Informed Move
Menu
Updated Contains AI-generated informationMore information

Side by side

Palma 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 PalmaAll about ValenciaChange a place

Data as of

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

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 Palma

  • Stronger on connectivity (77 vs 46)
  • Stronger on climate (68 vs 51)
  • Airport passengers: 33.8 million a year vs 11.8 million a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 0 a year vs 24 a year
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 4 a year
  • Home burglaries: 67 per 100k people vs 188 per 100k people
  • 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.

Why Valencia

  • Stronger on digital (88 vs 35)
  • Commute by public transport: 22% of commuters vs 10% of commuters
  • Vehicle thefts: 83 per 100k people vs 215 per 100k people
  • Nights above 20 °C: 53 a year vs 137 a year
  • Adults with a university degree: 55% vs 38%
  • A flat and bikeable city with a beach and an airport
  • Warm winters and a long spring that suit working outdoors

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, Palma is better on 12 and Valencia on 16; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

78 · strongProsperity75 · above average
77 · strongConnectivity46 · average
68 · above averageClimate51 · average
53 · averageTransport64 · above average
42 · averageJobs37 · below average
40 · averageHealthcare46 · average
35 · below averageDigital88 · strong
24 · weakHousing20 · weak
23 · weakSafety20 · weak

Side by side, figure by figure

FigurePalmaValenciaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€9.8 a month2024€8.2 a month2024Palma 20% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€689 a month2024€573 a month2024Palma 20% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€681 a month2024Palma 18% higher
Rents, change in a year4.2%20245.9%2024Palma 1.7 pts lower
Buying price per m²€3,814Q2 2026€2,973Q2 2026Palma 28% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€305,160Q2 2026€237,824Q2 2026Palma 28% higher
House prices, change in a year14.3%Q2 202617.0%Q2 2026Palma 2.7 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€17,289 a year2024€16,944 a year2024about the same
Net income per household€48,884 a year2024€42,374 a year2024Palma 15% higher
Unemployment11.3%202510.9%2025about the same
Safety
Recorded crime80.6 per 1,000 people202475.3 per 1,000 people2024Palma 7% higher
Sexual offences0.79 per 1,000 people20240.54 per 1,000 people2024Palma 46% higher
Homicides0.46 per 100k people20250.71 per 100k people2025Palma 36% lower
Robberies with violence229 per 100k people2025248 per 100k people2025Palma 8% lower
Home burglaries67 per 100k people2025188 per 100k people2025Valencia 2.8×
Thefts without violence3,660 per 100k people20252,811 per 100k people2025Palma 30% higher
Vehicle thefts215 per 100k people202583 per 100k people2025Palma 2.6×
Health
Life expectancy83.2 years202383.3 years2023about the same
Hospital beds6.0 per 1,000 people20255.0 per 1,000 people2025Palma 20% higher
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–202424 a year2015–2024Valencia Infinity×
Days above 30 °C18 a year2015–202481 a year2015–2024Valencia 4.5×
Nights above 20 °C137 a year2015–202453 a year2015–2024Palma 2.6×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)120 a year2015–2024119 a year2015–2024about the same
Rainfall542 mm a year2015–2024462 mm a year2015–2024Palma 17% higher
Rainy days (≥1 mm)88 a year2015–202470 a year2015–2024Palma 25% higher
Frost days0 a year2015–20244 a year2015–2024Valencia Infinity×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)34 min202142 min2021Palma 19% lower
Commute by public transport10% of commuters202122% of commuters2021Palma 11.6 pts lower
Commute by car64% of commuters202148% of commuters2021Palma 16.2 pts higher
Distance to the main airport8 km20269 km2026Palma 14% lower
Airport passengers33.8 million a year202511.8 million a year2025Palma 2.9×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%2025100%2025Palma 2.2 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%2025100%2025Palma 2.1 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree38%202455%2024Palma 16.5 pts lower
People
Population434,7862025840,7922025Valencia 1.9×
Median age43.0 years202546.0 years2025Palma 7% lower
Residents aged 65+17.2%202521.4%2025Palma 4.2 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad30.3%202526.5%2025Palma 3.8 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality20.0%202418.8%2024Palma 1.2 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years3.1 points20245.1 points2024Palma 2.0 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

69Culture, food and nightlife62
60Founders and self-employed59
58Beach, mountains and the outdoors62
53Young professionals48
52Remote workers61
52High earners and investors49
49Retirees46
43Students51
35Families with children33
28Budget-conscious movers28

Weather through the year

0°18°35°JFMAMJJASOND
Solid: average daily high · dashed: average nightly low, °C.

Our read of each

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

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 (Palma) 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.

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.