Best places to live in Spain as an expatriate

Deciding to move to Spain or buy a holiday home there is only the first step on your journey – by far the biggest decision you need to make is exactly where in the country would suit you best. Luckily, Spain has locations to suit every chosen lifestyle, whether that involves family life, working, rural tranquillity, city life, or winter or summer entertainment. Here's a round-up of some of the best areas to consider depending upon your criteria.

Best areas for affordable cost of living

Although property purchase and rent prices are generally much lower anywhere in Spain than in the majority of northern and western Europe, the cost of living varies vastly depending upon where you are based.

The cheapest places in Spain to live may not be the most practical for expatriates, however. Idyllic and rural, they are typically remote with limited opportunities or transport links, and most likely you will need to be fluent in Spanish. But if this lifestyle suits you, look towards inland provinces in mainland Spain. More details of locations and the average price of a property per square metre can be found in our article The cheapest places to buy property in Spain.

If you are seeking a location that feels like the traditional tourism belt but without the hefty price tag, you could try the coasts of the provinces of Valencia, Castellón, Tarragona, Murcia, and Granada, which have much smaller expatriate populations and just enough of a 'holiday feel' without being overcrowded. They tend to be much cheaper to buy or rent property in than the southern Costa Blanca or Costa del Sol.

Best places for meeting other expatriates

As you may have inferred from the section above, cost of living outside of big cities is often closely linked to how cosmopolitan an area is. In general, the more popular a location is with incoming residents from abroad, the higher the price of property – although there are exceptions.

Inland towns with strong expat communities

Among those exceptions are some inland rural areas in the provinces of Valencia and Alicante.

In the province of Valencia, the small towns of Ontinyent and Xàtiva, and the villages of the Valle de Ayora-Cofrentes are not only very cheap for buying a home, but have a high European expatriate population. In the latter, where the headcount barely reaches 10,000, an estimated 50% of residents are of British origin.

In the province of Alicante, towns such as Alcoi, Cocentaina, Castalla, Ibi, and Sax have a 'traditionally-Spanish' and countryside feel, with lower-priced property, but a significant expatriate community.

Popular coastal areas for expats

Huge expatriate communities, who far outnumber the local population, can be found in the southern part of Alicante province, particularly in the Orihuela Costa, Torrevieja, and Rojales. While most expatriates here are British, property prices and rental costs remain lower than the Costa Blanca average, despite the area's strong international presence.

Other very expatriate-dominant parts of Spain include coastal or pre-coastal towns in the province of Málaga. Municipalities with a northern-European-origin population that ranges from 30% to 70% of the total headcount include Benalmádena, Mijas, Torremolinos, and Estepona. Here local services are likely to be available in several languages, which may give you extra time and flexibility in learning Spanish if you are not already fluent when you arrive.

Where each nationality tends to settle

• German communities can be found in the Balearic island of Mallorca.
• A sizeable Norwegian community is well-established in the coastal Alicante-province (Costa Blanca) town ofAlfaz del Pi.
• Costa Brava towns such as Lloret de Mar are popular with French holidaymakers, and Barcelona has one of Spain's largest populations of French expatriates.
• Belgium expatriates in Spain are normally found in the provinces of Alicante, Málaga, Barcelona, and on the island of Tenerife.
• The largest Italian communities are in Madrid region, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.
• Dutch nationals, like the British, are more spread out, typically found on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, although the village of Polopos in the province of Granada now has a large Dutch community.

Best areas for the weather

For many northern Europeans, Spain’s appeal lies in its warmer climate. However, it's a common misconception that this is everyone's reason for moving to Spain. Indeed, you might be moving to Spain because you want to guarantee snow in winter. And in the right location, you can.

If you are seeking consistent summer heat

If you want to enjoy summers that are always hot with no exceptions, almost anywhere in Spain will suit you. But Spain is a high-altitude country with numerous micro-climates, so you can practically choose the type of weather you want.

If you're a 'the hotter the better' person, the highest temperatures in the whole of Spain are found in the cities and wider provinces of Sevilla, Córdoba and Jaén, in the southern region of Andalucía. But these are all land-locked, so you might want to consider finding a property with a swimming pool for some respite in high summer.

For the warmest coastal locations, the southern part of the province of Alicante, and the coasts of the provinces of Almería, Murcia, Málaga, Cádiz and Huelva tend to enjoy higher average year-round temperatures.

If you prefer cooler climates or seasonal variety

Conversely, you may want to keep your hot weather experiences to a minimum, or perhaps you even enjoy cold weather. Those who love chilly climates should not rule out Spain as a holiday-home or relocation destination. The lowest winter temperatures are found in:

• The Castilla y León region (north-central Spain)
• The province of Teruel in Aragón
• The north-eastern province of Guadalajara, near Madrid

In all of these, deep-winter temperatures are typically in low single figures, dropping below zero at night. In fact, even in Madrid city, it's common to experience frost and snow in the winter.

Mild summers and cooler coasts

Northern Spain is typically colder in autumn, winter and spring than the south and east coasts, and summers may be shorter. That said, if you want a guaranteed summer that's pleasantly warm rather than baking hot, these areas are ideal. If you want to enjoy a pleasantly-warm summer on the beach, the coasts of the regions of Asturias, Galicia, Cantabria and the Basque Country offer those.

These regions are very geared up to beach tourism, but less-favoured by European expatriates and holidaymakers, so they are suitable for total cultural and language immersion and to avoid heavy crowds in summer.

The Canary Islands: mild and consistent

The Canary Islands, although farther south, have a more consistent climate than the mainland and islands. Extremes of temperature are rare and humidity is usually lower in summer than on the Costas. Typically, winters almost never get colder than about 13ºC to 16ºC, and summer temperatures rarely climb above 30ºC.

Best parts of Spain for beach life

When you visit the beach, do you expect to find near-perfection? If only the highest standards in sea and sand will do for you, then you've come to the right place, because Spain's shores are officially the best on earth. The country boasts the highest number of blue-flagged beaches in the world, and always has – its record has never been broken. Of all the blue-flagged beaches in existence, 15%, or about one in seven, are in Spain.

• The Comunidad Valenciana is the Spanish region with the most blue flags beaches. Its southernmost province, Alicante, is the outright winner with around 70.
• Málaga province (Costa del Sol) takes third place nationally for the number of Blue Flag beaches.
• In second and fourth place are the provinces of Pontevedra and A Coruña, both located in Galicia.

Best places in Spain for entertainment

Entertainment in Spain is everywhere, from tiny villages to major cities. With the highest number of bars and restaurants per inhabitant in Europe, you’re never far from a café or eatery. Most towns also have a local museum, theatre, sports centre, and annual festivals.

For a broader cultural scene, such as galleries, concerts, or live shows, head to the cities. Madrid and Barcelona offer the richest variety, with international events and world-class shopping. If you’re after city buzz with a relaxed pace, Valencia, Spain's third-largest city, is a great choice.

Water sports are ingrained into the everyday culture in many coastal areas, including Costa del Sol, Costa de la Luz, the Balearic and Canary Islands, and the Costa Blanca. Scuba-diving, sailing, kite-surfing and similar activities are easy to find in these areas. In the north of Spain, top surf sports include Cantabria, the Basque Country and Galicia.

Depending upon your criteria when searching for the ideal location for your Spanish home, you may now find you have far too much choice. To help you narrow it down, you might like to take a look at our Find Your Place in Spain section, where you can search by facilities and lifestyle factors that are most important to you.