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Side by side

Palma or Vigo?

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 VigoChange 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 · Galicia

Vigo

Galicia's biggest city: a working port and car-making town on a spectacular bay, with oysters, hills and rain.

Quality of life59average
Momentum63above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Port cityIndustrial cityGreen and rainySeafood cityHilly streets

55th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Palma

  • Stronger on prosperity (78 vs 63)
  • Stronger on connectivity (77 vs 1)
  • Airport passengers: 33.8 million a year vs 1.1 million a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 0 a year vs 1 a year
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 0 a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 8 km vs 77 km
  • 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 Vigo

  • Stronger on safety (64 vs 23)
  • Stronger on housing (60 vs 24)
  • Stronger on healthcare (56 vs 40)
  • Stronger on digital (49 vs 35)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 1 a year vs 137 a year
  • Vehicle thefts: 45 per 100k people vs 215 per 100k people
  • Robberies with violence: 50 per 100k people vs 229 per 100k people
  • Thefts without violence: 974 per 100k people vs 3,660 per 100k people

Watch out: Rain on well over a hundred days a year and damp homes in winter; A plain functional centre and steep streets.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Palma is better on 9 and Vigo on 19; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

78 · strongProsperity63 · above average
77 · strongConnectivity1 · weak
68 · above averageClimate79 · strong
53 · averageTransport47 · average
42 · averageJobs52 · average
40 · averageHealthcare56 · average
35 · below averageDigital49 · average
24 · weakHousing60 · average
23 · weakSafety64 · above average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigurePalmaVigoDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€9.8 a month2024€7.6 a month2024Palma 29% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€689 a month2024€533 a month2024Palma 29% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€549 a month2024Palma 46% higher
Rents, change in a year4.2%20243.0%2024Palma 1.2 pts higher
Buying price per m²€3,814Q2 2026€2,346Q2 2026Palma 63% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€305,160Q2 2026€187,704Q2 2026Palma 63% higher
House prices, change in a year14.3%Q2 202612.2%Q2 2026Palma 2.2 pts higher
Money & work
Household income per person€17,289 a year2024€16,256 a year2024Palma 6% higher
Net income per household€48,884 a year2024€40,775 a year2024Palma 20% higher
Unemployment11.3%202510.9%2025about the same
Safety
Recorded crime80.6 per 1,000 people202441.3 per 1,000 people2024Palma 2.0×
Sexual offences0.79 per 1,000 people20240.51 per 1,000 people2024Palma 55% higher
Homicides0.46 per 100k people20250.34 per 100k people2025Palma 35% higher
Robberies with violence229 per 100k people202550 per 100k people2025Palma 4.6×
Home burglaries67 per 100k people202576 per 100k people2025Palma 12% lower
Thefts without violence3,660 per 100k people2025974 per 100k people2025Palma 3.8×
Vehicle thefts215 per 100k people202545 per 100k people2025Palma 4.8×
Health
Life expectancy83.2 years202383.5 years2023about the same
Hospital beds6.0 per 1,000 people20257.6 per 1,000 people2025Palma 21% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Palma 100% lower
Days above 30 °C18 a year2015–202416 a year2015–2024Palma 9% higher
Nights above 20 °C137 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Palma 97.7×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)120 a year2015–2024120 a year2015–2024about the same
Rainfall542 mm a year2015–20241,288 mm a year2015–2024Vigo 2.4×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)88 a year2015–2024137 a year2015–2024Palma 36% lower
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024Palma 100% lower
Getting around
Average commute (one way)34 min202139 min2021Palma 13% lower
Commute by public transport10% of commuters202113% of commuters2021Palma 3.2 pts lower
Commute by car64% of commuters202162% of commuters2021Palma 2.4 pts higher
Distance to the main airport8 km202677 km2026Vigo 9.8×
Airport passengers33.8 million a year20251.1 million a year2025Palma 30.3×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet98%202598%2025Palma 0.5 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door98%202598%2025about the same
Education
Adults with a university degree38%202450%2024Palma 11.7 pts lower
People
Population434,7862025294,4892025Palma 48% higher
Median age43.0 years202550.0 years2025Palma 14% lower
Residents aged 65+17.2%202524.7%2025Palma 7.5 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad30.3%202515.0%2025Palma 15.3 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality20.0%20247.3%2024Palma 12.7 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years3.1 points20241.9 points2024Palma 1.2 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

69Culture, food and nightlife59
60Founders and self-employed50
58Beach, mountains and the outdoors59
53Young professionals53
52Remote workers50
52High earners and investors58
49Retirees63
43Students55
35Families with children59
28Budget-conscious movers54

Weather through the year

5°18°30°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

Vigo

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Galician is co-official here
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

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