Independent guides to living and studying in Europe
Destinations · the City Cards
Twenty-four places in Spain, one honest card each.
Who each place suits, what it really costs, and the trade-off nobody puts in the brochure. We start with the coast we know best, because we live on it.
The Costa Blanca and Valencia · where we call home
Two hundred kilometres of coast, north and south.
One of Spain’s most established international communities, built over decades by families from the UK, Northern Europe and beyond. It is the one destination here we live on day to day, so schools, healthcare and the bureaucratic quirks come from experience, not research.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| 60 m² flat, Alicante | €830 a month |
| 60 m² flat, Ontinyent | €460 a month |
| Sunshine | About 300 days a year |
| Airport | ALC, about 150 routes |
No. 01 · Valencia
Valencia
Families · Professionals · Students
City, beach and value in one place.
60 m² flat: €980 a month
No. 02 · Costa Blanca
Alicante
Families · Frequent flyers
The gateway to the coast, and a real city.
60 m² flat: €830 a month
No. 03 · Costa Blanca South
Torrevieja
Retirees · Families
Salt lakes and a large international community.
60 m² flat: €760 a month
No. 04 · Costa Blanca
Elche
Families · Students
A UNESCO palm grove, minutes from the airport.
60 m² flat: €600 a month
No. 05 · Costa Blanca North
Benidorm and La Nucía
Retirees · Families
A year-round resort and the hill town behind it.
60 m² flat: €1,060 a month
No. 06 · Costa Blanca North
Dénia
Families · Retirees
A port under the Montgó, with island ferries.
60 m² flat: €830 a month
No. 07 · Costa Blanca North
Jávea and Altea
No. 19 · Costa Blanca North
Calpe
Retirees · Nomads
A compact international town under the Peñón de Ifach.
60 m² flat: €900 a month
No. 08 · Valencia
Oliva
No. 18 · Valencia
Gandia
Families · Students
A real town, a big beach and a train to Valencia.
60 m² flat: €600 a month
No. 09 · Costa Blanca South
Orihuela
Retirees · Golfers
A historic city and a busy international coast.
60 m² flat: €790 a month
No. 20 · Costa Blanca South
Santa Pola and Guardamar
Families · Frequent flyers
Calm beaches and flamingos, near the airport.
60 m² flat: €710 a month
No. 17 · Valencia
Castellón
No. 21 · Valencia
Xàtiva
Families · Budget-minded
A castle town with a train to Valencia.
60 m² flat: €520 a month
No. 22 · Valencia
Ontinyent
Families · Nature lovers
Authentic inland life at the lowest rents here.
60 m² flat: €460 a month
Beyond the Costa Blanca
The rest of Spain.
No. 10
Madrid
Professionals · Students · Families
Spain’s capital and biggest job market.
60 m² flat: €1,400 a month
No. 11
Barcelona
Students · Professionals · Nomads
The most cosmopolitan city, at a cosmopolitan price.
60 m² flat: €1,210 a month
No. 12
Costa del Sol
Families · Nomads · Gulf families
The most established international coast (Málaga).
60 m² flat: €990 a month
No. 13
Seville
Families · Students · Professionals
Big-city Andalusia, and serious summers.
60 m² flat: €800 a month
No. 14
Granada
No. 15
Murcia
Families · Budget-minded
A big, very Spanish city near the coast.
60 m² flat: €590 a month
No. 16
Bilbao
The islands
Mallorca and Gran Canaria.
No. 23
Palma
Families · Nomads · Professionals
Island life with a big airport, at a high price.
60 m² flat: €1,180 a month
Nomads · Families · Retirees
Mild all year, with a city beach.
60 m² flat: €880 a month
Compare at a glance
What rent costs, place by place.
All 24 places on the same basis: asking rents on idealista for September 2026, turned into a typical 60 m² flat and a 90 m² family flat.
| Place | Area | € per m² | 60 m² flat | 90 m² flat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valencia | Valencia region | €16.3 | €980 | €1,470 |
| Alicante | Costa Blanca | €13.9 | €830 | €1,250 |
| Torrevieja | Costa Blanca South | €12.7 | €760 | €1,140 |
| Elche | Costa Blanca | €10.0 | €600 | €900 |
| Benidorm | Costa Blanca North | €17.7 | €1,060 | €1,590 |
| La Nucía | Costa Blanca North | €11.0 | €660 | €990 |
| Dénia | Costa Blanca North | €13.9 | €830 | €1,250 |
| Jávea | Costa Blanca North | €15.4 | €920 | €1,390 |
| Altea | Costa Blanca North | €13.9 | €830 | €1,250 |
| Calpe | Costa Blanca North | €15.0 | €900 | €1,350 |
| Oliva | Valencia region | €10.1 | €610 | €910 |
| Gandia | Valencia region | €10.0 | €600 | €900 |
| Orihuela Costa | Costa Blanca South | €13.2 | €790 | €1,190 |
| Santa Pola | Costa Blanca South | €11.9 | €710 | €1,070 |
| Guardamar | Costa Blanca South | €11.4 | €680 | €1,030 |
| Castellón | Valencia region | €9.7 | €580 | €870 |
| Xàtiva | Valencia region | €8.7 | €520 | €780 |
| Ontinyent | Valencia region | €7.7 | €460 | €690 |
| Madrid | Rest of Spain | €23.4 | €1,400 | €2,110 |
| Barcelona | Rest of Spain | €20.1 | €1,210 | €1,810 |
| Málaga | Rest of Spain | €16.5 | €990 | €1,490 |
| Marbella | Rest of Spain | €23.6 | €1,420 | €2,120 |
| Seville | Rest of Spain | €13.4 | €800 | €1,210 |
| Granada | Rest of Spain | €10.8 | €650 | €970 |
| Murcia | Rest of Spain | €9.9 | €590 | €890 |
| Bilbao | Rest of Spain | €15.7 | €940 | €1,410 |
| Palma | Islands | €19.6 | €1,180 | €1,760 |
| Las Palmas | Islands | €14.6 | €880 | €1,310 |
Source: idealista monthly rental price reports, September 2026 (Spain average €15.1 per m²). These are asking rents, not signed contracts; small towns have fewer listings, so their figures move more month to month. Orihuela Costa is shown for Orihuela; the inland city is about €6.8 per m². For more interactive data on moving to Europe, visit the Data & AI Playground by Build 4 Abundance, our sister practice.
Route and village guides · €1.99 each
Once you have a town, find the roads around it.
One road or one village, written by someone who drives it.
R01
R02
V01
V02
V03
V05
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Coming next
Portugal next.
Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve and Tenerife are on the way.
Still choosing between towns?
Most families settle it in a single free 30-minute call with people who live on this coast.