City · Cataluña · All places
A working Maresme coast city of textile history and long beaches, half an hour of commuter rail from Barcelona.
Mataró is the capital of the Maresme, the strip of coast north-east of Barcelona, squeezed between the sea and a low range of hills. It is a working city with a Catalan heart, a textile past, a medieval core and a wide beach, and it is the sort of place Barcelonans think of as somewhere else.
It is neither a resort nor a dormitory, which is its character. A large share of the working population looks to Barcelona by train, but the city also has a hospital, a university campus, industrial estates and a busy centre of its own. Life is Catalan-speaking, family-based and a good deal calmer than the capital.
The city has 131,683 residents (2025), and residents born abroad make up 22.1% (2025). It suits people who want the sea and a real city at a lower price than Barcelona, and it suits people who are worried about petty crime less.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Mataró stands out for digital, climate and healthcare; it is weaker on connectivity and safety. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €625 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Mataró’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 21% 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.
Fish from the local boats, rice dishes, Catalan sausages and strawberries and flowers grown along the coast.
Brisk on weekday mornings with the trains and calm and sea-facing in the evening.
Terraces in the old town and bars on the Riera, with most big nights out in Barcelona.
The old centre and the streets around the Riera are the middle-class core, while Rocafonda and Cerdanyola are large working-class districts.
Catalan in daily life and the schools, with Spanish just as common on the street.
Les Santes in late July, with giants and fire-runs and fireworks, is the biggest week of the year.
Beaches along the Maresme, a seafront path, and walking in the Montnegre and Corredor natural park behind the town.
Mataró is a town where people go to work, shop and meet, and it feels like one. The Riera, the old dry stream bed that now serves as the main street, is where the Saturday crowd passes, and the Plaça de Santa Anna and the basilica of Santa Maria anchor the old town. Modernist houses and former textile factories, such as Can Marfà, give the centre more character than visitors expect.
The beach is long and clean and the marina is small. The railway walls it off from town, so the seafront feels like a second city of surf clubs, chiringuitos and families on Sundays. In winter it is empty and bracing, in summer it fills with locals and day trippers from inland.
Mataró is not a tourist town, and that is a large part of its appeal. People are practical and proud of their local festival, Les Santes, which runs for days in July with processions, giants and fireworks. Food is Catalan and unfussy, and the city's communities from Morocco, Latin America and elsewhere give it a mixed street life, especially in the larger working-class districts.
Mataró has been a port and market town since Roman times, and in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it became one of the main textile centres of Catalonia, known for knitwear. In 1848 the first railway on the Iberian peninsula opened between Barcelona and Mataró, and the line still runs along the seafront, which is why the beach and the old town are separated by tracks and underpasses.
The textile industry has shrunk, and the economy is now a mix of services, logistics, health, small industry and the commuter flow to Barcelona. Unemployment is 9.8% (2025), and household income per person is €15,322 a year (2024). The commute averages 46 min one way (2021).
Housing is cheaper than in Barcelona but has risen as people move up the coast. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €625 a month (2024), and buying costs €2,549 per square metre (Q2 2026). Housing comes out average against similar places.
Safety is the main drawback. Recorded crime is 71.1 per 1,000 people (2024), one of the higher rates among Spanish cities of its size, and the city comes out below average on safety. It is mostly theft and street robbery rather than violence, and it concentrates in a few districts and around the station. Healthcare comes out above average, with a large public hospital in the city. Life expectancy is 83.7 years (2023).
Figures for Mataró itself, not its region. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Mataró 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: 99.7% — better than 93% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 90 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 internetMataró · 2025 | 99.7% | better than 93% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Homes with fibre to the doorMataró · 2025 | 99.7% | better than 89% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| 5G coverageMataró · 2025 | 100% | better than 85% 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)Mataró · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 116 days a year | better than 89% of major European cities |
| Days above 35 °CMataró · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 0.00 days a year | better than 88% of major European cities |
| Nights above 20 °CMataró · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 82.2 nights a year | better than 5% of major European cities |
Healthcare is above average: better than most Spanish cities above 50,000.
Life expectancy: 83.7 years — better than 65% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Above average: 65 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancyMataró · 2023 | 83.7 years | better than 65% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Housing is around the middle: better than most Spanish cities above 50,000.
Rent growth a year, over 3 years: 3.62% — better than 89% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 58 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Rent per m²Mataró · 2024 | 8.93 €/m² a month | better than 35% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rents, change in a yearMataró · 2024 | 3.10% | better than 64% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Buying price per m²Mataró · 2026-Q2 | 2,549 €/m² | better than 42% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rent growth a year, over 3 yearsMataró · 2024 | 3.62% | better than 89% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| House prices, change in a yearMataró · 2026-Q2 | 12.8% | better than 64% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Transport is around the middle: better than most Spanish cities above 50,000.
Commute by car: 48.7% — better than 88% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 56 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)Mataró · 2021 | 46.5 minutes | better than 14% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Commute by carMataró · 2021 | 48.7% | better than 88% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Commute by public transportMataró · 2021 | 19.0% | better than 76% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Jobs is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Unemployment, change in a year: -0.77 points — worse than 65% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 50 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| UnemploymentMataró · 2025 | 9.85% | better than 59% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Unemployment, change in a yearMataró · 2025 | -0.77 points | better than 35% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Prosperity is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Household income per person: 15,322 € a year per person — worse than 57% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 44 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 personMataró · 2024 | 15,322 € a year per person | better than 43% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Safety is below average: in the bottom quarter of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Robberies: 349 per 100k people — worse than 96% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Below average: 31 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesMataró · 2025 | 0.00 per 100k people | better than 78% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Recorded crimeMataró · 2024 | 71.1 per 1,000 people | better than 11% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| RobberiesMataró · 2025 | 349 per 100k people | better than 4% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| BurglariesMataró · 2025 | 159 per 100k people | better than 22% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Sexual offencesMataró · 2024 | 0.44 per 1,000 people | better than 43% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| TheftsMataró · 2025 | 1,829 per 100k people | better than 16% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Vehicle theftsMataró · 2025 | 137 per 100k people | better than 13% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Connectivity is weak: in the bottom 10% of major European cities.
Distance to the main airport: 42.0 km — worse than 100% of major European cities
Weak: 0 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 airportMataró · 2026-10-21 | 42.0 km | better than 0% of major European cities |
What we cannot score for Mataró 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 |
Mataró has a mild Mediterranean climate with a wet edge. Winters are mild and frost is unknown at 0 a year (2015–2024). Summers are warm and humid rather than scorching: very hot days number 0 a year (2015–2024), but tropical nights number 82 a year (2015–2024), so a fan or air conditioning matters in July and August.
It is wetter than most Spanish cities, with 849 mm a year (2015–2024) falling on 102 a year (2015–2024), mostly in autumn storms. Pleasant, dry, mild days number 116 a year (2015–2024). Spring and early autumn are the best seasons, and the beach is a pleasure from May to October. Winters are short and grey rather than cold, so the town is comfortable for walking all year, although the humid heat of high summer is the hardest part of the calendar.
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51/100 · average · 69th of 106 Spanish cities above 50,000
9.9% in 2025
12.8% in Q2 2026
€8.9 per m² a month in 2024
€2,549 per m² in Q2 2026
83.7 years in 2023
Facts about the people who live in Mataró. 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.
Mild winters, a seafront for walking and a good hospital, with Barcelona easy to reach, though crime is a worry.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Doctors, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
A real Catalan town with a festival culture, local museums and Barcelona a train ride away.
Not measured yet: Lifestyle, Walk most.
Beach, sailing, and a natural park in the hills behind, plus Barcelona's wider mountains and Pyrenees within a day trip.
Not measured yet: Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Strong-wind days.
Very fast fibre, a train line, a calmer day and sea air within a short walk of the old town.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Fixed broadband penetration, Lifestyle.
A cheaper base for a Barcelona career, though the commute is long and the social scene is mostly in the capital.
Not measured yet: Jobs in high-tech sectors, Lifestyle, Median gross salary, Youth unemployment (15–24).
Home to the Tecnocampus university centre, with Barcelona's larger campuses reachable by train.
Better nearby for students: Tarragona (61), Barcelona (60)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Price level vs EU average, Walk most, Youth unemployment (15–24).
Not the prestige address of the Maresme, since the better-served coastal towns are further up the line.
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, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Light industry, logistics and services close to Barcelona at a lower cost, with a local business community.
Better nearby for founders and self-employed: Barcelona (68), Cornellà de Llobregat (67), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (67)
Not measured yet: Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality.
Cheaper than Barcelona but not cheap, and rents have crept up with the commuter flow.
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, Price level vs EU average.
Beaches, parks and a calm pace, but crime, rents and the long commute make the case harder, and school lessons are in Catalan.
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 dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in Mataró as anywhere in Spain.
Compared with Mataró; each card says where it is better or worse for someone living there.
70 m²: €766 a month
Compare with Mataró70 m²: €794 a month
Compare with Mataró70 m²: €958 a month
Compare with Mataró70 m²: €703 a month
Compare with Mataró70 m²: €896 a month
Compare with Mataró70 m²: €712 a month
Compare with MataróGuide 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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