2015–2024Murcia Infinity×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)41 min202140 min2021about the same
Commute by public transport18% of commuters202110% of commuters2021Gijón 7.5 pts higher
Commute by car57% of commuters202168% of commuters2021Gijón 10.6 pts lower
Distance to the main airport30 km202621 km2026Gijón 44% higher
Airport passengers2.0 million a year20250.9 million a year2025Gijón 2.2×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%202595%2025Gijón 3.7 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door98%202598%2025Gijón 0.8 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree50%202443%2024Gijón 6.9 pts higher
People
Population269,8942025479,4052025Gijón 44% lower
Median age52.9 years202543.8 years2025Gijón 21% higher
Residents aged 65+28.3%202517.2%2025Gijón 11.1 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad13.5%202517.2%2025Gijón 3.7 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality7.5%202412.8%2024Gijón 5.3 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.2 points20240.2 points2024Gijón 2.0 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

65Budget-conscious movers50
63Young professionals46
62Families with children40
61Retirees43
61Students56
61Culture, food and nightlife58
59High earners and investors49
59Beach, mountains and the outdoors50
54Founders and self-employed43
52Remote workers42

Weather through the year

0°20°40°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

Murcia

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • You will probably want a car
  • Line up work before you come
  • A younger crowd

Data through Jun 2026 (Gijón) and Jun 2026 (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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