City · Cataluña · All places
A dense working-class seaside city on Barcelona's doorstep, with a Roman past, a basketball club and a street-crime problem.
Badalona is a seaside city on the north-eastern edge of Barcelona, separated from the capital only by the small municipality of Sant Adrià de Besòs and the river. The street grid simply carries on across the boundaries. It has its own beach, its own marina, its own Roman ruins and its own basketball club, but most of the city is dense apartment blocks climbing the hill behind the sea.
It is a working-class city that grew as an industrial neighbour of Barcelona, and it feels like one. The seafront and the old centre are pleasant. Much of the interior is plain, dense and rough at the edges. The honest case for it is access: the sea, the metro and Barcelona's job market, at lower prices than the capital but not low ones.
The city has 231,542 residents (2025).
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Badalona stands out for digital and climate; it is weaker on connectivity and safety. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €712 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Badalona’s figures. They are inferences, not official statistics: each says what it rests on.
You will meet English speakers, mostly in the centre and at international employers. Shops, landlords and schools expect Spanish. Contracts, the town hall and most doctors work in Spanish or Catalan.
Catalan is an official language alongside Spanish. Expect it on signs, at the town hall and in state schools.
New leases cost about 34% more than what sitting tenants pay, so the averages you read understate what a newcomer will pay. Good flats go fast.
Summer nights stay warm, so sleep depends on a cooled bedroom. Check for air-conditioning before you sign.
People born abroad are in work less often than people born in Spain across Cataluña. Remote income or a job offer makes the move far easier.
Almost every home can get gigabit fibre, so working from home is not a gamble on the flat you pick.
Non-urgent surgery takes longer than in most of Spain (Cataluña-wide figure). Many residents add private health insurance.
Seafood on the front, Catalan home cooking and the Mediterranean lunch menu.
Brisk and urban, with neighbourhoods that live on their own streets and markets.
Beach-bar evenings in summer, bars in the old centre and Barcelona on the metro for the rest.
The old centre and Dalt de la Vila, working-class Llefià and La Salut, and the sea-facing blocks along the front.
Catalan in the town hall and schools, Spanish in the street and much else in the mix.
Sant Anastasi in late April, the summer Festa Major and beach bonfires on Sant Joan night.
Direct, neighbourly and sporty, with a large immigrant and second-generation population.
Badalona lives in neighbourhoods. The old centre, around the Plaça de la Vila and the covered market, is where the city's history sits, with a Roman museum and a historic quarter on the hill called Dalt de la Vila. The seafront is a long promenade with beach bars, a marina and the Pont del Petroli, an old industrial pier that has become the city's symbol.
The Anís del Mono factory, with its monkey-label bottles, is a local landmark, and the Baetulo museum shows the Roman town under the streets. Basketball is the local religion: Joventut de Badalona, known as La Penya, is a long-established club in Spanish basketball and has produced several stars. A game at the Palau Olímpic is the best evening in town.
The hill neighbourhoods, such as Llefià, La Salut and Sant Roc, are dense, multicultural and working-class, with lively street markets and a strong neighbourhood identity. The north, towards the Serralada de Marina natural park, is quieter, with detached houses and more green. Many residents of the sea-facing blocks work in Barcelona.
Catalan and Spanish both fill the street, with Spanish perhaps dominant in daily talk and Catalan in schools. English is less common than in Barcelona. Seafood on the front, home cooking in the centre and a wide mix of immigrant food across the hillside districts make the table varied. Summer nights on the beach, with bonfires on Sant Joan, are the high point of the year.
Badalona was a Roman town called Baetulo, and a fishing and farming town for most of its history. In the nineteenth century, industry arrived: factories along the coast made anisette, glass and textiles, and the town grew into a satellite of Barcelona. Waves of migrants from southern Spain in the mid century filled the hillside districts with cheap apartment blocks, and later waves came from abroad.
The result is a dense city with little room to spread. The hills, the sea and the neighbouring municipalities leave no space to expand, and the blocks of the sixties and seventies are still the core of the housing stock. Prosperity comes out average, with household income per person at €15,266 a year (2024). Rents follow the capital: a typical 70 m² flat rents for about €712 a month (2024), and buying costs €2,824 per square metre (Q2 2026). Housing comes out average.
Safety is the city's hardest problem, and it is partly a product of density and its position at the edge of Barcelona. Safety comes out weak. Street robbery is among the highest of any large Spanish city: 583 per 100k people (2025). Theft runs at 1,769 per 100k people (2025), and the homicide rate is 1.73 per 100k people (2025). Crime is concentrated in particular districts and along the seafront and the metro, while many other areas are calm.
The city is well connected by rail and metro, but connectivity comes out weak on the engine's measure, and the airport is 23 km away (2026). Digital infrastructure is strong, with gigabit coverage of 100% (2025).
Figures for Badalona itself, not its region. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Badalona data only and compares it with similar cities. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Digital is strong: in the top quarter of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Homes that can get gigabit internet: 99.7% — better than 92% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 75 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 internetBadalona · 2025 | 99.7% | better than 92% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Homes with fibre to the doorBadalona · 2025 | 99.7% | better than 89% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| 5G coverageBadalona · 2025 | 100.0% | better than 36% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Climate is above average: in the top quarter of major European cities.
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 116 days a year — better than 89% of major European cities
Above average: 68 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)Badalona · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 116 days a year | better than 89% of major European cities |
| Days above 35 °CBadalona · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 0.00 days a year | better than 88% of major European cities |
| Nights above 20 °CBadalona · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 82.2 nights a year | better than 5% of major European cities |
Housing is around the middle: better than most Spanish cities above 50,000.
Rent growth a year, over 3 years: 3.52% — better than 91% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 57 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Rent per m²Badalona · 2024 | 10.2 €/m² a month | better than 17% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rents, change in a yearBadalona · 2024 | 2.80% | better than 83% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Buying price per m²Badalona · 2026-Q2 | 2,824 €/m² | better than 33% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rent growth a year, over 3 yearsBadalona · 2024 | 3.52% | better than 91% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| House prices, change in a yearBadalona · 2026-Q2 | 12.7% | better than 66% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Prosperity is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Household income per person: 15,266 € a year per person — worse than 58% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 42 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 personBadalona · 2024 | 15,266 € a year per person | better than 42% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Safety is weak compared with similar cities.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
Robberies: 583 per 100k people — worse than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Weak: 17 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesBadalona · 2025 | 1.73 per 100k people | better than 16% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| RobberiesBadalona · 2025 | 583 per 100k people | better than 2% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| BurglariesBadalona · 2025 | 146 per 100k people | better than 30% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| TheftsBadalona · 2025 | 1,769 per 100k people | better than 19% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Vehicle theftsBadalona · 2025 | 98.0 per 100k people | better than 27% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Connectivity is weak: in the bottom 10% of major European cities.
Distance to the main airport: 22.6 km — worse than 95% of major European cities
Weak: 5 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 airportBadalona · 2026-10-21 | 22.6 km | better than 5% of major European cities |
What we cannot score for Badalona yet
Highs around 28° in August, lows around 7° in January. 116 pleasant days a year (dry, 18–28 °C). 82 warm nights above 20 °C: check for air-conditioning.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13.0°C | 7.4°C | 52 mm |
| February | 14.0°C | 8.0°C | 39 mm |
| March | 15.4°C | 9.2°C | 79 mm |
| April | 17.2°C | 11.1°C | 92 mm |
| May | 20.9°C | 14.4°C | 69 mm |
| June | 24.8°C | 19.0°C | 63 mm |
| July | 27.9°C | 22.1°C | 57 mm |
| August | 28.2°C | 22.5°C | 69 mm |
| September | 25.0°C | 19.7°C | 96 mm |
| October | 21.5°C | 16.3°C | 109 mm |
| November | 17.1°C | 11.7°C | 89 mm |
| December | 14.6°C | 9.2°C | 36 mm |
Badalona has a Mediterranean climate with sea breezes. Summers are warm and humid, with muggy nights, and winters are mild and sunny. It almost never freezes. Rain comes in short, heavy bursts, mostly in autumn.
Very hot days: 0 a year (2015–2024). Tropical nights are 82 a year (2015–2024). Frost days are 0 a year (2015–2024). Rainfall is 849 mm a year (2015–2024).
Pleasant days, mild and dry, number 116 a year (2015–2024). It is a year-round city: the beach is for summer, and mild winters make daily life easy. Fans or air conditioning are needed for sleeping from June to September.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
12.7% in Q2 2026
€10.2 per m² a month in 2024
€2,824 per m² in Q2 2026
Facts about the people who live in Badalona. Shown as context only: none of this changes a score.
Guides for the practical side of moving to Spain: residency, housing, healthcare, tax and schools. Where the rules or prices depend on where you live, the guide says so.
Is Spain right for you, when to go, and how to try it before you commit.
Visas, residence permits, the route that fits you, and keeping your status.
Budgeting the first year, banking, tax residency, income and social security.
Employment, remote work, self-employment, running a business and your rights at work.
Choosing where to live, renting safely, buying, and settling into a home.
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Partners, children, schools, childcare and studying in Spain.
Paperwork, identity numbers, belongings, pets, utilities and the first weeks.
Learning Spanish, understanding local life and building a social circle.
Routines, food, local customs, holidays, transport and getting around.
Scams, disputes, emergencies, your rights and where to get help.
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Staying for good, long-term residence and citizenship, retiring, or returning home.
You will know where Spanish rentals are found, what they cost, how to time and run a search, and how to judge a flat before you commit.
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Finding your public healthcare route
You will know which route applies to your situation and what, if anything, you have to do to start it.
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You will know whether and from when Spain taxes you as a resident, and how to keep the evidence to back your position.
School types and choosing a school
You will know which stage your child is in, what each school type means in Spain, and how to shortlist schools that fit your family's stay and goals.
You will have a step-by-step way to pick a barrio in Spain and the tools to test it before signing.
Fit from the data, 0 to 100, against other Spanish cities. Open a group to see the figures behind it.
The beach, marina, promenade and the Serralada de Marina natural park, plus the Collserola hills, all within reach. The air and traffic are the drawbacks.
Not measured yet: Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Strong-wind days.
A sea breeze, a flat seafront and a major public hospital are in its favour. Street crime, hills and noisy summer nights are the cost.
Better nearby for retirees: Granollers (67), Sant Cugat del Vallès (63), Santa Coloma de Gramenet (61)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Doctors, Environment, Healthcare, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
Gigabit fibre across the city, the sea on the doorstep and a lower price than central Barcelona, with the airport and coworking spaces a short ride away.
Better nearby for remote workers: Reus (70), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (67), Cornellà de Llobregat (66)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Fixed broadband penetration, Lifestyle, Residents born abroad.
Premises and warehouses at lower cost than in the capital, a port and a gigabit network, with Barcelona's markets and clients a few stops away.
Nothing stands out.
Better nearby for founders and self-employed: Barcelona (68), Cornellà de Llobregat (67), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (67)
Not measured yet: Adults with a university degree, Jobs, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality, Residents born abroad.
The sea-facing blocks and the northern hills have some comfortable homes, but the better addresses are in Barcelona or the Maresme further along the coast.
Better nearby for high earners and investors: Sant Cugat del Vallès (69), Viladecans (67), Cerdanyola del Vallès (63)
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Dense apartments, limited green space and a high street-crime rate make this a hard choice, though schools are plentiful and the beach is close.
Better nearby for families with children: Sant Cugat del Vallès (58), Viladecans (56), Cerdanyola del Vallès (54)
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.
Rents and house prices track Barcelona's, while incomes are low, so this is rarely cheap for the quality of flat on offer.
Better nearby for budget-conscious movers: Lleida (72), Reus (58), Manresa (57)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Households spending >40% of income on housing, Jobs, Price level vs EU average, Unemployment.
A cheaper base than Barcelona with the metro line into the capital and a lively street life, but little of its own job market.
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).
A cheaper room than in Barcelona and a metro ride to its universities, with a strong sporting culture and a beach for weekends.
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 Roman museum, the Anís del Mono, the Palau Olímpic and local festivals, with the full programme of Barcelona 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 Badalona as anywhere in Spain.
Compared with Badalona; each card says where it is better or worse for someone living there.
70 m²: €766 a month
Compare with Badalona70 m²: €794 a month
Compare with Badalona70 m²: €958 a month
Compare with Badalona70 m²: €639 a month
Compare with Badalona70 m²: €703 a month
Compare with Badalona70 m²: €896 a month
Compare with BadalonaGuide 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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