Best places to live in Spain: how to choose by what matters to you
The best places to live in Spain depend on what you put first: sunshine, housing costs, flights to the UK or an established British community. The gaps are wide: housing in Madrid costs more than twice as much per square metre as in Oviedo or Alicante, and Alicante gets about a third of Oviedo’s rainfall.
Best places to live in Spain at a glance
| Area | Average temperature | Rainfall per year | Housing value (€/m²) | Direct flights to the UK | British residents in the province (2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid | 15.0 °C | 421 mm | 5,418 | Yes, Madrid | 11,831 |
| Barcelona | 16.1 °C | 588 mm | 4,602 | Yes, Barcelona | 17,525 |
| Valencia | 18.3 °C | 475 mm | 2,973 | Yes, Valencia | 9,538 |
| Alicante | 18.3 °C | 311 mm | 2,279 | Yes, Alicante | 76,739 |
| Málaga | 18.5 °C | 534 mm | 3,321 | Yes, Málaga | 56,019 |
| Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | 21.1 °C | 151 mm | 2,337 | Yes, Gran Canaria | 14,447 |
| Oviedo | 13.3 °C | 960 mm | 2,215 | Yes, Asturias | 1,060 |
| Santander | 14.5 °C | 1,129 mm | 2,662 | Yes, Santander | 640 |
| Bilbao | 14.7 °C | 1,134 mm | 3,529 | Yes, Bilbao | 841 |
Sources: AEMET climate normals 1981-2010; Spanish Ministry of Housing, appraised value of private housing by municipality, second quarter of 2026; INE municipal register, 2022 (the latest year with British residents broken down by province). Housing values are official appraisals, not asking prices.
Choose by climate
Spain has several climates, and the differences are larger than many people expect.
- The Mediterranean coast (Valencia, Alicante, Málaga) has average temperatures above 18 °C and little rain. Alicante is the driest of the areas above, with 311 mm a year, and Málaga has the most sunshine of those with published figures, around 2,900 hours a year.
- The Canary Islands are the most stable: Las Palmas averages about 18 °C in January and 24 °C in July, with only 151 mm of rain.
- Madrid has hot, dry summers, with average July highs of 32 °C and 12 mm of rain in the month.
- The north coast (Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country) is mild and green, with average temperatures between 13 °C and 15 °C and around 1,000 mm of rain or more. Oviedo gets about 1,750 hours of sunshine a year, some 1,150 fewer than Málaga.
If summer heat is your main concern, the north coast has the coolest summers of the areas above.
Choose by cost of living
Housing is usually the largest part of the cost of living in Spain, and it is where areas differ most. The national average appraised value was €2,355 per square metre in the second quarter of 2026, 12.5% higher than a year earlier.
Madrid city (€5,418) and Barcelona (€4,602) are more than twice the national average. At the other end, Oviedo (€2,215), Alicante (€2,279) and Las Palmas (€2,337) are close to or below it. The Valencia province recorded the fastest annual rise of the areas above, at 17.6%, even though its capital (€2,973) is still far cheaper than Madrid or Barcelona.
Before you commit, price your own case in the town you have in mind: rent or purchase, utilities, transport and community charges.
Choose by connections
Every area in the table has an airport with direct flights to the UK, but the choice of routes differs a lot. Alicante and Málaga have some of the widest networks from British airports, while Asturias currently has direct flights only to London Gatwick, with a London Luton route announced from late October 2026. Bilbao and Santander offer a wider choice in the north, with routes to London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham or Edinburgh.
Within Spain, high-speed trains link Madrid with Valencia, Alicante, Málaga, Barcelona and Oviedo, which makes weekend trips and visits to the capital straightforward. The north also has ferries: Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth to Santander and to Bilbao all year, a useful option if you want to bring your car.
Choose by lifestyle and community
Some people want a large British community around them; others want to live among Spanish neighbours and practise the language every day. The official figures show how concentrated the British population is.
Alicante and Málaga provinces had 76,739 and 56,019 British residents respectively in 2022, far more than anywhere else. In Asturias there were 1,060, in Cantabria 640 and in Bizkaia 841. Nationally, 266,462 British nationals lived in Spain at the start of 2025, according to the INE.
On the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol, English is common in everyday services. In the north, daily life happens in Spanish, while housing costs are lower and summers cooler.
The north coast: Spain’s most overlooked option
The north coast offers a different trade-off from the Mediterranean: more rain and fewer hours of sunshine, in exchange for mild summers, green landscapes, lower housing costs and cities where daily life is less shaped by tourism.
- Oviedo combines the lowest housing value in the table (€2,215 per square metre) with a high-speed rail link to Madrid and a walkable historic centre.
- The eastern Asturian coast, with towns such as Ribadesella and Llanes, adds beaches and the Picos de Europa within reach. Official housing values are not published for towns of this size.
- Santander and Bilbao are larger cities with more flight options to the UK, at a higher housing cost in Bilbao’s case (€3,529).
Metropolitan areas worth a look
Living just outside a big city can bring housing costs down without giving up its services.
- Around Madrid. In the Henares corridor, east of the capital, Alcalá de Henares (€2,942) and Torrejón de Ardoz (€3,043) have appraised values well below Madrid city (€5,418), with commuter trains into the centre and Madrid airport close by.
- Around Valencia. The metropolitan area, linked to the city by the metro and commuter rail, offers the Mediterranean climate at lower prices than the coastal hotspots, although the province’s prices are rising fast.
Before you move
Whichever area you choose, the paperwork is the same. The UK government’s guide to living in Spain explains the visa or residence permit you will need, how to register with your town hall and get your residence card, and how healthcare and your State Pension work once you live in Spain. For tax planning, speak to a qualified adviser.
FAQs about living in Spain
What is the best place to live in Spain for British people?
It depends on your priorities. Alicante and Málaga have the largest British communities and the most flights to the UK. The north coast offers cooler summers and lower housing costs, with fewer British residents.
Where is the cheapest place to live in Spain?
Of the nine areas in the table, Oviedo, Alicante and Las Palmas have the lowest appraised housing values, all close to or below the national average of €2,355 per square metre.
Which part of Spain has the best climate?
For stable warmth all year, the Canary Islands. For hot summers and mild winters, the Mediterranean coast. For mild summers and green landscapes, the north coast, at the cost of more rain.
Is living in Spain cheaper than in the UK?
It depends on where you compare. Housing in Spain varies from around €2,200 per square metre in Oviedo to more than €5,400 in Madrid city, and prices are rising: the national appraised value went up 12.5% in the year to mid-2026. Compare the specific towns you have in mind.
Homes in the areas we know
We develop new homes in several of these areas: on the eastern Asturian coast with Las Terrazas de Ribadesella, in Oviedo with AYCO Residencial Naranco and in the Henares corridor with AYCO living, flex living apartments in Torrejón de Ardoz.