Region · Spain · All places
Spain's quiet south-west: Roman ruins, oak pastures, vultures and the lowest prices in the country.
Extremadura lies in the south-west of Spain, on the border with Portugal. It is a large region with a small population, made of two provinces, Cáceres in the north and Badajoz in the south. The land is wide and mostly flat or rolling, covered in cork and holm oak pasture, with rivers, reservoirs and a few mountain ranges at the edges.
Mérida, the capital, has the best-preserved Roman remains in Spain. Cáceres and Trujillo have stone medieval and Renaissance old towns, Badajoz is the biggest city, and Plasencia is the main town of the north. For most of the year the region is warm, quiet and slow, and it is cheaper than anywhere else in Spain.
It suits people who want space, silence and low costs. It suits those who need a big job market, a coast or a wide international circle much less.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Extremadura stands out for housing and safety; it is weaker on jobs and prosperity. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €349 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Extremadura’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.
People born abroad are in work less often than people born in Spain. Remote income or a job offer makes the move far easier.
Non-urgent surgery takes longer than in most of Spain. Many residents add private health insurance.
Iberian ham, cured meats, lamb stew, Torta del Casar cheese and cherries, rustic and generous.
Slow and unhurried, with afternoons given over to the shade and evenings to the street.
Tapas bars and a student crowd in Cáceres and Badajoz, village fiestas elsewhere.
Cáceres has a stone old quarter, Mérida a Roman centre, Badajoz is a border city looking at Portugal.
Spanish with a soft local accent, and Portuguese heard along the border.
The classical drama season in Mérida's Roman theatre, Carnival in Badajoz, WOMAD in Cáceres in spring.
Birdwatching in Monfragüe, walking in La Vera and Jerte, swimming in reservoirs and mountain pools.
Life here is slow and unhurried. Mérida has a Roman theatre that hosts a classical drama festival each summer, plus an amphitheatre, a long bridge and an aqueduct in the middle of a working town. Cáceres has a tightly kept old quarter of stone palaces with storks on every tower. Trujillo is a small, near-perfect plaza surrounded by conquistador houses. Badajoz is a border city that looks to Portugal as much as to Madrid, with a big Moorish fort and a busy centre.
The countryside is the main event. The dehesa is a managed oak pasture where black Iberian pigs eat acorns in autumn and winter. Monfragüe national park is one of the best places in Europe to watch vultures, eagles and black storks, and in winter thousands of cranes spend the cold months on the plains. The Jerte valley turns white with cherry blossom in spring, and La Vera has gorges, natural pools and smoked paprika.
People are hospitable and unpretentious. Food is rich and rustic: ham, cured meats, migas, lamb stew, the soft Torta del Casar cheese, cherries and fig cake. Evenings are spent on the street in summer, and village festivals are often better than the postcards suggest.
Extremadura sent many of the conquistadors to the Americas, including Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, and the fortified houses they built still stand in Trujillo and Cáceres. The wealth did not stay. The land remained in large estates, industry never took hold, and in the twentieth century a great many people left for Madrid, Catalonia, the Basque Country and northern Europe.
The economy still rests on farming and food: cherries, tomatoes, olives, rice, cork and above all acorn-fed Iberian pigs, whose ham is among the most prized in the world. Public employment, solar power and tourism are growing. Unemployment is 14.8% (2025). The average gross salary is €24,979 a year (2024). Poverty is higher than in most of Spain, with 26.2% of people at risk (2025).
Low demand explains the prices. With few jobs and little tourism pressure, housing is the cheapest in the country. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €349 a month (2024). Buying costs €997 per square metre (Q2 2026). Housing comes out strong against similar regions.
The same emptiness explains the safety record. Small towns where everyone knows everyone produce little theft, and the region comes out above average on safety. Theft is 145 per 100k people (2024). Healthcare is reasonable on paper, but waiting times for surgery are long, and the best hospitals are in Badajoz, Cáceres and Mérida rather than in the villages. Doctors number 541 per 100k people (2024).
Figures for Extremadura. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Extremadura data only and compares it with other regions. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Housing is strong: in the top 10% of Spanish regions.
Rent per m²: 4.99 €/m² a month — better than 97% of Spanish regions
Strong: 88 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Households spending >40% of income on housingExtremadura · 2025 | 4.20% | better than 96% of European metro regions |
| Rent per m²Extremadura · 2024 | 4.99 €/m² a month | better than 97% of Spanish regions |
| Rents, change in a yearExtremadura · 2024 | 3.30% | better than 53% of Spanish regions |
| Buying price per m²Extremadura · 2026-Q2 | 997 €/m² | better than 97% of Spanish regions |
| House prices, change in a yearExtremadura · 2026-Q2 | 12.8% | better than 66% of Spanish regions |
Safety is above average: in the top 10% of European metro regions.
Thefts: 145 per 100k people — better than 100% of European metro regions
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 |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesExtremadura · 2024 | 0.66 per 100k people | better than 72% of European metro regions |
| Recorded crimeExtremadura · 2025 | 34.5 per 1,000 people | better than 97% of Spanish regions |
| RobberiesExtremadura · 2024 | 27.3 per 100k people | better than 88% of European metro regions |
| BurglariesExtremadura · 2024 | 112 per 100k people | better than 67% of European metro regions |
| Road deathsExtremadura · 2024 | 4.20 per 100k people | better than 18% of European metro regions |
| Assault rateExtremadura · 2024 | 223 per 100k people | better than 66% of European metro regions |
| TheftsExtremadura · 2024 | 145 per 100k people | better than 100% of European metro regions |
| Vehicle theftsExtremadura · 2024 | 8.25 per 100k people | better than 97% of European metro regions |
Healthcare is around the middle: behind most European metro regions.
Life expectancy: 83.2 years — better than 66% of European metro regions
Average: 42 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Wait for a specialist appointmentExtremadura · 2025-H2 | 112 days | better than 32% of Spanish regions |
| Wait for surgeryExtremadura · 2025-H2 | 135 days | better than 21% of Spanish regions |
| DoctorsExtremadura · 2024 | 541 per 100k people | better than 57% of European metro regions |
| Life expectancyExtremadura · 2024 | 83.2 years | better than 66% of European metro regions |
| Infant mortalityExtremadura · 2024 | 3.80 per 1,000 births | better than 19% of European metro regions |
Wellbeing is weak: in the bottom quarter of European metro regions.
At risk of poverty: 26.2% — worse than 94% of European metro regions
Weak: 21 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| At risk of povertyExtremadura · 2025 | 26.2% | better than 6% of European metro regions |
| Material deprivationExtremadura · 2025 | 6.30% | better than 35% of European metro regions |
Jobs is weak: in the bottom 10% of European metro regions.
Jobs in high-tech sectors: 2.20% of jobs — worse than 100% of European metro regions
Weak: 7 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross salaryExtremadura · 2024 | 20,905 € a year per worker | better than 9% of Spanish regions |
| UnemploymentExtremadura · 2025 | 14.8% | better than 3% of European metro regions |
| Employment rate (20–64)Extremadura · 2025 | 66.9% | better than 9% of European metro regions |
| Long-term unemploymentExtremadura · 2025 | 4.60% of the workforce | better than 12% of European metro regions |
| Youth unemployment (15–24)Extremadura · 2025 | 37.4% | better than 3% of European metro regions |
| Labour-force participationExtremadura · 2025 | 72.7% | better than 15% of European metro regions |
| Youth not in employment/education/trainingExtremadura · 2025 | 12.7% | better than 21% of European metro regions |
| Jobs in high-tech sectorsExtremadura · 2025 | 2.20% of jobs | better than 0% of European metro regions |
Prosperity is weak: in the bottom 10% of European metro regions.
Economic output per person: 28,100 PPS per person — worse than 94% of European metro regions
Weak: 7 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 personExtremadura · 2023 | 16,900 PPS per person | better than 9% of European metro regions |
| Economic output per personExtremadura · 2024 | 28,100 PPS per person | better than 6% of European metro regions |
What we cannot score for Extremadura yet
Extremadura combines a Mediterranean and a continental climate. Summers are very hot and dry, particularly on the Badajoz plains, where heat waves are among the strongest in Spain. Winters are mild and bright, with some rain and occasional night frost, and the north towards Gredos is cooler.
It is a region for autumn through spring, from October to May, when walking, birdwatching and old towns are at their best. In summer people stay in during the afternoon and head to reservoirs, rivers and the natural pools of the north, so a house without cooling is a real problem.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
70/100 · above average · 8th of 35 European metro regions
14.8% in 2025
5.3% in Sep 2026
2.7% in 2024
28,100 PPS in 2024
12.8% in Q2 2026
€5.0 per m² a month in 2024
€997 per m² in Q2 2026
83.2 years in 2024
66.9% in 2025
Facts about the people who live in Extremadura. Shown as context only: none of this changes a score.
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Cost of living and housing by region
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Regional differences in public healthcare
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You can see which regions and cities fit your field and income need.
Fit from the data, 0 to 100, against other Spanish regions. Open a group to see the figures behind it.
The cheapest region in Spain for rent and for buying, and the safest day to day. Jobs are the constraint, so it works best with remote income or a pension.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Price level vs EU average.
Low costs, safe towns, mild winters and a quiet routine make this a good fit. Summers are very hot, and specialist care means a trip to Badajoz, Cáceres or Mérida.
Not measured yet: Climate, Cost of Living, Days above 35 °C, Environment, Frost days, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry).
Safe, cheap and spacious, with a slow pace and plenty of nature. Work for parents is limited and many young people eventually leave.
Not measured yet: 15-year-olds' maths (PISA), Average commute (one way), Average dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation.
The University of Extremadura has campuses in Badajoz, Cáceres, Mérida and Plasencia, and costs are tiny. Cáceres in particular has a real student life.
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Median age, Price level vs EU average, Transport, Walk most.
Country estates, hunting land and restored town houses cost little, and the privacy is total. Luxury services and top private schools are not here.
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Distance to the main airport, Education, Environment, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Regional support for food, tourism and solar energy helps, and premises cost almost nothing. The local market is small and there are few investors or peers.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for founders and self-employed: Cáceres (42), Badajoz (39)
Not measured yet: Connectivity, Digital, Distance to the main airport, Regulatory quality.
Roman Mérida, medieval Cáceres, Trujillo and the monastery at Guadalupe are all within a few hours, and the food is excellent. The calendar is local and seasonal.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for culture, food and nightlife: Cáceres (42), Badajoz (41)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Lifestyle, Median age, Transport, Walk most.
Pay is low and the employer list is short, dominated by public jobs and farming. Most ambitious people leave for Madrid.
Better in the region for young professionals: Badajoz (43), Cáceres (40), Mérida (36)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Lifestyle, Median age, Transport.
Cheap and peaceful, with fibre reaching many towns, but there are few flights and almost no coworking scene. It is a place for a focused, low-cost base rather than a social one.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Climate, Connectivity, Cost of Living, Digital, Distance to the main airport, Fixed broadband penetration, Homes with fibre to the door, Lifestyle, Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry).
Monfragüe, the Jerte and La Vera valleys, the Alqueva and Orellana reservoirs and long quiet roads make it a walkers' and birdwatchers' region. Midsummer heat limits activity.
Nothing stands out.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Climate, Days above 35 °C, Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Frost days, Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry), Rainy days (≥1 mm), Strong-wind days.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in Extremadura as anywhere in Spain.
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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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