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Side by side

Gijón or Palma?

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 PalmaChange 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 · Illes Balears

Palma

Island life in a real city: a Gothic cathedral on the sea, a year-round centre and mountains behind.

Quality of life54average
Momentum53average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Island capitalPort citySailing and yachtsMild wintersInternational communityGlobal airportInternational crowd

92nd of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Gijón

  • Stronger on climate (80 vs 68)
  • Stronger on safety (74 vs 23)
  • Stronger on housing (70 vs 24)
  • Stronger on jobs (66 vs 42)
  • Stronger on digital (47 vs 35)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 2 a year vs 137 a year
  • Vehicle thefts: 21 per 100k people vs 215 per 100k people
  • 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.

Why Palma

  • Stronger on connectivity (77 vs 3)
  • Airport passengers: 33.8 million a year vs 2.0 million a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 8 km vs 30 km
  • Hospital beds: 6.0 per 1,000 people vs 3.7 per 1,000 people
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 88 a year vs 153 a year
  • A real city that stays open in winter
  • Sea and cycling roads and mountain walks close by

Watch out: A housing market shared with visitors and second-home buyers; Quiet winters in the coastal resorts where many places close.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Gijón is better on 20 and Palma on 7; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

80 · strongClimate68 · above average
76 · strongProsperity78 · strong
74 · above averageSafety23 · weak
70 · above averageHousing24 · weak
66 · above averageJobs42 · average
55 · averageTransport53 · average
47 · averageDigital35 · below average
29 · below averageHealthcare40 · average
3 · weakConnectivity77 · strong

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureGijónPalmaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.2 a month2024€9.8 a month2024Gijón 27% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€505 a month2024€689 a month2024Gijón 27% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€509 a month2024€800 a month2024Gijón 36% lower
Rents, change in a year2.6%20244.2%2024Gijón 1.6 pts lower
Buying price per m²€2,343Q2 2026€3,814Q2 2026Gijón 39% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€187,464Q2 2026€305,160Q2 2026Gijón 39% lower
House prices, change in a year12.5%Q2 202614.3%Q2 2026Gijón 1.8 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€17,103 a year2024€17,289 a year2024about the same
Net income per household€37,943 a year2024€48,884 a year2024Gijón 22% lower
Unemployment9.4%202511.3%2025Gijón 1.9 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime36.5 per 1,000 people202480.6 per 1,000 people2024Palma 2.2×
Sexual offences0.31 per 1,000 people20240.79 per 1,000 people2024Palma 2.5×
Homicides0.37 per 100k people20250.46 per 100k people2025Gijón 19% lower
Robberies with violence69 per 100k people2025229 per 100k people2025Palma 3.3×
Home burglaries89 per 100k people202567 per 100k people2025Gijón 33% higher
Thefts without violence1,117 per 100k people20253,660 per 100k people2025Palma 3.3×
Vehicle thefts21 per 100k people2025215 per 100k people2025Palma 10.0×
Health
Life expectancy82.7 years202383.2 years2023about the same
Hospital beds3.7 per 1,000 people20256.0 per 1,000 people2025Gijón 38% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Days above 30 °C6 a year2015–202418 a year2015–2024Palma 3.0×
Nights above 20 °C2 a year2015–2024137 a year2015–2024Palma 76.0×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)116 a year2015–2024120 a year2015–2024about the same
Rainfall1,054 mm a year2015–2024542 mm a year2015–2024Gijón 1.9×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202488 a year2015–2024Gijón 74% higher
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)41 min202134 min2021Gijón 20% higher
Commute by public transport18% of commuters202110% of commuters2021Gijón 7.6 pts higher
Commute by car57% of commuters202164% of commuters2021Gijón 7.4 pts lower
Distance to the main airport30 km20268 km2026Gijón 3.8×
Airport passengers2.0 million a year202533.8 million a year2025Palma 16.5×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%202598%2025Gijón 0.8 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door98%202598%2025Gijón 0.6 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree50%202438%2024Gijón 12.1 pts higher
People
Population269,8942025434,7862025Gijón 38% lower
Median age52.9 years202543.0 years2025Gijón 23% higher
Residents aged 65+28.3%202517.2%2025Gijón 11.1 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad13.5%202530.3%2025Gijón 16.8 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality7.5%202420.0%2024Gijón 12.5 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.2 points20243.1 points2024Gijón 0.9 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

65Budget-conscious movers28
63Young professionals53
62Families with children35
61Retirees49
61Students43
61Culture, food and nightlife69
59High earners and investors52
59Beach, mountains and the outdoors58
54Founders and self-employed60
52Remote workers52

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

Palma

  • English gets you by day to day
  • Catalan is co-official here
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Easy to fly home
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work
  • A younger crowd

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