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Side by side

Valencia or Zaragoza?

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 ZaragozaChange 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 · Aragón

Zaragoza

Big-city services at mid-size prices, halfway between Madrid and Barcelona on the fast train.

Quality of life61above average
Momentum36below average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalLogistics cityUniversity townRiver cityHot summersScorching summers

37th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Valencia

  • Stronger on digital (88 vs 50)
  • Stronger on connectivity (46 vs 25)
  • Airport passengers: 11.8 million a year vs 0.7 million a year
  • Frost days: 4 a year vs 15 a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 24 a year vs 35 a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 9 km vs 13 km
  • 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.

Why Zaragoza

  • Stronger on healthcare (68 vs 46)
  • Stronger on safety (64 vs 20)
  • Stronger on housing (56 vs 20)
  • Stronger on jobs (52 vs 37)
  • Vehicle thefts: 23 per 100k people vs 83 per 100k people
  • Nights above 20 °C: 21 a year vs 53 a year
  • Homicides: 0.29 per 100k people vs 0.71 per 100k people
  • Thefts without violence: 1,203 per 100k people vs 2,811 per 100k people

Watch out: The cierzo wind and the extremes of heat and cold; Quiet August weeks when many bars and shops close.

Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Valencia is better on 10 and Zaragoza on 19; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

88 · strongDigital50 · average
75 · above averageProsperity78 · strong
64 · above averageTransport62 · above average
51 · averageClimate49 · average
46 · averageConnectivity25 · below average
46 · averageHealthcare68 · above average
37 · below averageJobs52 · average
20 · weakHousing56 · average
20 · weakSafety64 · above average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureValenciaZaragozaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€8.2 a month2024€7.7 a month2024Valencia 6% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€573 a month2024€541 a month2024Valencia 6% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€681 a month2024€550 a month2024Valencia 24% higher
Rents, change in a year5.9%20243.2%2024Valencia 2.7 pts higher
Buying price per m²€2,973Q2 2026€2,240Q2 2026Valencia 33% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€237,824Q2 2026€179,224Q2 2026Valencia 33% higher
House prices, change in a year17.0%Q2 202612.6%Q2 2026Valencia 4.4 pts higher
Money & work
Household income per person€16,944 a year2024€17,199 a year2024about the same
Net income per household€42,374 a year2024€41,707 a year2024about the same
Unemployment10.9%20258.1%2025Valencia 2.8 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime75.3 per 1,000 people202441.0 per 1,000 people2024Valencia 83% higher
Sexual offences0.54 per 1,000 people20240.35 per 1,000 people2024Valencia 54% higher
Homicides0.71 per 100k people20250.29 per 100k people2025Valencia 2.5×
Robberies with violence248 per 100k people2025160 per 100k people2025Valencia 55% higher
Home burglaries188 per 100k people202585 per 100k people2025Valencia 2.2×
Thefts without violence2,811 per 100k people20251,203 per 100k people2025Valencia 2.3×
Vehicle thefts83 per 100k people202523 per 100k people2025Valencia 3.6×
Health
Life expectancy83.3 years202383.8 years2023about the same
Hospital beds5.0 per 1,000 people20255.4 per 1,000 people2025Valencia 8% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C24 a year2015–202435 a year2015–2024Valencia 33% lower
Days above 30 °C81 a year2015–202486 a year2015–2024Valencia 5% lower
Nights above 20 °C53 a year2015–202421 a year2015–2024Valencia 2.5×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)119 a year2015–2024102 a year2015–2024Valencia 17% higher
Rainfall462 mm a year2015–2024381 mm a year2015–2024Valencia 21% higher
Rainy days (≥1 mm)70 a year2015–202473 a year2015–2024Valencia 5% lower
Frost days4 a year2015–202415 a year2015–2024Zaragoza 3.6×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)42 min202145 min2021Valencia 6% lower
Commute by public transport22% of commuters202124% of commuters2021Valencia 1.8 pts lower
Commute by car48% of commuters202147% of commuters2021Valencia 1.1 pts higher
Distance to the main airport9 km202613 km2026Valencia 28% lower
Airport passengers11.8 million a year20250.7 million a year2025Valencia 16.7×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet100%202599%2025Valencia 1.2 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door100%202599%2025Valencia 1.2 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree55%202450%2024Valencia 4.9 pts higher
People
Population840,7922025693,0912025Valencia 21% higher
Median age46.0 years202548.0 years2025Valencia 4% lower
Residents aged 65+21.4%202522.6%2025Valencia 1.2 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad26.5%202519.4%2025Valencia 7.1 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality18.8%202413.8%2024Valencia 5.0 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years5.1 points20242.0 points2024Valencia 3.1 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

62Beach, mountains and the outdoors60
62Culture, food and nightlife53
61Remote workers54
59Founders and self-employed51
51Students53
49High earners and investors62
48Young professionals55
46Retirees60
33Families with children59
28Budget-conscious movers51

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

Zaragoza

  • English gets you by day to day
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work
  • Public waiting lists are long

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