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Side by side

Gijón or Valencia?

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 ValenciaChange 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 · Comunitat Valenciana

Valencia

Sea, sun and a city you can cross by bike, with a river-bed park, a city beach and the home of paella.

Quality of life54average
Momentum44average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Beach cityRegional capitalUniversity townBike-friendlyPort cityWatch your pocketsFast internetInternational crowd

88th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Gijón

  • Stronger on climate (80 vs 51)
  • Stronger on safety (74 vs 20)
  • Stronger on housing (70 vs 20)
  • Stronger on jobs (66 vs 37)
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 4 a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 0 a year vs 24 a year
  • Nights above 20 °C: 2 a year vs 53 a year
  • Vehicle thefts: 21 per 100k people vs 83 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 Valencia

  • Stronger on digital (88 vs 47)
  • Stronger on connectivity (46 vs 3)
  • Stronger on healthcare (46 vs 29)
  • Airport passengers: 11.8 million a year vs 2.0 million a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 9 km vs 30 km
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 70 a year vs 153 a year
  • Hospital beds: 5.0 per 1,000 people vs 3.7 per 1,000 people
  • A flat and bikeable city with a beach and an airport

Watch out: Competition for flats in Ruzafa and El Carmen; Crowds around the centre and the beach in summer.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Gijón is better on 18 and Valencia on 10; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

80 · strongClimate51 · average
76 · strongProsperity75 · above average
74 · above averageSafety20 · weak
70 · above averageHousing20 · weak
66 · above averageJobs37 · below average
55 · averageTransport64 · above average
47 · averageDigital88 · strong
29 · below averageHealthcare46 · average
3 · weakConnectivity46 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureGijónValenciaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€7.2 a month2024€8.2 a month2024Gijón 12% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€505 a month2024€573 a month2024Gijón 12% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€509 a month2024€681 a month2024Gijón 25% lower
Rents, change in a year2.6%20245.9%2024Gijón 3.3 pts lower
Buying price per m²€2,343Q2 2026€2,973Q2 2026Gijón 21% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€187,464Q2 2026€237,824Q2 2026Gijón 21% lower
House prices, change in a year12.5%Q2 202617.0%Q2 2026Gijón 4.4 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€17,103 a year2024€16,944 a year2024about the same
Net income per household€37,943 a year2024€42,374 a year2024Gijón 10% lower
Unemployment9.4%202510.9%2025Gijón 1.5 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime36.5 per 1,000 people202475.3 per 1,000 people2024Valencia 2.1×
Sexual offences0.31 per 1,000 people20240.54 per 1,000 people2024Gijón 43% lower
Homicides0.37 per 100k people20250.71 per 100k people2025Valencia 1.9×
Robberies with violence69 per 100k people2025248 per 100k people2025Valencia 3.6×
Home burglaries89 per 100k people2025188 per 100k people2025Valencia 2.1×
Thefts without violence1,117 per 100k people20252,811 per 100k people2025Valencia 2.5×
Vehicle thefts21 per 100k people202583 per 100k people2025Valencia 3.9×
Health
Life expectancy82.7 years202383.3 years2023about the same
Hospital beds3.7 per 1,000 people20255.0 per 1,000 people2025Gijón 26% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–202424 a year2015–2024Valencia 59.0×
Days above 30 °C6 a year2015–202481 a year2015–2024Valencia 13.6×
Nights above 20 °C2 a year2015–202453 a year2015–2024Valencia 29.6×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)116 a year2015–2024119 a year2015–2024about the same
Rainfall1,054 mm a year2015–2024462 mm a year2015–2024Gijón 2.3×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202470 a year2015–2024Gijón 2.2×
Frost days0 a year2015–20244 a year2015–2024Valencia Infinity×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)41 min202142 min2021about the same
Commute by public transport18% of commuters202122% of commuters2021Gijón 4.0 pts lower
Commute by car57% of commuters202148% of commuters2021Gijón 8.8 pts higher
Distance to the main airport30 km20269 km2026Gijón 3.3×
Airport passengers2.0 million a year202511.8 million a year2025Valencia 5.8×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%2025100%2025Gijón 1.4 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%2025100%2025Gijón 1.4 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree50%202455%2024Gijón 4.4 pts lower
People
Population269,8942025840,7922025Valencia 3.1×
Median age52.9 years202546.0 years2025Gijón 15% higher
Residents aged 65+28.3%202521.4%2025Gijón 6.9 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad13.5%202526.5%2025Gijón 13.0 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality7.5%202418.8%2024Gijón 11.3 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.2 points20245.1 points2024Gijón 2.9 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

65Budget-conscious movers28
63Young professionals48
62Families with children33
61Retirees46
61Students51
61Culture, food and nightlife62
59High earners and investors49
59Beach, mountains and the outdoors62
54Founders and self-employed59
52Remote workers61

Weather through the year

0°18°35°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

Valencia

  • English gets you by day to day
  • Valencian is co-official here
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work

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