Spain is still the first country many people in the UK think of when they think about moving abroad, and in 2026 it is still the one they search for most. The harder question is which Spain. A flat in Madrid, a villa above Marbella and a townhouse in Valencia are three different lives, with different costs, climates and communities, and three quite different moves.
This guide compares the places UK movers most often choose, what each one suits, and what moving your belongings there actually involves.
Quick answer: For sun, an established English-speaking community and easy flights home, the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca are the usual choices, with the Costa Blanca generally cheaper. For work, schools and city life, Madrid and Valencia are strong options, and Valencia costs less. Barcelona suits careers and culture, with high rents. The Basque coast suits people who want food, safety and a mild, green climate over guaranteed sun. The Canary Islands offer year-round warmth but have their own customs and tax rules, which changes the move.
Which part of Spain suits which kind of mover?
| Area | Best for | Climate | Rent level | What it means for your move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa del Sol (Málaga, Marbella, Fuengirola) | Retirees, remote workers, families wanting English-language schools | Hot summers, mild winters | High on the coast, lower inland | Hillside urbanisations often need a smaller shuttle vehicle |
| Costa Blanca (Alicante, Jávea, Torrevieja) | Retirees and families on a tighter budget | Hot, dry, very sunny | Moderate | Straightforward road access in most new-build areas |
| Valencia city | Families and professionals wanting a city without big-city prices | Warm, sunny | Moderate, rising | Old-town streets may mean a long carry |
| Madrid | Careers, international schools, transport links | Hot summers, cold winters | Highest in Spain | Apartment moves: lifts, parking permits, booking a loading slot |
| Barcelona | Careers, culture, international community | Mild, humid | High | Narrow central streets; parking permits usually needed |
| Basque coast (San Sebastián, Bilbao) | Food, safety, outdoor life | Mild, rainy, green | High in San Sebastián | Usual mainland road freight |
| Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza) | Lifestyle, second-home owners becoming residents | Hot summers, mild winters | High | Ferry leg from the mainland adds time and cost |
| Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote) | Year-round warmth, retirees, remote workers | Spring-like all year | Moderate | Outside the EU VAT area: separate customs clearance |
Rent levels are relative. As a guide, idealista’s mid-2025 figures put average asking rents at about €23 per square metre a month in Madrid, €20 in Barcelona and about €16 in Málaga and Valencia. Its January 2026 report put the national average at €15, up 8% in a year, with Madrid, Alicante and Valencia rising fastest. Check current figures before you budget.
Costa del Sol: sunshine and the largest British community
The Costa del Sol, the coast either side of Málaga, is the default for many UK movers, and for good reasons: more than 300 sunny days a year, Málaga airport with frequent UK flights, English-language private healthcare and schools, and a large British community already in place. Málaga itself has become a serious city in its own right, with a growing tech sector and a lively centre.
The trade-offs are cost and character. Marbella and the coast immediately around it are among the most expensive places to rent in Spain outside Madrid and Barcelona, and some resort towns feel more British than Spanish. Inland villages such as those around Coín and Alhaurín offer more space for less, with a short drive to the coast.
For your move: many homes on the Costa del Sol are on hillside urbanisations with steep, narrow or gated roads. A full-size removal lorry often cannot reach the door, so belongings are transferred to a smaller vehicle at the bottom of the hill. That is normal and plannable; tell your move manager the address early, and the cost will be known in advance rather than on the day.
Costa Blanca: the lower-cost coastal alternative
The Costa Blanca, around Alicante, offers a similar climate for less. It is drier than the Costa del Sol, with a long-established British community in towns such as Jávea, Moraira, Benidorm’s quieter neighbours and Torrevieja, and Alicante airport has good UK links. Alicante city has a real Spanish character, a beach in the centre and a good international school offer.
It is a strong choice for retirees and for families who want the coast without Marbella prices. The caution is that rents in Alicante are rising quickly, and summer in the southern Costa Blanca is very hot.
Valencia: a city that works for families
Valencia is the city UK families increasingly mention when Madrid and Barcelona feel too expensive. It has a beach, a large park running through the city in an old riverbed, good public transport, international schools and a slower pace than the two big cities. It is also flat, which suits cycling.
Rents have risen sharply in recent years, so the gap with Madrid has narrowed. The old centre is beautiful and full of narrow streets, which affects delivery: if you are moving into the historic districts, expect a long carry from where the lorry can stop.
Madrid: careers, schools and connections
Madrid is Spain’s economic centre, with the most jobs, the widest choice of international schools and the best transport links in the country. It is a city of apartments, with lively neighbourhoods and a strong cultural life, and its regional income tax rates are among the lowest in Spain.
It is also the most expensive place to rent in Spain, with hot summers and genuinely cold winters. For a move, Madrid means apartment logistics: a lift booked with the building, a loading permit or a suspended parking space in front of the building, and sometimes an external furniture hoist for large items that will not fit the lift.
Barcelona: culture and an international workforce
Barcelona combines a Mediterranean beach city with a large international workforce and a strong design, tech and research sector. Many international companies have their Spanish office here, and the expat community is big and varied.
Rents are high, although idealista reported Barcelona rents falling in spring 2026 while Madrid’s rose. Catalan is the first language in schools and much of public life, which matters for families. Central streets are narrow and parking is tightly controlled, so permits are part of planning a delivery.
The Basque coast: food, safety and a green climate
San Sebastián and Bilbao suit people who would trade some sunshine for food, safety, culture and a mild, rainy climate that feels closer to the UK. San Sebastián is small, beautiful and expensive; Bilbao is larger, more affordable and well connected. Ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao make the Basque coast unusually easy to reach by car.
The islands: the Balearics and the Canaries
The Balearics (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza) offer island life within the EU, with high living costs, especially in summer, and strong demand for housing. Your belongings travel to Barcelona or Valencia by road and then by ferry, which adds a few days and some cost.
The Canary Islands offer something nowhere else in Europe does: warm weather all year. Tenerife and Gran Canaria have large British communities. But the Canaries sit outside the EU’s VAT area and use their own indirect tax (IGIC), so goods moving there, even from mainland Spain, go through their own customs clearance. Personal belongings can usually be imported free of tax when you move there to live, but the paperwork is separate and must be right. Ask your remover how they handle Canary Islands clearance before you book.
Thinking About Moving To Spain?
Tell your move manager where you are heading, whether that is a city flat, a hillside villa or an island, and they will explain what the move involves: access, customs paperwork and a realistic road-freight timeline for your address.
What has to be arranged before your belongings leave the UK?
Since Brexit, a move from the UK to Spain is an import into the EU, so your belongings clear Spanish customs. Three things matter most:- Your right to live in Spain. UK citizens can stay up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa; living in Spain needs a visa or residence permit. The common routes are the non-lucrative visa (for people with enough income who will not work in Spain), the digital nomad visa (for remote workers employed or contracted outside Spain) and work visas. Spain ended its property-investment (“golden”) visa in April 2025. The UK government’s Living in Spain guide is a good starting point.
- Your NIE. The NIE is the foreigner’s identification number. It needs to be in place before your belongings clear customs; if it is not, they wait in bonded storage at your cost. Applying from the UK can take several weeks, so start early.
- Transfer of Residence relief. This lets you bring your household belongings into Spain without paying import duty or VAT, provided they are your own used belongings and you are moving your main home to Spain. Our guide to Transfer of Residence relief explains the conditions and the paperwork.
How does where you live change your move?
Most moves from the UK to mainland Spain go by road, taking a few days to around two weeks from collection depending on the destination and whether your belongings share a vehicle with other households (a part load) or travel in a vehicle of their own. The islands add a sea leg. Our guide to how long an international move takes has the detail. What changes most from place to place is the last few hundred metres:- Apartments in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia: lift bookings, parking permits, sometimes an external hoist.
- Hillside villas on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca: a smaller shuttle vehicle from the main road.
- Old towns everywhere: a long carry from where the lorry can stop.
- Islands: ferry schedules and, for the Canaries, a separate customs clearance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best place in Spain for UK expats?
It depends on what you want from the move. The Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca suit people who want sunshine and an established English-speaking community, with the Costa Blanca usually cheaper. Madrid and Valencia suit families and professionals who want city life, schools and jobs. The Canary Islands suit people who want warmth all year.
Where do most British expats live in Spain?
The largest British communities are on the Mediterranean coast, especially the Costa del Sol around Málaga and the Costa Blanca around Alicante, and in the Canary Islands and Balearics. Madrid and Barcelona have large international communities of all nationalities, including many British professionals.
What is the cheapest coastal area of Spain to live in?
Of the established coastal areas popular with UK movers, the Costa Blanca, especially the southern part around Torrevieja, and the coast of Murcia are generally cheaper than the Costa del Sol. Rents are rising across the Spanish coast, so compare current listings for the specific town you are considering.
Do I need a visa to live in Spain after Brexit?
Yes, for anything longer than 90 days in any 180-day period. The main routes are the non-lucrative visa, the digital nomad visa, work visas and family routes. Each has its own financial and documentary requirements, which are set by the Spanish authorities and updated periodically, so check the current conditions with the Spanish consulate before applying.
Can I ship my furniture to Spain without paying import tax?
Usually yes, under Transfer of Residence relief, if the items are your own used belongings and you are moving your main residence to Spain. You will need your NIE, proof of your new residence and an inventory, and the claim must be made within the time limits set by the rules. New items and goods for sale do not qualify.
Is moving to the Canary Islands different from moving to mainland Spain?
Yes, for your belongings. The Canary Islands are part of Spain but outside the EU VAT area, with their own indirect tax, IGIC, so goods arriving there go through a separate customs clearance. Personal belongings can usually be imported free of tax when you move to live there, but the documents must be prepared for the Canaries specifically.
Related Topics
- Removals to Spain from the UK
- Moving to Spain: country guide
- Transfer of Residence relief explained
- Best places to live in Portugal for UK expats
Found the part of Spain that suits you? Your move manager can tell you what moving there involves (access, paperwork and a realistic timeline for your address) in the first call.
