Choosing the type of place
You know which kind of place suits your household and what daily life is like in each kind in Spain.
Before you pick a city in Spain, pick the kind of place. A big city, a mid-size city, a coastal town, an inland town, a village, an island, a resort development (urbanización) and a commuter town each come with different services, costs, car needs and chances of fitting into local life. This part…
Pick the article that fits your situation
The kinds of places in Spain and how daily life differs
Spain has a handful of distinct kinds of places, and each differs in services, costs, car need and social life. This page is for newcomers who have not yet chosen where to live and want a quick map before narrowing down.
Big city, small town or village in Spain?
Helps you pick between a big city, a mid-size town and a village in Spain. It weighs your work, specialist healthcare, schools, transport and English needs against rent and car costs. It is for anyone choosing where to settle.
Coast or inland, which suits you in Spain?
Coast or inland comes down to trade-offs: the coast costs more, has holiday-let pressure and quiet winters, while inland is cheaper and lived-in but has harsher heat and cold. This page helps you weigh them before choosing where to live.
English-speaking enclave, resort development (urbanización) or Spanish town?
Helps you choose between an English-speaking coastal enclave, an urbanización or an ordinary Spanish town. It sets ready-made community and services against car dependence, slower integration, community fees and legal risks. Written for anyone choosing where to live.
Living in the city or a commuter town near Madrid or Barcelona
A commuter town near Madrid or Barcelona usually gives you cheaper housing and more space, but you pay with commute time, a monthly pass and a less lively daily life. This page helps newcomers weigh that trade before choosing where to live.
What village life in Spain is really like for newcomers
Village life in Spain is cheap but depends on a car, distant healthcare, few shops and banks, patchy schools and a social world that opens slowly. This page is for anyone weighing a small village, especially in the interior.
Working remotely from a small Spanish town or village
Working remotely from a small Spanish town or village can work, but only if internet, workspace and travel links fit your job. This page helps remote workers judge those three things before choosing a place outside the cities.
Living on a Spanish island or on the mainland
Compares living on the Canary or Balearic Islands with living on the mainland: travel dependence, everyday costs, housing and healthcare. It is for anyone deciding where in Spain to settle.
About this topic
It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. When you finish, you will know which kind of place suits your household and what daily life is like there.
Start with "The kinds of places in Spain and how daily life differs". It gives you the full map of options. After that, read the pages that match your questions, such as big city or small town, coast or inland, or island or mainland.
Key rules
- Island travel discount: Residents of the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla receive a 75% discount on the base fare for flights to the mainland.
- Seasonal lets: Seasonal leases have no fixed legal maximum duration; what defines them is the temporary, non-permanent purpose of the rental, not a number of months.
- Compulsory schooling: Education is free and compulsory in Spain from age 6 to 16.
- Car need: If you will not drive, stick to cities or the centres of larger coastal towns.
- Rent: Rent falls sharply as places get smaller, with big cities the dearest and inland provinces the cheapest.
- Specialist care: Small towns refer you to a provincial or regional hospital, so live near one if you have an ongoing condition.
Documents you may need
-
Certificado de residencia — Living on a Spanish island or on the mainland
-
Sworn translation of any foreign document you need to present to Spanish offices — Big city, small town or village in Spain?
-
Licencia de primera ocupación or cédula de habitabilidad — English-speaking enclave, resort development (urbanización) or Spanish town?
-
Urbanistic certificate from the ayuntamiento — English-speaking enclave, resort development (urbanización) or Spanish town?
-
Registro de la Propiedad entry — English-speaking enclave, resort development (urbanización) or Spanish town?
Choosing the type of place: questions that cross several articles
How far will I be from a specialist hospital if I live in a small town?
Expect about 30 to 90 minutes by road (roughly 30 to 80 km) to your local hospital, and longer for specialist care in the regional capital. Small towns usually have a health centre and sometimes a small hospital with basic services. Complex treatments may be in a few regional centres, and island residents may need a flight. Read "What village life in Spain is really like for newcomers" and "Living on a Spanish island or on the mainland".
Do I need a car, and does it depend on where I live?
Yes, it depends on where you live: a car is optional in Madrid and Barcelona but close to essential in villages. In mid-size cities it is useful but not essential, and in towns of 5,000 to 30,000 people most households have one. Villages and urbanizaciones need a car, often two. Read "Big city, small town or village in Spain?" and "English-speaking enclave, resort development (urbanización) or Spanish town?".
How much cheaper is renting inland than in a big city or on the coast?
Renting inland is much cheaper, at about €5 to €8 per m² a month in provinces such as Zamora, Teruel or Soria. That makes an 80 m² flat roughly €400 to €700. Barcelona and Madrid are about €15 to €23 per m², and coastal rents are often double inland ones. Read "Coast or inland, which suits you in Spain?" and "Living in the city or a commuter town near Madrid or Barcelona".
Why is it hard to find a long-term rental in tourist areas?
Many owners move to tourist or seasonal lets, which cuts long-term supply and pushes rents up in places like Barcelona, Palma, Málaga, Valencia, the Canaries and Alicante. Rules vary by region and city, and several places are restricting new tourist flats. Read "Coast or inland, which suits you in Spain?" and "Living on a Spanish island or on the mainland".
Where are international schools, if I am moving with children?
They cluster around Madrid's north and west suburbs, Barcelona and Sant Cugat, the Costa del Sol, Valencia, the Costa Blanca and the larger islands. Fees are often €5,000 to €20,000 or more a year. There are far fewer in the interior, so schooling can limit where you settle. Read "The kinds of places in Spain and how daily life differs" and "English-speaking enclave, resort development (urbanización) or Spanish town?".
Explore places
Where you live changes the details. See how Spanish regions and cities compare on rent, jobs, weather, safety and healthcare.
What to read next
More in City and region choice
Choosing and re-choosing where to live
You leave with a repeatable way to go from all of Spain to one place, and a plan if that place turns out wrong.
Cost of living and housing by region
You can estimate what the same life costs in different places and how hard it is to find a home there.
Regions, islands and smaller places
You can see which regions and smaller cities deserve a place on your shortlist.
Also in Move decision and planning
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.