City · Comunidad de Madrid · All places
A big working-city suburb south of Madrid, with a technical university campus, a ring metro and flats priced below the capital.
Leganés is a large city on the plain south of Madrid, so close to the capital that the built-up area runs together with its neighbours. It was a farming village until the middle of the twentieth century, when the sprawl of Madrid and the migration from the countryside turned it into a dormitory city. Today it is a place where people sleep, shop, study and raise children, and travel into Madrid to work.
There are no landmarks of the kind that bring visitors, and the city does not pretend otherwise. What it has instead is a practical grid of blocks, a very well-connected metro and rail network, wide pavements and parks. The city has 195,734 residents (2025).
It is a good base for someone who works or studies in Madrid and wants a cheaper flat, a quiet neighbourhood and an easy commute. It is not a place to come for old streets, sea or mountains.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Leganés stands out for digital; it is weaker on connectivity. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €683 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Leganés’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.
Neighbourhood bars with a free tapa, set lunches for workers and the big chains at Parquesur.
Practical and workaday, with the rush at the metro stations in the morning and evening.
Football bars, local terraces and the student places near the campus, but most people head to Madrid at night.
Zarzaquemada is the big 1970s district, the centre is the commercial heart, and newer areas such as Valdepelayos and Butarque are for families.
Spanish, with English among the engineering students.
The September fiestas of the Virgen de Butarque and a busy football calendar.
Families from the south of Madrid, students and staff of the university and a mixed immigrant population.
Leganés is made of districts, and each has the same pattern: a main street with a pharmacy, a bank, a bakery and a cluster of bars. Zarzaquemada, on the north side, is the best-known and most densely packed, with large mid-century blocks and a strong neighbourhood identity. The old centre around the Plaza de España still has some low houses and a market. Newer estates such as Valdepelayos and the area around the Butarque stadium look more like a suburb from a catalogue.
Life is workaday. Mornings are about the metro, midday about the market and the set lunch, and the evening about parks, football and terraces. The Parque de Polvoranca on the western edge, shared with Fuenlabrada, is the big green space, with a lake, cycle paths and picnic areas. Parquesur, the huge shopping and leisure centre on the edge of town, takes the place of a high street for many families.
The football club, known as the cucumber growers after the old market gardens, is a source of real civic pride and fills the Butarque on match days. The September fiestas in honour of the Virgen de Butarque bring concerts, fairground rides and a procession.
People are friendly, direct and down to earth. Many residents are second or third generation, and the immigrant population is mixed. At night, those who want more than a terrace take the metro to Madrid.
Leganés grew in waves. A first wave arrived in the 1950s and 1960s, when workers from Extremadura, Castile and Andalucía moved to Madrid's industrial south, and entire districts such as Zarzaquemada were built in a few years on cheap land. A second wave in the last twenty years added new estates on the edge, with parks, schools and playgrounds, and a university campus brought students and researchers into the town.
Transport explains much of the city. A circular metro line links Leganés with Getafe, Fuenlabrada and Alcorcón, another metro line and a commuter rail line run into the heart of Madrid, and the motorways make the car an easy option. The airport is 25 km away (2026), reached by road or by metro and bus.
Money is middling. Household income per person is €15,370 a year (2024), and prosperity comes out average. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €683 a month (2024), and buying costs €3,254 per square metre (Q2 2026). Housing comes out average.
Safety comes out average. Theft is the issue: the city records 1,656 per 100k people (2025), and vehicle theft is 172 per 100k people (2025). Serious violence is rare, but bags, phones and parked cars are targets, especially around transport hubs and the shopping centre.
On the digital side the city is a standout. Fibre reaches almost every home, with 100% coverage (2025), so it comes out strong for connectivity at home.
Figures for Leganés itself, not its region. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Leganés data only and compares it with similar cities. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Digital is strong: in the top 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Homes that can get gigabit internet: 99.8% — better than 96% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 87 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 internetLeganés · 2025 | 99.8% | better than 96% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Homes with fibre to the doorLeganés · 2025 | 99.9% | better than 96% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| 5G coverageLeganés · 2025 | 100.0% | better than 64% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Safety is around the middle compared with similar cities.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
Burglaries: 77.1 per 100k people — better than 79% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesLeganés · 2025 | 0.51 per 100k people | better than 51% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| RobberiesLeganés · 2025 | 83.8 per 100k people | better than 49% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| BurglariesLeganés · 2025 | 77.1 per 100k people | better than 79% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| TheftsLeganés · 2025 | 1,656 per 100k people | better than 21% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Vehicle theftsLeganés · 2025 | 172 per 100k people | better than 6% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Housing is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Rents, change in a year: 2.90% — better than 77% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rent per m²Leganés · 2024 | 9.76 €/m² a month | better than 22% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rents, change in a yearLeganés · 2024 | 2.90% | better than 77% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Buying price per m²Leganés · 2026-Q2 | 3,254 €/m² | better than 21% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rent growth a year, over 3 yearsLeganés · 2024 | 4.26% | better than 70% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| House prices, change in a yearLeganés · 2026-Q2 | 15.5% | better than 41% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Prosperity is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Household income per person: 15,370 € a year per person — worse than 55% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Household income per personLeganés · 2024 | 15,370 € a year per person | better than 45% 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)Leganés · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 84.2 days a year | better than 61% of major European cities |
| Days above 35 °CLeganés · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 32.6 days a year | better than 7% of major European cities |
| Nights above 20 °CLeganés · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 11.3 nights a year | better than 42% of major European cities |
Connectivity is weak: in the bottom 10% of major European cities.
Distance to the main airport: 24.7 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 airportLeganés · 2026-10-21 | 24.7 km | better than 5% of major European cities |
What we cannot score for Leganés 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 |
Leganés has the harsh continental climate of the Madrid plain. Summers are long and dry, and afternoons in July and August are hot on the open, treeless streets. Winters are cold and clear, with frost on many mornings, and the damp can feel raw.
The number of very hot days is 33 a year (2015–2024), and frost days number 46 a year (2015–2024). Pleasant days, mild and dry, number only 84 a year (2015–2024). Spring and early autumn are the sweet spots, and a flat with shade or cooling in July is worth paying for.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
15.5% in Q2 2026
€9.8 per m² a month in 2024
€3,254 per m² in Q2 2026
Facts about the people who live in Leganés. 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.
Industrial and logistics estates, a technical university and good fibre make it practical for small firms.
Nothing stands out.
Better nearby for founders and self-employed: Alcobendas (69), Madrid (68), Coslada (64)
Not measured yet: Adults with a university degree, Jobs, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality, Residents born abroad.
Practical and unglamorous, with newer estates for those who want a house, but little in the way of luxury.
Better nearby for high earners and investors: Coslada (70), Las Rozas de Madrid (69), Rivas-Vaciamadrid (69)
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Excellent fibre and cheaper flats than central Madrid, but little to make a day special.
Better nearby for remote workers: Coslada (62), Torrejón de Ardoz (58)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Fixed broadband penetration, Lifestyle, Residents born abroad.
A solid choice for families who want space and schools at lower prices than Madrid, with parks and sport.
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.
Cheaper than central Madrid and better served than most suburbs, with a free tapa culture and cheap markets.
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.
Practical and well connected, with a public hospital and parks, but hot summers, cold winters and not much to look at.
Better nearby for retirees: Coslada (56), Fuenlabrada (56), Pinto (55)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Doctors, Environment, Healthcare, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
Flat and built-up, with one big park and the Sierra de Guadarrama a drive 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 useful base for people who work in Madrid, at a price below the capital.
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).
The university campus brings engineering and science students and many who live at home in the south of 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).
No heritage centre, but the whole of Madrid's museums, theatres and gigs are a short 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 Leganés as anywhere in Spain.
Compared with Leganés; each card says where it is better or worse for someone living there.
70 m²: €829 a month
Compare with Leganés70 m²: €713 a month
Compare with Leganés70 m²: €659 a month
Compare with Leganés70 m²: €553 a month
Compare with Leganés70 m²: €569 a month
Compare with Leganés70 m²: €885 a month
Compare with LeganésGuide 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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