The best places to live in Spain for Expats with different needs

Many people have long questioned, where is the best place to live in Spain. Unfortunately, there’s not a single “best place” because it depends on what you value. Luckily, there are so many great options to choose from. Here we want to list out some of the best places to live and the most common reasons why expats come to Spain.

 

1. Best places for investment and work opportunity seekers

2. Best places for sea lovers

3. Best places for food fanatics

4. Best places for Spanish culture chasers

5. No matter where you would like to live, Adeslas will always cover you!

 

 

1. Best places for investment and work opportunity seekers

 

Are you thinking about renting out your house? Are you a business angel that wants to follow the latest business trend and invest in ambitious start-up businesses? Are you thinking about finding a job in a vibrant company? Are you an entrepreneur that wants to start your business? Then maybe big cities like Barcelona, Madrid or Málaga are better choices.

 

For investors:

 

• Big cities always attract more new workers, students, or tourists that need to rent a house for a while.
• Big cities have more startup incubators and business conferences, where you can find great opportunities to invest if you are a business angel.
• Big cities are filled with more comprehensive infrastructures, solutions, and legal assistance when it comes to founding a new company.

 

For workers:

 

• In Barcelona and Madrid, there are more companies, multinationals, or start-ups, always offering more job opportunities for foreigners. Check here to see the pros and cons of living in the two cities.
• Except for Barcelona and Madrid, Málaga is also favored by many people because many multi-international companies choose to set up their Southern European & African headquarters due to the city's adjacency to both regions.

 

 

2. Best places for sea lovers

 

 

Life near the sea with beautiful sunshine could be the dream for many expats that come to Spain. There are a few main beach areas that most expats would consider: Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa Blanca, and Costa del Sol, each with different highlights. Another option for sea lovers is to move to a lovely island: the Canary Islands (in the Atlantic) or the Balearic Islands (In the Mediterranean Sea).

 

Nearly all the cities near the beach line are well-welcomed by expats. There are even international schools or English-speaking schools in coastal cities such as Barcelona, Alicante, Cádiz, Ibiza, Lanzarote... Although there are probably not as many options as Barcelona or Madrid, they can also be considerations for expat families as life is more tranquil with less pollution than the two major cities.

 

3. Best places for food fanatics

 

 

In general, you can find great and typical Spanish food nearly in every Spanish city. But several regions are famous even among Spanish people for high product quality and cuisine.

 

The most famous is the Basque Country. San Sebastián is the most famous city in this autonomous region for a list of Michelin restaurants, exquisite pinchos, and other specialties of the region. Bilbao is another city in this region that is famous for its food.

 

Galicia and Asturias are also two regions famous for their cuisine, especially for the high-quality raw ingredients such as seafood and beans. The abundant precipitation has brought the two regions rich products that are difficult to find in other cities. But this could also be a headache for those who like to bathe in the sun.

 

To be fair, Madrid and Barcelona can also be ahead of the list because they attract many great chefs to the city due to the opportunities they offer.

 

 

4. Best places for Spanish culture chasers

 

 

This question can also have various answers depending on what cultures exactly you want to live with!

 

If you want to experience authentic Spanish culture, Andalusia might be your first choice. The Spanish culture is a symphony of different cultures and customs, and Andalusia is the best revelation of this mixture. Sevilla, Cordoba, and Granada, these three cities show this harmonizing combination of the Spanish, Catholic, Jewish, and Arabian cultures.

 

If you are a devout palmer, Santiago de Compostela in Galicia is the best place for you. The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the destination of the way of St. James (Camino de Santiago), the leading Catholic pilgrimage way since the 9^th century.

 

If you love museums, concerts, musicals, and operas, large cities like Madrid would again be your best choice.

 

And if you are into modernist architecture, you would not like to live without the fantasies created by Gaudí in the city of Barcelona.

 

 

5. No matter where you would like to live, Adeslas will always cover you!

 

Just as the title indicates, we can cover you all over Spain and even outside Spain with our star product: the expat insurance, also known as medical insurance, visa insurance, or NIE/TIE insurance in Spain. We also offer top-rated home insurance that will protect your home as well as your belongings wholeheartedly!

 

If you like to know more about living in Spain, click one of these blogs below: 

• Curious facts you need to know before moving to Spain
• Cost of living: Is it cheap to live in Spain?
• Reside in Spain: live a unique Mediterranean life
• Top Spanish food that you cannot miss

 

Our content will be updated according to the most recent legislation. Last update: 19/06/2023