
Top 10 best places to live in Spain
At a certain point of your life, you might find yourself trying to become an expat, whether to go through the experience of living abroad while you are still young and productive, or to spend your golden years and retirement money; there are some places to live in Spain that can make to your purpose.
BEST CITIES TO LIVE IN SPAIN
Here we will list some of the best cities to live in Spain based on affordability, landscape, weather, and more. You may consider these as the best places to retire in Spain, too. Hoping this list turns out to be useful to you!
BARCELONA
We do not need to lecture you much about this. Barcelona is one of the most renowned and cosmopolitan cities across the world. It also offers a fantastic view filled with modern architecture and it rivals Madrid for supremacy as the main Spanish cities. Even though is no cheap city at all, you may find meals ranging from 7 to 20 euros, which is really reasonable for the standards of a city like this. You will enjoy a good lifestyle and quality of life, there are many sites and places to visit and, if you are avid of culture, then you just hit home. Close to the sea, many amenities, and international schools.
MADRID
One more of the places to live in Spain, the capital of Spain is also a cultural, economic and nightlife hub. Here you can go to lots of architectural sites and stroll endlessly. Madrid is synonym with history, art, cuisine and fashion. The city hosts Spanish and Latin American art collections in museums and galleries. One of the cheapest capitals in Europe, great for eating and drinking. Ultimately, its good quality of life makes reasonable how costly Madrid could be.
MALAGA
One of the most often chosen destinations for retirees and people who want to work and live in Spain, Malaga is also the cheapest place to live in Spain by the sea. Costa del Sol is a renowned place for tourism boasting plenty of excellent beaches and temperatures that can trick you into believing springs and summers are endless.
ALICANTE
Compared to Barcelona, renting is 105% lower and food 8% cheaper in Alicante. The city is full of palm trees, sandy white beaches, ancient monuments, and commercial avenues. Take your daily stroll at sunset as you will walk in benign weather at all times.
SEVILLE
Seville’s history and culture are lively and vivid: this city even deserved to inspire an opera. It boasts Moorish architecture, and is a perfect place for expats to lead a quiet life. Tourists do not swarm it as other Spanish locations, and it is also an exceptional landscape as it is located between mountain and sea.
SAN SEBASTIAN
At times called mini-Paris, this city located in the Gipuzkoa area has an outstandingly great quality of life, which compensates for warmer weathers you find in places located more to the South. It also boasts the greatest concentration of bars at a global level, so if you want to moderately enjoy a drink –or two–, to San Sebastian it is. It is not as popular a preference as Malaga and Alicante, but it will eventually get there.
GRANADA
This town hosts the Alhambra, one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Towns. That suffices to include it here. Also, because Granada is a student darling: here, they have a happy, vibrant and unique atmosphere.
BILBAO
Not blessed with eternal sunlight and warmth as the Mediterranean side of the country, Bilbao has its charm for those who wish to experience Spain differently. Not having beaches like you would expect in this place of the world, you can go there surfing from time to time. Capital of the Basque Country, which is a rich area, Bilbao is the 5th most expensive city of Spain, turning it into a not very popular choice among expats. It is great if you are looking for an alternative landscape, like Barcelona. Buildings like the Guggenheim museum are placed side by side with ancient industries and shipyards. Wine from the neighboring Navarra can cost up to 1 euro and you can stroll the city while visiting pubs; Basque cuisine is legendary.
VALENCIA
While people waste their time comparing Madrid and Barcelona as if it was a Real Madrid-Barsa match, classy Valencia steps away from the debate and considers to be itself the best place to live in Spain, something that needs no further discussion according to those hailing from Valencia. It is an urban hub for the Costa Blanca residents. As to quality of life, Valencia offers sunshine, good people to be around and affordable cost of living. There are also festivals, among which the Tomatinas are very well known and attended by tourists. It is however not taken by storm during the holiday season as other cities in fact are.
Marbella
If you are looking for some more glamorous view and can afford it – for which we are already envious –, Marbella is, among the places to live in Spain, the destination for you. If you are moving there with your family, you will find all you need to look after and educate your kids, either in local or international schools. This is a place with a cosmopolitan taste and, as we have just warned, not for every pocket!