City · Cataluña · All places
Barcelona's wealthy green suburb over the Collserola hills: a monastery, villas, business schools and a train to the city centre.
Sant Cugat del Vallès is a wealthy town on the Vallès side of the Collserola hills, just behind Barcelona. It grew around a Benedictine monastery and is now one of the most expensive and best-educated places in Spain, with villa districts in the forest, a pedestrian centre and a train that reaches Barcelona's Plaça Catalunya in under half an hour.
It is a real town with a centre, not a dormitory. The Rambla del Celler fills at weekends, the monastery cloister is a landmark, and the local identity is strong and Catalan. Around it are business parks, a technology campus and international schools that bring a layer of foreigners.
The city has 97,983 residents (2025), and 22.0% were born abroad (2025). It suits families and well-paid professionals who want green space and a good school near Barcelona, and suits people on a modest budget far less.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Sant Cugat del Vallès stands out for healthcare, prosperity and jobs; it is weaker on connectivity and digital. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €949 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Sant Cugat del Vallès’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 34% 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.
Residents are younger than in most of Spain: more students, young families and evening life.
Bakeries and delis in the centre, Catalan tapas and a wide range of international restaurants.
Calm and orderly, with a lively weekend in the centre and quiet nights.
Terraces on the Rambla del Celler and around the monastery, with Barcelona for late nights.
The centre is walkable, Valldoreix and Mira-sol are leafy villa districts and Volpelleres and Les Planes are newer and hillier.
Catalan is the town's language, with Spanish and English common among newcomers and business people.
The Festa Major in July, Sant Jordi in April and local fairs through the year.
The Collserola park for running, hiking and mountain biking, with golf and an equestrian tradition nearby.
Sant Cugat's centre is small and civilised. The monastery, with its Romanesque cloister and capitals carved with animals and monsters, anchors the old part, and the pedestrian streets around it fill with cafés, boutiques and a weekly market. The Rambla del Celler is where people meet, and the theatre-auditorium runs a steady programme of concerts and plays.
Beyond the centre are the villa districts. Valldoreix and Mira-sol have winding roads, large plots and pools, and the forest comes right up to the back gardens. Families here live in cars and school buses, and the main social events are school gates, sports clubs and the weekly market.
The mix of people is unusual for a suburb. There are Catalan families who have been here for generations, executives from Barcelona and the business-park companies, international families who send children to the English, German and American schools around the city, and a visible Latin American presence. English is easy to find, but the daily language is Catalan.
The Romans knew the site, and the monastery that grew here from the Middle Ages gave the town its name and its centre. For centuries it was a farm and market town. The turning point was the arrival of the railway in the early twentieth century, followed by the first villa estates for Barcelona's wealthy families, and then the postwar and 1990s boom of detached houses on the forested slopes.
Companies, a business school campus and the technology park followed the residents, and now the town is both a place to live and a place to work. Unemployment is 4.8% (2025), household income per person is €26,306 a year (2024) and prosperity comes out strong. Adults with a university degree make up 78% (2024), and life expectancy is 85.8 years (2023).
Housing is expensive, and housing comes out average. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €949 a month (2024), and buying costs €5,017 per square metre (Q2 2026). Demand from families with high incomes meets limited land inside a protected forest.
Healthcare comes out strong, with 4.7 per 1,000 people hospital beds (2025) thanks to a large private hospital in town. Safety is average at average, with recorded crime of 44.7 per 1,000 people (2024), but burglaries of detached houses are a recurring worry: 257 per 100k people (2025). The average one-way commute is 52 min (2021), though 28% of commuters of commuters take public transport (2021), a high share for a suburb.
Figures for Sant Cugat del Vallès itself, not its region. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Sant Cugat del Vallès data only and compares it with similar cities. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Healthcare is strong: in the top 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Life expectancy: 85.8 years — better than 99% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 99 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancySant Cugat del Vallès · 2023 | 85.8 years | better than 99% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Prosperity is strong: in the top 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Household income per person: 26,306 € a year per person — better than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 98 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 personSant Cugat del Vallès · 2024 | 26,306 € a year per person | better than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Jobs is above average: in the top quarter of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Unemployment: 4.77% — better than 100% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Above average: 69 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| UnemploymentSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | 4.77% | better than 100% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Unemployment, change in a yearSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | -0.27 points | better than 24% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
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)Sant Cugat del Vallès · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 111 days a year | better than 88% of major European cities |
| Days above 35 °CSant Cugat del Vallès · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 3.20 days a year | better than 39% of major European cities |
| Nights above 20 °CSant Cugat del Vallès · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 53.3 nights a year | better than 12% of major European cities |
Safety is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Sexual offences: 0.20 per 1,000 people — better than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 55 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | 1.02 per 100k people | better than 39% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Recorded crimeSant Cugat del Vallès · 2024 | 44.7 per 1,000 people | better than 66% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| RobberiesSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | 107 per 100k people | better than 37% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| BurglariesSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | 257 per 100k people | better than 2% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Sexual offencesSant Cugat del Vallès · 2024 | 0.20 per 1,000 people | better than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| TheftsSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | 1,185 per 100k people | better than 49% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Vehicle theftsSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | 63.3 per 100k people | better than 48% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Transport is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Commute by public transport: 28.3% — better than 94% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 53 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)Sant Cugat del Vallès · 2021 | 51.8 minutes | better than 7% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Commute by carSant Cugat del Vallès · 2021 | 56.0% | better than 68% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Commute by public transportSant Cugat del Vallès · 2021 | 28.3% | better than 94% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Housing is around the middle: behind most Spanish cities above 50,000.
House prices, change in a year: 6.61% — better than 94% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 42 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Rent per m²Sant Cugat del Vallès · 2024 | 13.6 €/m² a month | better than 3% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rents, change in a yearSant Cugat del Vallès · 2024 | 3.30% | better than 49% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Buying price per m²Sant Cugat del Vallès · 2026-Q2 | 5,017 €/m² | better than 4% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rent growth a year, over 3 yearsSant Cugat del Vallès · 2024 | 3.98% | better than 81% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| House prices, change in a yearSant Cugat del Vallès · 2026-Q2 | 6.61% | better than 94% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Digital is weak: in the bottom quarter of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Homes with fibre to the door: 97.0% — worse than 80% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Weak: 24 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 internetSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | 97.0% | better than 26% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Homes with fibre to the doorSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | 97.0% | better than 20% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| 5G coverageSant Cugat del Vallès · 2025 | 100.0% | better than 27% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Connectivity is weak: in the bottom 10% of major European cities.
Distance to the main airport: 18.3 km — worse than 82% of major European cities
Weak: 18 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 airportSant Cugat del Vallès · 2026-10-21 | 18.3 km | better than 18% of major European cities |
What we cannot score for Sant Cugat del Vallès 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 |
Sant Cugat has a Mediterranean climate with cooler winters than the coast. Summers are warm: days above the heat threshold number 3 a year (2015–2024), but warm nights number 53 a year (2015–2024). The forest brings shade and some relief, though houses without cooling are uncomfortable in July and August.
Winters are cool and bright, with the occasional frost: 4 a year (2015–2024). The area gets 566 mm a year (2015–2024), mostly in autumn storms. Pleasant days, mild and dry, number 111 a year (2015–2024), concentrated in spring and autumn.
It is a year-round town. The hills behind Barcelona keep the heat of the coast away in summer, and the forest paths are best in spring and autumn.
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45/100 · average · 81st of 106 Spanish cities above 50,000
4.8% in 2025
6.6% in Q2 2026
€13.6 per m² a month in 2024
€5,017 per m² in Q2 2026
85.8 years in 2023
Facts about the people who live in Sant Cugat del Vallès. 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.
The monastery, a theatre-auditorium, a lively festival calendar and Barcelona's culture a train ride away.
Not measured yet: Lifestyle, Walk most.
Strong employers in the business parks, a short train to Barcelona and a safe setting, but high rents and a quiet social life.
Not measured yet: Jobs in high-tech sectors, Lifestyle, Median gross salary, Youth unemployment (15–24).
The strongest fit: villas, private healthcare, international schools and a safe, polished setting.
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Education, Environment, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Safe, green and well served by a private hospital and a fast train to Barcelona, though expensive and hilly in places.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Doctors, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
One of the best-suited towns near Barcelona: safe, green and rich in schools, with sports, parks and the forest for weekends.
Not measured yet: 15-year-olds' maths (PISA), Average dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation.
A well-educated workforce, business schools and a technology park, with Barcelona's investors a short train ride away.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality.
Business schools and international campuses, but costly rooms and few student bars.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Price level vs EU average, Walk most, Youth unemployment (15–24).
The Collserola park begins at the edge of town, with trails for running and mountain biking.
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.
Not a place for a low income: rents and prices are among the highest in Spain.
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.
Calm and well-connected by train, but fibre is patchier in the villa districts and rents are high for the scene.
Better nearby for remote workers: Reus (70), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (67), Cornellà de Llobregat (66)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Fixed broadband penetration, Lifestyle.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in Sant Cugat del Vallès as anywhere in Spain.
Compared with Sant Cugat del Vallès; each card says where it is better or worse for someone living there.
70 m²: €766 a month
Compare with Sant Cugat del Vallès70 m²: €794 a month
Compare with Sant Cugat del Vallès70 m²: €958 a month
Compare with Sant Cugat del Vallès70 m²: €703 a month
Compare with Sant Cugat del Vallès70 m²: €896 a month
Compare with Sant Cugat del Vallès70 m²: €712 a month
Compare with Sant Cugat del VallèsGuide 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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