City · Cataluña · All places
A dense, working-class, multicultural city next door to Barcelona, on the same metro and with its own trade-fair district.
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat is a city in its own right, but it is easy to mistake it for a district of Barcelona: it is next door, connected by several metro lines, and the street grid runs from one into the other. It is the second most populous municipality in Catalonia, and one of the most densely built-up in Europe.
It is a place of apartment blocks, local shops, markets and parks, where people live more modestly than in Barcelona. It is home to many people who work in Barcelona, to families from all over the world and to some major institutions: a large public hospital, a trade-fair complex and a growing business district.
The city has 289,510 residents (2025). It is a municipality of its own, with its own character, and it should not be read as a part of Barcelona.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat stands out for digital and connectivity; it is weaker on prosperity and safety. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €910 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from L'Hospitalet de Llobregat’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.
Summer nights stay warm, so sleep depends on a cooled bedroom. Check for air-conditioning before you sign.
Thefts without violence happen 2.1 times as often as in the typical Spanish city. Keep phones and bags close in busy areas and on public transport.
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.
Cuisines from Andalucía, Latin America, Morocco and Pakistan side by side in the neighbourhood markets and cheap bars.
Practical and busy by day, with life on the street and a quieter evening than central Barcelona.
Local bars in Collblanc and La Torrassa, with the beach and clubs a metro ride away in Barcelona.
Collblanc, La Torrassa, Santa Eulàlia, Bellvitge, Pubilla Cases and Can Serra each have their own market and character.
Catalan and Spanish, with many other languages heard on the street.
The Santa Eulàlia celebrations bring concerts and traditional events to the streets, alongside neighbourhood fiestas.
Informal and friendly, with strong neighbourhood associations and families living close together.
L'Hospitalet is a city of neighbourhoods rather than landmarks: Collblanc, La Torrassa, Santa Eulàlia, Bellvitge, Pubilla Cases and Can Serra each have their own market, bars and personality. The streets are busy with small shops, bakeries, phone-repair stores, restaurants from many countries and groups of neighbours chatting in doorways. Life is on the street, and families live close together.
It is not a place of tourism or grand architecture. It is practical, friendly and informal, with a strong community life, local associations and a mix of Catalan, Spanish and a dozen other languages. The Rambla de Just Oliveras is the main shopping street, and the Tecla Sala arts centre is the cultural anchor.
Barcelona's beaches, museums and nightlife are a short metro ride away, so many residents use L'Hospitalet as a base and go elsewhere for the weekend. The trade fairs at Fira Gran Via bring professionals from around the world during the year, and give the south-western edge of the city a business feel that the older districts do not share.
L'Hospitalet was a farming town and a medieval hospital stop on the road to Barcelona, until industry arrived in the nineteenth century. From the 1950s onwards, hundreds of thousands of workers from Andalucía, Extremadura and Murcia arrived to work in Barcelona's factories, and the town was filled with high-rise housing, often built fast and with little planning. This explains the density and the small, mostly modest, flats.
Since then, new arrivals from Latin America, North Africa, Pakistan, the Philippines and elsewhere have joined the descendants of those first migrants, giving the city one of the most diverse populations in Catalonia. More recently, a new district around the Gran Via has brought trade-fair halls, hotels, offices and high-rise towers. The city comes out weak on prosperity, and household income is €13,794 a year (2024).
Housing is cheaper than in central Barcelona, though not cheap, because demand spills over from the capital into a city with no room to grow. Housing comes out average. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €910 a month (2024), and buying costs €3,094 per square metre (Q2 2026).
The density and the metro explain the crime profile. Crowded stations and shopping streets attract phone and bag snatching, and street robbery is the main complaint. Robberies run at 826 per 100k people (2025), and safety comes out below average. Connectivity is a strength: the airport is 7 km away and the city comes out strong on connectivity. Home internet is among the best in Spain, with gigabit coverage at 100% (2025).
Figures for L'Hospitalet de Llobregat itself, not its region. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses L'Hospitalet de Llobregat 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: 99.9% — better than 98% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Homes that can get gigabit internetL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2025 | 99.9% | better than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Homes with fibre to the doorL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2025 | 99.9% | better than 97% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| 5G coverageL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2025 | 100% | better than 85% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Connectivity is strong: in the top 10% of major European cities.
Distance to the main airport: 7.20 km — better than 81% of major European cities
Strong: 81 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 airportL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2026-10-21 | 7.20 km | better than 81% of major European cities |
Climate is around the middle: in the top quarter of major European cities.
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 111 days a year — better than 88% of major European cities
Average: 57 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)L'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 111 days a year | better than 88% of major European cities |
| Days above 35 °CL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 3.20 days a year | better than 39% of major European cities |
| Nights above 20 °CL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 53.3 nights a year | better than 12% of major European cities |
Housing is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Rents, change in a year: 2.80% — better than 83% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 52 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Rent per m²L'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2024 | 13.0 €/m² a month | better than 5% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rents, change in a yearL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2024 | 2.80% | better than 83% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Buying price per m²L'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2026-Q2 | 3,094 €/m² | better than 24% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rent growth a year, over 3 yearsL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2024 | 3.95% | better than 81% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| House prices, change in a yearL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2026-Q2 | 11.6% | better than 76% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Safety is below average compared with similar cities.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
Robberies: 826 per 100k people — worse than 100% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Below average: 34 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2025 | 0.69 per 100k people | better than 45% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| RobberiesL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2025 | 826 per 100k people | better than 0% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| BurglariesL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2025 | 120 per 100k people | better than 46% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| TheftsL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2025 | 2,537 per 100k people | better than 8% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Vehicle theftsL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2025 | 95.7 per 100k people | better than 30% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Prosperity is weak: in the bottom quarter of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Household income per person: 13,794 € a year per person — worse than 79% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Weak: 21 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 personL'Hospitalet de Llobregat · 2024 | 13,794 € a year per person | better than 21% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
What we cannot score for L'Hospitalet de Llobregat yet
Highs around 31° in July, lows around 4° in January. 111 pleasant days a year (dry, 18–28 °C). 53 warm nights above 20 °C: check for air-conditioning.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13.1°C | 4.1°C | 37 mm |
| February | 14.8°C | 5.3°C | 28 mm |
| March | 16.8°C | 6.8°C | 49 mm |
| April | 19.2°C | 9.1°C | 59 mm |
| May | 23.3°C | 12.8°C | 44 mm |
| June | 27.5°C | 17.6°C | 40 mm |
| July | 31.1°C | 20.8°C | 28 mm |
| August | 30.8°C | 21.0°C | 40 mm |
| September | 26.5°C | 17.6°C | 63 mm |
| October | 22.4°C | 13.9°C | 77 mm |
| November | 17.3°C | 8.7°C | 68 mm |
| December | 14.5°C | 6.0°C | 32 mm |
The climate is the same as Barcelona's: mild Mediterranean, with warm to hot, humid summers and mild winters. A dense, built-up area with little green space feels hotter than the coast, and flats on the upper floors of old blocks can be stuffy. Very hot days number 3 a year (2015–2024). Warm nights, the kind that make sleeping hard, number 53 a year (2015–2024).
Frost days are 4 a year (2015–2024), and rainfall is 566 mm a year (2015–2024). Pleasant days, mild and dry, number 111 a year (2015–2024). It is a year-round city, and for most people the beach is a short trip away.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
11.6% in Q2 2026
€13.0 per m² a month in 2024
€3,094 per m² in Q2 2026
Facts about the people who live in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. 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.
Reasonable rents, some of the fastest fibre in Spain and a metro that puts you in Barcelona in minutes. Few coworking spaces locally.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Fixed broadband penetration, Lifestyle, Residents born abroad.
Close to the trade fairs, the airport and the port, with lower costs than central Barcelona.
Not measured yet: Adults with a university degree, Jobs, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality, Residents born abroad.
Not the first choice: better neighbourhoods and services are found elsewhere in the metropolitan area.
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.
Close to a major hospital and the metro, with plenty of neighbourhood life. Flats are small, the streets are dense and noisy, and robberies are a worry for older people on foot.
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).
Parks are limited; the beach, Collserola and the Llobregat river park are easy to reach but not on the doorstep.
Nothing stands out.
Better nearby for beach, mountains and the outdoors: Vilanova i la Geltrú (70), Mollet del Vallès (64), Granollers (63)
Not measured yet: Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Strong-wind days.
Diverse, community-based and well served by health care. Space is tight and green areas are few.
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.
One of the more affordable options in the Barcelona area, with excellent transport, though rents are still high for a Spanish city.
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 practical place to live while working in Barcelona, with a lower rent than the capital and an easy commute.
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).
Cheaper rooms than Barcelona, and a quick metro ride to the main universities. The health-sciences campus at Bellvitge is in the city.
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).
Community culture, festivals and diverse food, with the full range of Barcelona's culture 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 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat as anywhere in Spain.
Compared with L'Hospitalet de Llobregat; each card says where it is better or worse for someone living there.
70 m²: €766 a month
Compare with L'Hospitalet de Llobregat70 m²: €794 a month
Compare with L'Hospitalet de Llobregat70 m²: €958 a month
Compare with L'Hospitalet de Llobregat70 m²: €703 a month
Compare with L'Hospitalet de Llobregat70 m²: €896 a month
Compare with L'Hospitalet de Llobregat70 m²: €712 a month
Compare with L'Hospitalet de LlobregatGuide 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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