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Side by side

Vitoria-Gasteiz 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 Vitoria-GasteizAll about ZaragozaChange a place

Data as of

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

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 Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Stronger on healthcare (92 vs 68)
  • Stronger on jobs (81 vs 52)
  • Stronger on climate (70 vs 49)
  • Homicides: 0.00 per 100k people vs 0.29 per 100k people
  • Days above 35 °C: 1 a year vs 35 a year
  • Nights above 20 °C: 1 a year vs 21 a year
  • House prices, change in a year: 5.8% vs 12.6%
  • Clean and orderly and green with flat streets and cycle lanes

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

Why Zaragoza

  • Stronger on safety (64 vs 47)
  • Stronger on connectivity (25 vs 0)
  • Airport passengers: 0.7 million a year vs 0.3 million a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 13 km vs 54 km
  • Commute by public transport: 24% of commuters vs 14% of commuters
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 73 a year vs 150 a year
  • A big city with a manageable pace and a strong local identity
  • A tapas and festival culture that is lively and unpretentious

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

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

Life domains

92 · strongHealthcare68 · above average
89 · strongProsperity78 · strong
81 · strongJobs52 · average
70 · above averageClimate49 · average
62 · above averageTransport62 · above average
56 · averageDigital50 · average
47 · averageSafety64 · above average
0 · weakConnectivity25 · below average
–Housing56 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureVitoria-GasteizZaragozaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€9.2 a month2024€7.7 a month2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 19% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€645 a month2024€541 a month2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 19% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€721 a month2024€550 a month2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 31% higher
Buying price per m²€2,681Q2 2026€2,240Q2 2026Vitoria-Gasteiz 20% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€214,472Q2 2026€179,224Q2 2026Vitoria-Gasteiz 20% higher
House prices, change in a year5.8%Q2 202612.6%Q2 2026Vitoria-Gasteiz 6.8 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€18,920 a year2024€17,199 a year2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 10% higher
Net income per household€44,228 a year2024€41,707 a year2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 6% higher
Unemployment7.2%20258.1%2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 0.9 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime49.5 per 1,000 people202441.0 per 1,000 people2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 21% higher
Sexual offences0.61 per 1,000 people20240.35 per 1,000 people2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 74% higher
Homicides0.00 per 100k people20250.29 per 100k people2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 100% lower
Robberies with violence105 per 100k people2025160 per 100k people2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 35% lower
Home burglaries98 per 100k people202585 per 100k people2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 16% higher
Thefts without violence1,789 per 100k people20251,203 per 100k people2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 49% higher
Vehicle thefts30 per 100k people202523 per 100k people2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 30% higher
Health
Life expectancy84.8 years202383.8 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.1 per 1,000 people20255.4 per 1,000 people2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 24% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C1 a year2015–202435 a year2015–2024Zaragoza 27.2×
Days above 30 °C14 a year2015–202486 a year2015–2024Zaragoza 6.0×
Nights above 20 °C1 a year2015–202421 a year2015–2024Zaragoza 23.7×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)98 a year2015–2024102 a year2015–2024about the same
Rainfall950 mm a year2015–2024381 mm a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 2.5×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)150 a year2015–202473 a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 2.0×
Frost days13 a year2015–202415 a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 14% lower
Getting around
Average commute (one way)38 min202145 min2021Vitoria-Gasteiz 15% lower
Commute by public transport14% of commuters202124% of commuters2021Vitoria-Gasteiz 9.6 pts lower
Commute by car53% of commuters202147% of commuters2021Vitoria-Gasteiz 6.1 pts higher
Distance to the main airport54 km202613 km2026Vitoria-Gasteiz 4.2×
Airport passengers0.3 million a year20250.7 million a year2025Zaragoza 2.3×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202599%2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 0.5 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door99%202599%2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 0.5 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree54%202450%2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 4.5 pts higher
People
Population260,6992025693,0912025Zaragoza 2.7×
Median age48.1 years202548.0 years2025about the same
Residents aged 65+22.9%202522.6%2025about the same
Who lives here
Residents born abroad18.1%202519.4%2025Vitoria-Gasteiz 1.3 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality12.2%202413.8%2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 1.6 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years1.7 points20242.0 points2024about the same

Who each suits, 0–100

71Young professionals55
69Culture, food and nightlife53
64High earners and investors62
62Retirees60
60Families with children59
58Founders and self-employed51
55Students53
54Budget-conscious movers51
46Remote workers54
45Beach, mountains and the outdoors60

Weather through the year

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

Our read of each

Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Basque is co-official here
  • 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 Dec 2025 (Vitoria-Gasteiz) 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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