City · Comunidad de Madrid · All places
Madrid's affluent northern business suburb, with multinational offices, private schools, wide streets and La Moraleja.
Alcobendas is a city on the northern edge of Madrid, along the main motorway to the north and the metro line out to San Sebastián de los Reyes. It has wide streets, plenty of parks, big sports centres and the business parks where many multinational companies keep their Spanish offices. Inside the same municipality is La Moraleja, a gated estate of villas that is among the most expensive addresses in Spain.
It is a comfortable, well-organised place that few people would call exciting. It was built for a middle-class working life, and it delivers it: safe streets, good public services, offices a few minutes from home and the airport at the end of the motorway. It is a place to live and work, not to visit.
The city has 123,342 residents (2025). It suits executives, founders and families with a Madrid-area income, and it suits those who want a low rent, a historic centre or an energetic nightlife much less.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Alcobendas stands out for prosperity, connectivity and safety. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €829 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Alcobendas’s figures. They are inferences, not official statistics: each says what it rests on.
A large international and graduate population means English is common at work, in cafés and among neighbours. Contracts, the town hall and most doctors work in Spanish.
Summer nights stay warm, so sleep depends on a cooled bedroom. Check for air-conditioning before you sign.
Frosty nights are common. Many older Spanish flats are poorly insulated: ask about heating and the winter energy bill.
Almost every home can get gigabit fibre, so working from home is not a gamble on the flat you pick.
Business lunches, family restaurants and a wide range of international and Spanish menus, but no bar crawl culture.
Orderly and early, with the working day dominant and the weekend given over to sport and family.
Terraces in the centre and the shopping streets, with real nightlife a short drive into Madrid.
The old centre by the Plaza Mayor, tidy residential districts, the business parks and La Moraleja to the north.
Spanish, with English spoken in the corporate and expat circles and in the international schools.
Local fiestas in the autumn, a wide programme of municipal events and a busy calendar of sports tournaments.
Large municipal parks and sports grounds, and the Madrid mountains or the Pardo forest within a short drive.
Alcobendas runs on a business timetable. Mornings are rush hour, middays are quiet and the evening brings the families out to the parks and the sports centres. The municipal gyms, pools and courts are among the best-equipped of any Spanish city of its size, and a lot of social life is built on them.
The centre is orderly rather than atmospheric: a pedestrian core, a plaza with terraces and a large auditorium and arts centre that give the city a cultural programme. Beyond it are the Madrid suburbs that make up the rest: leafy blocks, shopping centres and the long glass-and-steel strips of the business parks.
La Moraleja is another world, with big villas behind walls, private schools and golf. Most of Alcobendas is much more ordinary. The mix is of Spanish middle-class families, corporate expats and professionals who chose the north of Madrid for the schools and the offices.
Alcobendas was a farming village until Madrid's growth in the 1960s turned it into a dormitory town. Its leaders then made two decisions that shaped it. They built generous public services and sports facilities, and they courted companies to the business parks along the northern motorway, which is why many large employers have their headquarters here. In the same decades La Moraleja was laid out as a leafy, gated estate for wealthy families.
The result is one of the richest municipalities in Spain. Household income per person is €23,325 a year (2024), and the city comes out strong on prosperity and strong on connectivity, because the airport, the metro and the motorway are all close. Safety comes out above average.
Prices follow the income. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €829 a month (2024), and buying costs €4,914 per square metre (Q2 2026), among the highest in the country. Housing comes out average. Rents bite hard for anyone who does not have a Madrid corporate salary.
There is no large hospital inside the city. Public patients use the university hospital in neighbouring San Sebastián de los Reyes, and private clinics are spread across northern Madrid. Fibre reaches 99% of homes (2025), and the digital band is average.
Figures for Alcobendas itself, not its region. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Alcobendas data only and compares it with similar cities. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Prosperity is strong: in the top 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Household income per person: 23,325 € a year per person — better than 94% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 94 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Household income per personAlcobendas · 2024 | 23,325 € a year per person | better than 94% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Connectivity is strong: in the top 10% of major European cities.
Distance to the main airport: 6.70 km — better than 89% of major European cities
Strong: 89 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Distance to the main airportAlcobendas · 2026-10-21 | 6.70 km | better than 89% of major European cities |
Safety is above average compared with similar cities.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
Burglaries: 71.3 per 100k people — better than 82% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Above average: 72 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesAlcobendas · 2025 | 0.00 per 100k people | better than 78% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| RobberiesAlcobendas · 2025 | 62.4 per 100k people | better than 73% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| BurglariesAlcobendas · 2025 | 71.3 per 100k people | better than 82% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| TheftsAlcobendas · 2025 | 965 per 100k people | better than 65% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Vehicle theftsAlcobendas · 2025 | 140 per 100k people | better than 12% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Digital is around the middle: better than most Spanish cities above 50,000.
Homes that can get gigabit internet: 98.9% — better than 64% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 60 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Homes that can get gigabit internetAlcobendas · 2025 | 98.9% | better than 64% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Homes with fibre to the doorAlcobendas · 2025 | 98.6% | better than 53% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| 5G coverageAlcobendas · 2025 | 100.0% | better than 62% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Housing is around the middle: behind most Spanish cities above 50,000.
Rents, change in a year: 2.70% — better than 87% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 45 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Rent per m²Alcobendas · 2024 | 11.8 €/m² a month | better than 8% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rents, change in a yearAlcobendas · 2024 | 2.70% | better than 87% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Buying price per m²Alcobendas · 2026-Q2 | 4,914 €/m² | better than 5% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rent growth a year, over 3 yearsAlcobendas · 2024 | 3.94% | better than 83% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| House prices, change in a yearAlcobendas · 2026-Q2 | 15.3% | better than 43% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Climate is around the middle: behind most major European cities.
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 84.2 days a year — better than 61% of major European cities
Average: 43 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)Alcobendas · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 84.2 days a year | better than 61% of major European cities |
| Days above 35 °CAlcobendas · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 32.6 days a year | better than 7% of major European cities |
| Nights above 20 °CAlcobendas · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 11.3 nights a year | better than 42% of major European cities |
What we cannot score for Alcobendas yet
Highs around 35° in July, lows around -0° in January. 84 pleasant days a year (dry, 18–28 °C).
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.9°C | -0.1°C | 40 mm |
| February | 12.2°C | 0.9°C | 32 mm |
| March | 14.9°C | 2.7°C | 57 mm |
| April | 18.2°C | 5.1°C | 59 mm |
| May | 23.6°C | 9.1°C | 33 mm |
| June | 29.2°C | 14.1°C | 28 mm |
| July | 34.7°C | 17.7°C | 10 mm |
| August | 33.9°C | 17.5°C | 19 mm |
| September | 27.1°C | 13.1°C | 41 mm |
| October | 21.7°C | 9.3°C | 70 mm |
| November | 14.5°C | 4.2°C | 49 mm |
| December | 11.4°C | 1.8°C | 43 mm |
Alcobendas shares the dry continental climate of the Madrid plain. Summers are hot, with 33 a year very hot days a year (2015–2024), although tropical nights are limited at 11 a year (2015–2024), so evenings cool down. Winters are cold and dry, with frost on 46 a year (2015–2024), and rain is light at 480 mm a year (2015–2024).
The pleasant days are few: 84 a year a year (2015–2024). Spring and autumn are short, and the climate band is only average. Air conditioning is standard in newer buildings, and the sun and the leafy parks make summer evenings bearable. August is quiet because many residents leave Madrid.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
15.3% in Q2 2026
€11.8 per m² a month in 2024
€4,914 per m² in Q2 2026
Facts about the people who live in Alcobendas. Shown as context only: none of this changes a score.
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Fit from the data, 0 to 100, against other Spanish cities. Open a group to see the figures behind it.
One of the best business-park addresses in Spain, with corporate customers and an airport on the doorstep.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Adults with a university degree, Jobs, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality, Residents born abroad.
A natural fit: safe, comfortable and well served, with La Moraleja next door for those who want a villa.
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
A strong choice: safe, green, rich in sports, with private and international schools around La Moraleja.
Better nearby for families with children: Fuenlabrada (62), Aranjuez (60), Coslada (60)
Not measured yet: 15-year-olds' maths (PISA), Average commute (one way), Average dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Jobs, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation, Recorded crime.
Very good connections, with Barajas minutes away, but pricey and lacking in cafés made for working.
Better nearby for remote workers: Coslada (62)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Fixed broadband penetration, Lifestyle, Residents born abroad.
Safe and orderly with good sports facilities, but expensive, with no big hospital inside the city and hot summers.
Better nearby for retirees: Coslada (56), Fuenlabrada (56), Pinto (55)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Doctors, Environment, Healthcare, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
Almost the opposite of cheap: rents and prices are among the highest in the country.
Better nearby for budget-conscious movers: Aranjuez (55), Valdemoro (54), Fuenlabrada (51)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Households spending >40% of income on housing, Jobs, Price level vs EU average, Unemployment.
Plenty of municipal parks and sports facilities, though the surroundings are flat and hot, with mountains an hour away.
Better nearby for beach, mountains and the outdoors: Madrid (44), Aranjuez (38), Pinto (38)
Not measured yet: Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Strong-wind days.
A good employer base in the business parks, though pricey and quiet for people who want a social life.
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Jobs, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Lifestyle, Median age, Median gross salary, Residents born abroad, Transport, Unemployment, Youth unemployment (15–24).
Not a student city, since the main campuses are elsewhere in Madrid.
Not measured yet: Adults with a university degree, Commute by public transport, Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Median age, Price level vs EU average, Transport, Walk most, Youth unemployment (15–24).
A municipal arts programme and auditorium, with Madrid's museums and theatres a metro ride away.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Adults with a university degree, Commute by public transport, Lifestyle, Median age, Residents born abroad, Transport, Walk most.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in Alcobendas as anywhere in Spain.
Compared with Alcobendas; each card says where it is better or worse for someone living there.
70 m²: €713 a month
Compare with Alcobendas70 m²: €659 a month
Compare with Alcobendas70 m²: €553 a month
Compare with Alcobendas70 m²: €569 a month
Compare with Alcobendas70 m²: €885 a month
Compare with Alcobendas70 m²: €665 a month
Compare with AlcobendasGuide written 2026-10-22. Figures are refreshed as new official data is published; the period beside each number says what it covers. “Our read” cards are our inferences from those figures. How we score
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