Spain is among the leaders not only in the field of tourism, but also as a country to choose for life. Not only cosmopolitan Madrid and inviting Barcelona deserve attention here, but also other cities, especially those located on the sea coast. Today in our review, we will compare two popular Spanish cities – Alicante and Valencia, which have been among the top three cities to live in recent years, under the version of the international community InterNations.

In order to understand which of the cities will become your summer holiday place or permanent residence, we will try to analyze the most important components – beaches, gastronomy, attractions, sports and cultural events, as well as the cost of various goods and services.

Alicante VS Valencia – Where are the Best Beaches?

The beaches of Alicante are varied. They are smoothly flow on each other, each of them has its own names, but there is no clear border between their territories. Basically, these are sandy beaches, many of which are marked with the UNESCO Blue Flag for their quality and cleanliness. The infrastructure is well developed, one can rent sunbeds and deck chairs or, on the contrary, spend the day actively – diving, surfing or simply relaxing on catamarans or lightweight sailboats.

Valencia also boasts beautiful beaches – they are alluringly white here. These beaches provide the city with a constant influx of tourists in the summer being located both in Valencia itself and in its environs. A convenient network of urban transport makes it easy to arrive at the place of recreation, even without a personal vehicle.

Alicante VS Valencia – Gastronomy and Restaurants

Alicante is a multinational city, which is reflected in the variety of local cuisine. Here, in the resort town, you can find facilities that offer dishes from different countries and nations. As a rule, tourists prefer famous local restaurants serving amazingly delicious dishes from freshly caught fish and seafood.

Valencia is the birthplace of paella, and this is exactly what those who want to get to know the local gastronomy need to remember. This city offers a unique opportunity to try a variety of variations of this especial dish and find a restaurant with the most delicious paella. Valencia also has its own branded drinks and beverages, for example, Horchata de Chufa – almond milk, made from water, sugar and crushed peanut, and Agua de Valencia – a cocktail made from cava or champagne, orange juice, vodka and gin.

Alicante VS Valencia – Attractions

The rich history of Alicante makes it possible to track how architectural styles followed each other. Urban architecture, in addition to modern one, is represented by buildings in the Romanesque and Greek styles, mysterious Gothic buildings and luxuriously decorated Moorish-style structures. These

interesting ancient sights are worth visiting:

• the Basilica of St. Mary (Basílica de Santa Maria d’Alacant), masterfully combining elements of Gothic and Baroque;
• the Museum of Modern Art (Museu d’Art Contemporani d’Alacant);
• the Fortress Santa Barbara is the real hallmark of this resort.

The promenade of Alicante (Passeig Esplanada d’Espanya) is a favorite place for walking of city dwellers, shaded by palm trees and adorned with multi-colored marble decor. Concerts on Sundays draw large crowds here and create a festive mood.

Valencia offers a worthy competition to Alicante in terms of the number of architectural and historical attractions. It is best to start a trip into history from the center of the Old Town, which is located on the square of the Holy Virgin Mary – Plaza de Santa Maria. Among the masterpieces of local architecture, tourists highlight the basilica, named after the Virgin Mary – Basílica de la Mare de Déu dels Desamparats, the majestic gates and towers of Serranos – Torres de Serranos and the huge, as the name suggests, 70-meter sculpture of Gulliver, located in the Park Gulliver on the site of the drained bed of the Turia River.

Alicante VS Valencia – Activities and Entertainment

During the high season, a huge number of holidays are organized in Alicante, most of them take place in the central part of the city, gathering a lot of local residents and guests. And the most memorable event in June is the Night of San Juan – Hogueras de San Juan, when first a huge puppet is burned on the main square, and then bonfires appear in different parts of the resort.

The costume procession «Moors and Christians» (Moros y Сristianos) also attracts a lot of spectators in Alicante, and these large-scale theatrical performances last 3-5 days.

Among the attractions in Valencia, the National Park Albufera is especially popular with tourists. In this beautiful place, one can spend the whole day enjoying the beauties of nature, having a picnic in the fresh air or going for a tasting of dishes from the local catch.

The main celebration of the summer season in Valencia is the so-called Valencia July Fair (Feria de Julio Valencia). This holiday includes many events of a very different nature: gastronomic, religious, musical. The final fireworks and many flower arrangements are especially memorable.

For children, it will be informative to visit the City of Arts and Sciences (Valencian: Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, Spanish: Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias) – an ultra-modern architectural complex of five buildings, offering many interesting excursions.

Alicante VS Valencia – Property Prices

Regarding to the portal Idealista.com: in May 2022, price per m2 in Alicante is 1,526 €/m2. Evolution compared to May 2021 is + 3.4 %. At the same time, price per m2 in València is 1,979 €/m2, and evolution compared to the previous year is + 7.7 %. These data confirm that despite all the crises, the value of real estate in these cities shows stable growth.

In general, average prices in Alicante by property type are the following:

• Bungalow – 1,639 €/m²
• Flat/apartment – 1,773 €/m²
• Duplex – 2,110 €/m²
• Penthouse – 2,476 €/m²
• Villa – 2,586 €/m²

Valencia offers the following rates:

• Bungalow – 1,608 €/m²
• Flat/apartment – 2,287 €/m²
• Duplex – 2,984 €/m²
• Villa – 3,467 €/m²
• Penthouse – 3,575 €/m²

Alicante VS Valencia – Cost of Living Comparison

According to the portal numbeo.com (May, 2022), an inhabitant of Valencia needs around 2,952.64€ to have the same life standard that he could have with 2,700.00€ in Alicante (by rent in both cities). These data include net earnings that remain after income tax.

Indices Difference between the cities:

• Consumer Prices in Alicante are 4.67% lower than in Valencia (without rent).
• Consumer Prices Including Rent in Alicante are 9.36% lower than in Valencia.
• Rent Prices in Alicante are 23.53% lower than in Valencia.
• Restaurant Prices in Alicante are 6.26% lower than in Valencia.
• Groceries Prices in Alicante are 7.22% lower than in Valencia.
• Local Purchasing Power in Alicante is 8.52% higher than in Valencia.

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