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Side by side

Murcia or Vitoria-Gasteiz?

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 MurciaAll about Vitoria-GasteizChange a place

Data as of

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

City · País Vasco

Vitoria-Gasteiz

The calm, green, well-planned capital of the Basque Country, with a medieval centre and a ring of woods and wetlands.

Quality of life66above average
Momentum67above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalInland cityGreen cityCycle-friendlyCool summersFast internetStrong job market

6th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Murcia

  • Airport passengers: 0.9 million a year vs 0.3 million a year
  • Frost days: 3 a year vs 13 a year
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 45 a year vs 150 a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 21 km vs 54 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.

Why Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Stronger on healthcare (92 vs 36)
  • Stronger on prosperity (89 vs 34)
  • Stronger on jobs (81 vs 33)
  • Stronger on climate (70 vs 48)
  • Stronger on transport (62 vs 33)
  • Stronger on digital (56 vs 16)
  • Stronger on safety (47 vs 29)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 1 a year vs 63 a year

Watch out: Cold and damp winters with fog and frost; Rents high for an inland northern city and few flats to choose from.

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

Life domains

52 · averageHousing–
48 · averageClimate70 · above average
36 · below averageHealthcare92 · strong
34 · below averageProsperity89 · strong
33 · below averageJobs81 · strong
33 · below averageTransport62 · above average
29 · below averageSafety47 · average
16 · weakDigital56 · average
4 · weakConnectivity0 · weak

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureMurciaVitoria-GasteizDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€6.5 a month2024€9.2 a month2024Murcia 29% lower
Rent for a 70 m² flat€457 a month2024€645 a month2024Murcia 29% lower
Typical rent, existing lease€525 a month2024€721 a month2024Murcia 27% lower
Buying price per m²€1,580Q2 2026€2,681Q2 2026Murcia 41% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€126,368Q2 2026€214,472Q2 2026Murcia 41% lower
House prices, change in a year13.8%Q2 20265.8%Q2 2026Murcia 8.0 pts higher
Money & work
Household income per person€14,716 a year2024€18,920 a year2024Murcia 22% lower
Net income per household€40,763 a year2024€44,228 a year2024Murcia 8% lower
Unemployment12.8%20257.2%2025Murcia 5.6 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime53.4 per 1,000 people202449.5 per 1,000 people2024Murcia 8% higher
Sexual offences0.52 per 1,000 people20240.61 per 1,000 people2024Murcia 15% lower
Homicides1.04 per 100k people20250.00 per 100k people2025about the same
Robberies with violence257 per 100k people2025105 per 100k people2025Murcia 2.5×
Home burglaries219 per 100k people202598 per 100k people2025Murcia 2.2×
Thefts without violence1,303 per 100k people20251,789 per 100k people2025Murcia 27% lower
Vehicle thefts76 per 100k people202530 per 100k people2025Murcia 2.5×
Health
Life expectancy83.0 years202384.8 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.8 per 1,000 people20254.1 per 1,000 people2025Murcia 17% higher
Climate
Days above 35 °C40 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Murcia 30.9×
Days above 30 °C107 a year2015–202414 a year2015–2024Murcia 7.6×
Nights above 20 °C63 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Murcia 70.1×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)131 a year2015–202498 a year2015–2024Murcia 33% higher
Rainfall317 mm a year2015–2024950 mm a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 3.0×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)45 a year2015–2024150 a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 3.3×
Frost days3 a year2015–202413 a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 4.6×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202138 min2021Murcia 6% higher
Commute by public transport10% of commuters202114% of commuters2021Murcia 3.7 pts lower
Commute by car68% of commuters202153% of commuters2021Murcia 14.4 pts higher
Distance to the main airport21 km202654 km2026Vitoria-Gasteiz 2.6×
Airport passengers0.9 million a year20250.3 million a year2025Murcia 3.1×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet95%202599%2025Murcia 4.4 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%202599%2025Murcia 1.5 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree43%202454%2024Murcia 10.9 pts lower
People
Population479,4052025260,6992025Murcia 84% higher
Median age43.8 years202548.1 years2025Murcia 9% lower
Residents aged 65+17.2%202522.9%2025Murcia 5.7 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.2%202518.1%2025Murcia 0.9 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality12.8%202412.2%2024Murcia 0.6 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years0.2 points20241.7 points2024Murcia 1.5 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

58Culture, food and nightlife69
56Students55
50Budget-conscious movers54
50Beach, mountains and the outdoors45
49High earners and investors64
46Young professionals71
43Retirees62
43Founders and self-employed58
42Remote workers46
40Families with children60

Weather through the year

0°20°40°JFMAMJJASOND
Solid: average daily high · dashed: average nightly low, °C.

Our read of each

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

Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Basque is co-official here
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work

Data through Jun 2026 (Murcia) and Dec 2025 (Vitoria-Gasteiz). 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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