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Side by side

Valencia 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 ValenciaAll about VigoChange a place

Data as of

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

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 Valencia

  • Stronger on digital (88 vs 49)
  • Stronger on prosperity (75 vs 63)
  • Stronger on transport (64 vs 47)
  • Stronger on connectivity (46 vs 1)
  • Airport passengers: 11.8 million a year vs 1.1 million a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 9 km vs 77 km
  • Commute by public transport: 22% of commuters vs 13% of commuters
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 70 a year vs 137 a year

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

Why Vigo

  • Stronger on climate (79 vs 51)
  • Stronger on safety (64 vs 20)
  • Stronger on housing (60 vs 20)
  • Stronger on jobs (52 vs 37)
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 4 a year
  • Nights above 20 °C: 1 a year vs 53 a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 1 a year vs 24 a year
  • Robberies with violence: 50 per 100k people vs 248 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, Valencia is better on 9 and Vigo on 19; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

88 · strongDigital49 · average
75 · above averageProsperity63 · above average
64 · above averageTransport47 · average
51 · averageClimate79 · strong
46 · averageConnectivity1 · weak
46 · averageHealthcare56 · average
37 · below averageJobs52 · average
20 · weakHousing60 · average
20 · weakSafety64 · above average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureValenciaVigoDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€8.2 a month2024€7.6 a month2024Valencia 7% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€573 a month2024€533 a month2024Valencia 7% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€681 a month2024€549 a month2024Valencia 24% higher
Rents, change in a year5.9%20243.0%2024Valencia 2.9 pts higher
Buying price per m²€2,973Q2 2026€2,346Q2 2026Valencia 27% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€237,824Q2 2026€187,704Q2 2026Valencia 27% higher
House prices, change in a year17.0%Q2 202612.2%Q2 2026Valencia 4.8 pts higher
Money & work
Household income per person€16,944 a year2024€16,256 a year2024Valencia 4% higher
Net income per household€42,374 a year2024€40,775 a year2024about the same
Unemployment10.9%202510.9%2025about the same
Safety
Recorded crime75.3 per 1,000 people202441.3 per 1,000 people2024Valencia 82% higher
Sexual offences0.54 per 1,000 people20240.51 per 1,000 people2024Valencia 6% higher
Homicides0.71 per 100k people20250.34 per 100k people2025Valencia 2.1×
Robberies with violence248 per 100k people202550 per 100k people2025Valencia 4.9×
Home burglaries188 per 100k people202576 per 100k people2025Valencia 2.5×
Thefts without violence2,811 per 100k people2025974 per 100k people2025Valencia 2.9×
Vehicle thefts83 per 100k people202545 per 100k people2025Valencia 84% higher
Health
Life expectancy83.3 years202383.5 years2023about the same
Hospital beds5.0 per 1,000 people20257.6 per 1,000 people2025Valencia 35% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C24 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Valencia 26.2×
Days above 30 °C81 a year2015–202416 a year2015–2024Valencia 5.0×
Nights above 20 °C53 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Valencia 38.0×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)119 a year2015–2024120 a year2015–2024about the same
Rainfall462 mm a year2015–20241,288 mm a year2015–2024Vigo 2.8×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)70 a year2015–2024137 a year2015–2024Vigo 2.0×
Frost days4 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024Valencia 42.0×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)42 min202139 min2021Valencia 7% higher
Commute by public transport22% of commuters202113% of commuters2021Valencia 8.4 pts higher
Commute by car48% of commuters202162% of commuters2021Valencia 13.8 pts lower
Distance to the main airport9 km202677 km2026Vigo 8.4×
Airport passengers11.8 million a year20251.1 million a year2025Valencia 10.6×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet100%202598%2025Valencia 1.7 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door100%202598%2025Valencia 1.7 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree55%202450%2024Valencia 4.8 pts higher
People
Population840,7922025294,4892025Valencia 2.9×
Median age46.0 years202550.0 years2025Valencia 8% lower
Residents aged 65+21.4%202524.7%2025Valencia 3.3 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad26.5%202515.0%2025Valencia 11.5 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality18.8%20247.3%2024Valencia 11.5 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years5.1 points20241.9 points2024Valencia 3.2 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

62Beach, mountains and the outdoors59
62Culture, food and nightlife59
61Remote workers50
59Founders and self-employed50
51Students55
49High earners and investors58
48Young professionals53
46Retirees63
33Families with children59
28Budget-conscious movers54

Weather through the year

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

Our read of each

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

Vigo

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

Data through Jun 2026 (Valencia) 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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