Alicante vs Valencia: the figures side by side

Alicante and Valencia are both in the Comunitat Valenciana, so the regional rules for a purchase, including the transfer tax on a resale home, are the same in both. What differs is the kind of city. Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain, with a metro, a large university, a port and a business district; its beaches, such as the Malvarrosa, are part of the city, and the Albufera lagoon lies just south of it. Alicante is a medium-sized city at the centre of the Costa Blanca, with the province's airport, a compact old town and a coast of resort towns on either side.

People weighing the two usually ask about cost, climate and how much of a big city they want around them. Valencia is greener and somewhat more humid; Alicante is drier and sunnier. Prices and rent can differ a lot between districts of either city, so the city-level figures below are a starting point.

The table compares official figures for both, row by row, each with its source and period.

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Alicante · València

Alicante vs Valencia: the figures side by side
Indicator	Alicante	València	Source and period
Average appraised value	€2,279.2/m²	€2,972.8/m²	Measured for the municipality · Fuente: Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible, Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Median rent	€7.11/m² a month	€8.18/m² a month	Measured for the municipality · Origen de los datos: Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana (SERPAVI), 2024. Updated 17/10/2026.
Gross rental yield	3.7%	3.3%	Measured for the municipality · Rent €7.11/m² a month — Origen de los datos: Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana (SERPAVI), 2024. Updated 17/10/2026. · Price €2,279.2/m² — Fuente: Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible, Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026. · Rent €8.18/m² a month — Origen de los datos: Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana (SERPAVI), 2024. Updated 17/10/2026. · Price €2,972.8/m² — Fuente: Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible, Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Average income per person	€13,681	€16,121	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2023. Updated 17/10/2026.
Registered population	366,221	840,792	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026.
Foreign residents	76,685	163,356	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Share of foreign residents	21%	19.4%	Measured for the municipality · Foreign residents 76,685 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026. · Population (annual census) 365,586 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026. · Foreign residents 163,356 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026. · Population (annual census) 841,558 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Aged 65 and over	19.87%	21.41%	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Aged 0 to 15	13.21%	11.91%	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Registered tourist lets	2,854	5,393	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 05/2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Tourist lets as a share of all homes	1.52%	1.3%	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 05/2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Average January temperature	11.9 °C Station ALACANT/ALICANTE, 3.3 km away in a straight line	12.1 °C Station VALÈNCIA, 10.2 km away in a straight line	© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Average August high	31.1 °C Station ALACANT/ALICANTE, 3.3 km away in a straight line	30 °C Station VALÈNCIA, VIVEROS, 10.2 km away in a straight line	© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Annual rainfall	284.6 mm Station ALACANT/ALICANTE, 3.3 km away in a straight line	460.1 mm Station VALÈNCIA, 10.2 km away in a straight line	© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Sunshine hours a year	3,013 h Station ALACANT/ALICANTE, 3.3 km away in a straight line	2,732 h Station VALÈNCIA, 10.2 km away in a straight line	© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), annual mean	14 µg/m³ Station ALACANT-FLORIDA-BABEL, 4.5 km away in a straight line	14 µg/m³ Station VALÈNCIA-POLITÈCNIC, 9.1 km away in a straight line	Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
PM10 particles, annual mean	—	21 µg/m³ Station VALÈNCIA-POLITÈCNIC, 9.1 km away in a straight line	Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
PM2.5 particles, annual mean	11 µg/m³ Station ALACANT-FLORIDA-BABEL, 4.5 km away in a straight line	10 µg/m³ Station VALÈNCIA-POLITÈCNIC, 9.1 km away in a straight line	Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Recorded criminal offences	27,781 (Provisional figure)	62,451 (Provisional figure)	Measured for the municipality · Fuente: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, 12 months to Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Per thousand registered residents	75.86 (Provisional figure)	74.28 (Provisional figure)	Measured for the municipality · Fuente: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, 12 months to Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026. · Registered population 366,221 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026. · Registered population 840,792 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026.
Per thousand people, including the estimated tourist population	75.11 (Provisional figure)	73.68 (Provisional figure)	Measured for the municipality · Fuente: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, 12 months to Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026. · Registered population 366,221 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026. · Beds in tourist lets 12,519 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 05/2026. Updated 17/10/2026. · Registered population 840,792 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026. · Beds in tourist lets 23,080 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 05/2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Homes with fibre (FTTH)	98.16%	99.84%	Measured for the municipality · Origen de los datos: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Homes with 1 Gbit/s	98.06%	99.86%	Measured for the municipality · Origen de los datos: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
IBI property tax rate	0.62795%	0.5784%	Measured for the municipality · Origen de los datos: Ministerio de Hacienda (Secretaría General de Financiación Autonómica y Local). Elaboración propia: flatin.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026.
Nearest airport	10.6 km ALICANTE/Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández · 10.6 km in a straight line, not travel time	17.3 km VALENCIA · 17.3 km in a straight line, not travel time	Fuente: AIP España (ENAIRE). Updated 17/10/2026.
Nearest high-speed rail station	4.6 km Alicante/Alacant-Terminal · 4.6 km in a straight line, not travel time	12 km València-Estació del Nord · 12 km in a straight line, not travel time	Fuente: Renfe (data.renfe.com). Updated 17/10/2026.
Nearest hospital	4.1 km Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis · 4.1 km in a straight line, not travel time	10.2 km Hospital Quironsalud Valencia · 10.2 km in a straight line, not travel time	Fuente: Ministerio de Sanidad, Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales. Updated 17/10/2026.

— No data: the source publishes no value for this municipality.

Compare places side by side

Who this place may suit

What our rules read from these figures. Alicante: People escaping a northern winter, Retirees looking for a mild winter, Remote workers who need fast internet. Valencia: People escaping a northern winter, Retirees looking for a mild winter, Remote workers who need fast internet. Each conclusion comes from a fixed threshold on a published figure, shown in the “who it may suit” block of the city's page; it is not our opinion of either city.

Alicante

People escaping a northern winter
Based on: Average January temperature: 11.9 °C (≥ 11 °C)
© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Retirees looking for a mild winter
Based on: Average January temperature: 11.9 °C (≥ 11 °C); Nearest hospital: 4.1 km (≤ 15 km)
© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026. · Fuente: Ministerio de Sanidad, Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales. Updated 17/10/2026.
Remote workers who need fast internet
Based on: Homes with 1 Gbit/s: 98.06% (≥ 75%)
Origen de los datos: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.

València

People escaping a northern winter
Based on: Average January temperature: 12.1 °C (≥ 11 °C)
© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Retirees looking for a mild winter
Based on: Average January temperature: 12.1 °C (≥ 11 °C); Nearest hospital: 10.2 km (≤ 15 km)
© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026. · Fuente: Ministerio de Sanidad, Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales. Updated 17/10/2026.
Remote workers who need fast internet
Based on: Homes with 1 Gbit/s: 99.86% (≥ 75%)
Origen de los datos: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.

These are fixed rules applied to the published figures on this page, not our opinion. A rule whose data is missing stays silent.