City · Ceuta · All places
A Spanish port city on the African side of the Strait, with mild weather, a land border and few ways in or out.
Ceuta is a Spanish city on the African side of the Strait of Gibraltar, a small peninsula that ends at the Moroccan border. It looks across the water to Gibraltar and the Spanish mainland, and behind it rises the hill of Monte Hacho. It has been fought over for centuries and has the walls, moats and barracks to show for it.
The city has 83,595 residents (2025). It is a port and garrison city of mixed communities, with Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu residents.
It suits people who want a small, mild, outdoors-oriented base, are comfortable with limited services and can earn their income elsewhere or in the public sector.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Ceuta stands out for transport, housing and climate; it is weaker on healthcare and connectivity. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €661 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Ceuta’s figures. They are inferences, not official statistics: each says what it rests on.
Few residents come from English-speaking or northern European countries, so daily life runs in Spanish. 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.
People born abroad are in work less often than people born in Spain across Ceuta. Remote income or a job offer makes the move far easier.
Residents are younger than in most of Spain: more students, young families and evening life.
Grilled fish from the port, Moroccan-style skewers, pastries and tapas in the bars around the centre.
Small and quiet, with a strong sense that everyone knows everyone.
Evening coffees and tapas in the centre and a few seafront bars in summer.
A walled, fortified centre, a seafront promenade, and hillside districts closer to the border.
Spanish and Darija both heard everywhere, plus some French and English.
The Virgen de África in August, Holy Week, and Muslim and Jewish holidays kept openly alongside Christian ones.
Beaches, diving, kayaking, and walks on Monte Hacho above the sea.
Ceuta feels like a small Andalusian port with a Moroccan accent. The Plaza de África and the old centre around it are where people stroll, drink coffee and meet; the seafront and the marina take over on summer evenings. Distances are short, so people walk or drive for ten minutes to anywhere.
The communities share the city more than they mix in it. Mosques, a synagogue, a cathedral and a Hindu temple all exist within a short walk, and holidays of each faith are public events. Many residents move across the border to shop or visit family, and the border crossing is a daily fact of life, not a curiosity.
Food is local fish from the port, grilled meat, tapas, Moroccan pastries and tea. Summer evenings are about the promenade, the beaches and the sea, and winter is quiet. Military life is part of the texture: uniforms are common, and some barracks sit inside the old walls.
The patron festival of the Virgen de África in August, Holy Week and the Muslim holidays are the main dates. There is not much of a nightlife scene, and what there is closes early. A newcomer who wants to be accepted should expect to learn how the communities relate and to speak Spanish.
Ceuta has been Spanish since the seventeenth century, after centuries as a Portuguese and earlier Arab and Roman port. Its position is the whole story: it controls the southern shore of the Strait, so it holds a naval and military role, a busy port and a border that sees large daily crossings of workers and shoppers. The army, public administration, the port and retail are the main employers, and the border regime shapes local trade.
Jobs come out below average and unemployment is 23.4% (2025). Prosperity comes out average, and the share of adults with a degree is 32% (2024). Young people tend to leave for the mainland to study and work, and the city has no large private sector to draw them back.
Geography also limits healthcare and connectivity. There is no commercial airport, so travel runs on the ferry to Algeciras and a helicopter link, and the sea can stop both. Healthcare comes out weak, and life expectancy is 81.0 years (2023). Hospital beds come to 2.9 per 1,000 people (2025), and anyone with a serious condition may need treatment across the water.
Housing is the bright spot. The city is small but not squeezed, and housing comes out above average. A typical seventy square metre flat rents for about €661 a month (2024), and buying costs €2,215 per square metre (Q2 2026).
Figures for Ceuta itself, not its region. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Ceuta data only and compares it with similar cities. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Transport is strong: in the top 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Average commute (one way): 21.9 minutes — better than 99% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 78 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Average commute (one way)Ceuta · 2021 | 21.9 minutes | better than 99% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Commute by carCeuta · 2021 | 51.1% | better than 85% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Commute by public transportCeuta · 2021 | 12.0% | better than 47% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Housing is above average: in the top 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Rent growth a year, over 3 years: 2.59% — better than 100% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Above average: 73 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Rent per m²Ceuta · 2024 | 9.45 €/m² a month | better than 25% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rents, change in a yearCeuta · 2024 | 1.50% | better than 99% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Buying price per m²Ceuta · 2026-Q2 | 2,215 €/m² | better than 55% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rent growth a year, over 3 yearsCeuta · 2024 | 2.59% | better than 100% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| House prices, change in a yearCeuta · 2026-Q2 | 6.54% | better than 95% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Climate is above average: in the top quarter of major European cities.
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 201 days a year — better than 100% of major European cities
Above average: 69 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)Ceuta · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 201 days a year | better than 100% of major European cities |
| Days above 35 °CCeuta · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 0.20 days a year | better than 69% of major European cities |
| Nights above 20 °CCeuta · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 71.3 nights a year | better than 5% of major European cities |
Safety is around the middle compared with similar cities.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
Recorded crime: 42.9 per 1,000 people — better than 71% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 48 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded crimeCeuta · 2024 | 42.9 per 1,000 people | better than 71% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Sexual offencesCeuta · 2024 | 0.55 per 1,000 people | better than 24% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Prosperity is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Household income per person: 15,520 € a year per person — worse than 53% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 47 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 personCeuta · 2024 | 15,520 € a year per person | better than 47% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Jobs is below average: behind most Spanish cities above 50,000.
Unemployment: 23.4% — worse than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Below average: 39 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| UnemploymentCeuta · 2025 | 23.4% | better than 2% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Unemployment, change in a yearCeuta · 2025 | -2.82 points | better than 94% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Digital is weak: in the bottom 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
5G coverage: 99.4% — worse than 96% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Weak: 5 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 internetCeuta · 2025 | 93.9% | better than 8% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Homes with fibre to the doorCeuta · 2025 | 93.9% | better than 4% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| 5G coverageCeuta · 2025 | 99.4% | better than 4% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Connectivity is weak: in the bottom 10% of major European cities.
Distance to the main airport: 28.7 km — worse than 97% of major European cities
Weak: 3 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 airportCeuta · 2026-10-21 | 28.7 km | better than 3% of major European cities |
Healthcare is weak: in the bottom 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Life expectancy: 81.0 years — worse than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Weak: 2 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancyCeuta · 2023 | 81.0 years | better than 2% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
What we cannot score for Ceuta yet
Highs around 27° in August, lows around 12° in January. 201 pleasant days a year (dry, 18–28 °C). 71 warm nights above 20 °C: check for air-conditioning.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.1°C | 12.3°C | 60 mm |
| February | 16.3°C | 12.5°C | 47 mm |
| March | 17.3°C | 13.0°C | 103 mm |
| April | 18.8°C | 14.3°C | 47 mm |
| May | 21.5°C | 16.3°C | 27 mm |
| June | 23.8°C | 18.5°C | 6 mm |
| July | 26.8°C | 20.5°C | 1 mm |
| August | 27.3°C | 21.4°C | 2 mm |
| September | 25.2°C | 20.1°C | 10 mm |
| October | 22.6°C | 18.3°C | 69 mm |
| November | 19.5°C | 15.5°C | 76 mm |
| December | 17.5°C | 14.0°C | 72 mm |
Ceuta has one of the mildest climates on the Spanish map, tempered by the sea on both sides. Summers are warm but not hot, and the winds can be strong. The east wind brings fog and damp, while the west wind clears the sky. Very hot days number 0 a year (2015–2024), though warm nights are common at 71 a year (2015–2024).
Winters are soft and wet in short bursts. Frost days number 0 a year (2015–2024), and rainfall is 520 mm a year a year (2015–2024). Pleasant days reach 201 a year (2015–2024), which is high for Spain, and the climate comes out above average. Damp walls and wind are the real winter complaints, not cold.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
81/100 · strong · 7th of 106 Spanish cities above 50,000
23.5% in 2025
6.5% in Q2 2026
€9.4 per m² a month in 2024
€2,215 per m² in Q2 2026
81.0 years in 2023
Facts about the people who live in Ceuta. 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.
The best fit here: a mild climate, sea access and a hill above the town.
Not measured yet: Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Strong-wind days.
Mild all year and cheap by Spanish standards, but healthcare is a real concern for older residents.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Doctors, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
The Ceuta campus of the University of Granada offers a handful of degrees, but most students leave for the mainland.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Price level vs EU average, Walk most, Youth unemployment (15–24).
Safe enough and small, with a short school run, but the job market for parents is narrow.
Not measured yet: 15-year-olds' maths (PISA), Average dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation.
Government, defence, port and retail jobs dominate, so options are narrow.
Not measured yet: Jobs in high-tech sectors, Lifestyle, Median gross salary, Youth unemployment (15–24).
A calm base with sea views, but little of the premium infrastructure that wealthy movers use.
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Education, Environment, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
A single-city mix of Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu traditions, with a military heritage.
Not measured yet: Lifestyle, Walk most.
Housing and daily costs are modest, but work is scarce.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Households spending >40% of income on housing, Price level vs EU average.
Possible but not easy, because the connection and transport limits are the reasons most people skip it.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Fixed broadband penetration, Lifestyle.
The border and port create trade, but the market is small and regulated.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in Ceuta as anywhere in Spain.
Guide 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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