Living in Spain: Valencia or Alicante? Julia's experience
Leandra
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6 minutes Reading time
Julia had done everything she was supposed to do. Good job, good city, good life on paper. But somewhere along the way she had started noticing a gap between the life she was living and the one she actually wanted. Nothing was wrong. But that was exactly the thing. When she found a Customer service role in Spain via Yobbers, she applied without overthinking it. Getting the job came quickly. Deciding between Valencia and Alicante did not. Both cities kept pulling her in different directions, similar on the surface, completely different in feel. To experience how it would be like to live in both, she booked a long weekend in each and went to find out for herself. In this blog she shares how she compared both cities, why she eventually chose Valencia and what daily life in Spain actually looks like once you live there.
Why Spain felt like the right move for me
Before I even started comparing Valencia and Alicante, I already knew I wanted Spain. The cost of living felt more manageable than back home, the social culture suited me and everyone I knew who had moved there seemed genuinely happier afterwards. What surprised me most was how many people originally planned to stay for one year and were still there years later. For me, the question was never really whether I wanted to move abroad. It was which Spanish city would actually feel right long term.
Valencia or Alicante: why the choice was harder than expected
Both cities sit on Spain’s east coast. Both have warm weather for most of the year, beaches nearby and a large international community. But the atmosphere felt completely different.
People described Valencia as a city that slowly grows on you. Bigger than expected, more neighbourhoods, more variety and more happening all the time. People kept mentioning places like Ruzafa, the Turia park and the café culture where nobody rushes you out after twenty minutes.
Alicante sounded different. Smaller, calmer and easier to settle into quickly. More compact, lower rent and a social life that often revolves around the same familiar places. Several people told me they started recognising faces within their first weeks there because the city naturally brings people together in the same areas.
The rent difference also mattered. A shared flat in Alicante usually costs between €300 and €420 per month. In Valencia, that same setup often sits between €400 and €600 depending on the neighbourhood. When you are actually planning to move abroad instead of just fantasising about it, details like that suddenly become very real.
I visited both cities before deciding
I gave myself a long weekend in both cities before making the decision. No tourist checklist, no museums just because Google said so. I mostly walked around, sat at cafés, watched people and tried to imagine what an average Tuesday there would actually feel like.
Already thinking about moving to Spain yourself? Check out our jobs in Valencia and Alicante, both cities currently have vacancies open. 🧡
First impressions in Valencia
Valencia felt calmer than I expected for a city that size. People spent hours outside, cafés stayed busy long after lunch and nobody seemed in a hurry. On my first morning I rented a bike and cycled through the Turia park without really knowing where I was going. Later that day I got slightly lost near Mercado Central and ended up having a lunch that lasted almost ninety minutes simply because nobody was rushing the table. What surprised me most was how much city there actually was. Every neighbourhood felt slightly different and every time I turned a corner, there seemed to be another street worth exploring. It didn’t immediately feel like a city I fully understood, but weirdly, that was exactly what I liked about it.
First impressions in Alicante
Alicante clicked faster. Within a few hours I had walked from the Castillo de Santa Bárbara down to the beach, had coffee on the Explanada and wandered through Santa Cruz as the sun was setting. The city felt very manageable from the start. You understand the layout quickly, and most places are within walking distance. That made everyday life feel less intimidating somehow. What stood out most was how easy it felt to imagine a routine there straight away. Not because it was boring, but because the city itself feels very approachable from day one.
The moment I made the call
I chose Valencia. Not because Alicante disappointed me. Honestly, I really liked it there. But Valencia stayed in my head long after I left. Alicante felt easier at first. More comfortable. But every time I thought about actually moving to Spain, I pictured myself in Valencia instead.
“I tried to convince myself Alicante made more sense. But Valencia was the city I kept thinking about afterwards, and I think that was already my answer.”
At that point in my life, I wanted a city that still felt a bit unfamiliar. A place with more layers to discover over time. Alicante would probably have felt comfortable very quickly, and deep down I realised that wasn’t really what I was looking for.
The decision was never about which city was objectively better. It was about which version of this experience I wanted for myself.
What daily life actually looks like in Valencia
The first weeks Working in Valencia were mostly about creating routines. Finding a café near my apartment where I liked working for an hour before heading home. Learning which supermarket was cheaper. Getting used to cycling everywhere instead of taking public transport.
Work helped a lot with settling in. I worked in customer service in Dutch, so even though everything around me was new, the job itself felt familiar very quickly. The international team also made a big difference. Most people around me were going through the same things: figuring out paperwork, finding apartments and learning how life in Spain actually works.
Socially, things developed naturally. By month three, I had favourite places, familiar routes and people I genuinely looked forward to seeing again after work.
A realistic picture of monthly costs in Valencia:
- Shared flat in Ruzafa: €400–€600 per month
- Groceries: around €180–€220 per month
- Metro or bike: €20–€35 per month
- Coffee at a local café: €1,50–€2,80
- Lunch menu: €9–€13
- Dinner and drinks with friends: around €18–€25
One thing I also ended up loving was how easy it is to explore other places from Valencia. Alicante is only around ninety minutes away by train, which meant I still visited regularly after moving.
Honest reflection, was it the right choice?
Yes. Living in Valencia gave me exactly what I think I needed at that moment: a city I’m still discovering, friendships that formed naturally and a routine that actually feels like mine now. Would I still recommend Alicante? Absolutely. I just think Valencia matched the version of life I was looking for a little better.
What I'd tell someone choosing between Valencia and Alicante right now
There honestly is no perfect answer.
Valencia suits you if you want a bigger city with more neighbourhoods to explore, more variety in daily life and a place that keeps surprising you over time.
Alicante suits you if you want something smaller, more relaxed and easier to settle into from the beginning, with slightly lower living costs and a more compact social scene.
Both cities offer a genuinely good quality of life. It mostly depends on what kind of experience abroad you are looking for.
Ready to start your own chapter in Spain? Take a look at our vacancies in Valencia, jobs in Alicante or browse all jobs in Spain and see what feels right for you. ✈️🧡