Located on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe is the beautiful country of Spain. Part of the county boarders the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal, France, and the Mediterranean sea. Because of these facts the landscape and weather in Spain is very pleasant. Recently however Spain suffered majorly during the recent financial crashes and is currently still trying to recover. Spain has many beautiful cities located all throughout the country, however some are more expensive than others. We are going to take a look at the most expensive cities in Spain.
5. Valencia
First up on our list of the most expensive cities in Spain is Valencia. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain and is located in the eastern part of Spain right on the Mediterranean sea. Pretty much any city that is located on the Mediterranean sea is very expensive as it is a highly desirable place to live. Valencia also experiences very nice weather seeing average lows of 60 and highs of 75. The port of Valencia is the largest port on the Mediterranean sea and the 5th busiest port in all of Europe. Since its such a major trading center and located on the beach, it has a higher cost of living compared to other cities.
4. Tarragona
At the number 4 position of our list is the port city of Tarragona located in northeastern part of Spain. While the city itself is rather small with a population of only about 130,000 people it is still a desirable place to live for a variety of reasons. First and foremost the city is beautiful; it’s just a quintessential Spanish town. Like many European cities, many of the buildings are old and have a very “rustic” and “authentic” feel to them. Additionally the city is home to some Roman ruins from the 2nd century. Combine that with their award winning beaches, and well you have a pretty expensive city to live in.
3. Barcelona
Barcelona is a more well-known city than the others covered on this list, and it is the second largest city in Spain. Barcelona was originally founded as a Roman city way back in the day and has seen a fair amount of historical events (like many European cities). Today Barcelona is a leader in tourism, business trade shows, and houses a large number of businesses in its economic center. They also have one of the most famous soccer teams: FC Barcelona. In 2012 Barcelona had a combined GDP of €177 billion, as the city and Spain continues to climb out of its recession.
2. Madrid
Madrid is the capital of Spain and its largest city, so it should be no surprise why it has made our list. It has a combined urban and municipal population of around 6.5 million making in the third largest city in the European Union. Madrid has the largest GDP of any city in Spain and the 3rd highest GDP of any city in the European Union. The city is also considered to be a “global” city as it has strong influences in economic affairs, art, science, music, and various other fields. Since the city has a large economic footprint and is known for its status, the cost of living is much higher than other cities in Spain.
1. San Sebastián
San Sebastián is easily the most beautiful city in Spain and has some of the nicest beaches in the country. The entire metropolitan population of the city is around 436,000 people, so it is a somewhat smaller city. San Sebastián is an extremely desirable city and a desirable vacation spot for many Spaniards. San Sebastián is located on the Bay of Biscay which is a small gulf that is part of the Atlantic ocean. The climate in San Sebastián is pretty moderate year round, with an average yearly temperature 58 degrees. Due to the location of the city it is extremely sought after and was recently ranked the most expensive city to live in Spain.
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