The healthiest place to live in Spain depends on what you measure. On life expectancy it is Salamanca, at 85.77 years in 2024, with Madrid just behind. On climate, the Canary Islands have the mildest year. The Costa Blanca has mild winters and plenty of sun, but Alicante province sits slightly below Spain's average lifespan.
You will often see the Costa Blanca called the healthiest region in Europe. We tested that line against official figures from INE, Spain's statistics office, Eurostat and AEMET, the state weather agency.
Does the "healthiest region in Europe" claim stand up?
No. We found no primary source for it. The nearest official test is Eurostat's life expectancy by region. Of the 244 EU regions with 2024 data, the Comunidad de Madrid came first at 85.7 years. The Comunitat Valenciana, which includes the Costa Blanca, was joint 36th at 83.5.
That is still a strong result. It is two years above the EU average of 81.5 and inside the top 15 per cent of EU regions. The slogan falls down within Spain, where INE puts the Comunitat Valenciana at 83.40 years against 84.01 for the country.
Where do people live longest in Spain?
Life expectancy is the official health measure we can compare place by place. These are INE's 2024 figures by province, ranked at birth out of 52 including Ceuta and Melilla. The last column shows the further years a 65-year-old can expect, which matters more to most buyers than the figure at birth.
| Province | Rank | At birth | At age 65 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salamanca | 1 | 85.77 | 23.15 |
| Madrid | 2 | 85.58 | 23.01 |
| Segovia | 3 | 85.30 | 22.83 |
| Spain average | 84.01 | 21.87 | |
| Alicante (Costa Blanca) | 32 | 83.61 | 21.47 |
| Murcia (Costa Cálida) | 35 | 83.39 | 21.25 |
| Málaga (Costa del Sol) | 41 | 83.07 | 21.14 |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 43 | 82.88 | 21.11 |
| Almería | 51 | 82.10 | 20.50 |
The top of the table is inland and cold. Alicante leads every southern coast and island province shown here, though it is more than two years behind Salamanca.
What is the healthiest city in Spain by life expectancy?
INE also publishes figures for 155 larger towns and cities, the latest for 2023. The top three are all on the edge of Madrid: Majadahonda at 87.08 years, Boadilla del Monte at 86.82 and Pozuelo de Alarcón at 86.68. Toledo, at 85.28, is the highest provincial capital.
On the Costa Blanca, Benidorm has 83.52, Alicante and Elche 83.37 each, Orihuela 82.59 and Torrevieja 80.21.
Why does sunny Alicante trail frosty Salamanca?
INE does not say, but life expectancy describes people as much as places. Salamanca airport averages 76.8 frost days a year and a January high of 8.6°C, against 0.9 days and 17.0°C at Alicante. Weather clearly does not settle the ranking.
INE's figures by education show how much the people behind the numbers can differ. In Spain in 2023, a 65-year-old man with higher education could expect another 21.16 years, against 19.09 for a man with primary schooling or less. For women the gap was 1.46 years. Gaps of that size, inside one country, are about the same as the 1.68 years between Salamanca and Alicante at 65.
Torrevieja shows the limits of the statistic. It had the lowest figure of the 155 towns in 2023 and ranked 151st at age 65, at 19.58 years. INE gives no reason, and we will not guess one. More than half of the town's 113,453 registered residents in May 2026 were foreign, so many of them will have arrived as adults. These are figures about the people on the register, not a forecast for anyone moving there.
Life expectancy in Spain vs the UK: who lives longer?
Spain does, clearly, and Alicante province keeps most of that lead.
| Life expectancy | Spain, 2024 | Alicante province, 2024 | Ireland, 2024 | UK, 2022 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men at birth | 81.38 | 81.18 | 81.4 | 79.1 |
| Women at birth | 86.53 | 86.02 | 84.7 | 83.0 |
| Men at 65, further years | 19.87 | 19.71 | 19.8 | 18.7 |
| Women at 65, further years | 23.64 | 23.12 | 22.2 | 21.2 |
A woman of 65 in Alicante province can expect 23.12 more years, almost two more than the UK figure of 21.2. Irish men match Spanish men, but Spanish women stay ahead of Irish women by almost two years at birth.
What is the best climate in Spain to live?
It depends on which weather you want to escape. These are AEMET's 1981 to 2010 averages, with London Heathrow for the same 30 years from Met Office data. AEMET publishes long-run figures for Alicante rather than for Torrevieja or Calpe, so treat that row as a guide to the coast nearby.
| Place | January high | August high | Frost days | Rain | Humidity | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alicante | 17.0°C | 30.8°C | 0.9 | 311 mm | 66% | 2,851 h |
| Almería airport | 16.9°C | 31.0°C | 0.0 | 200 mm | 65% | 2,994 h |
| Málaga airport | 16.8°C | 30.8°C | 0.2 | 534 mm | 65% | 2,905 h |
| Tenerife South airport | 21.7°C | 28.4°C | 0.0 | 132 mm | 66% | about 2,725 h |
| A Coruña | 13.5°C | 22.8°C | 0.1 | 1,014 mm | 75% | about 2,010 h |
| Salamanca airport | 8.6°C | 29.5°C | 76.8 | 372 mm | 65% | 2,667 h |
| London Heathrow | 8.1°C | 23.2°C | 32.6 | 602 mm | no figure | 1,604 h |
AEMET gives no annual sunshine total for Tenerife South or A Coruña, so those two are the sum of the monthly averages.
- Mildest climate in Spain: the Canary Islands. Tenerife South has the smallest swing here and the warmest January.
- Mildest on the mainland: Alicante, Almería and Málaga have January highs within 0.2°C of each other. Almería is the driest, and Málaga gets about 70 per cent more rain than Alicante.
- Coolest summers: the Galician coast. A Coruña's August high stays near 23°C, but it takes more than three times Alicante's rain.
- Costa Blanca: almost no frost, and nearly 80 per cent more sunshine than Heathrow. In January, Alicante gets 181 hours of sun against 61 at Heathrow, about three times as much.
What is the best climate in Spain for arthritis?
No study we found shows a best place in Spain. The best evidence we found comes from the UK. The Cloudy with a Chance of Pain study followed 2,658 people with long-term pain, mostly arthritis, through a smartphone app. Higher humidity, lower pressure and stronger wind were linked to more painful days. Temperature and rainfall were not.
Each 10-point rise in relative humidity raised the odds of a painful day by about 14 per cent. The worst mix of weather raised them by just over 20 per cent. The authors called the links modest, and the study covered UK weather only.
So warmth alone may not be the answer, and the coast is not dry. Alicante averages 66 per cent humidity, against 57 per cent in Madrid. What the Costa Blanca does offer is mild winters that can make it easier to keep moving.
The practical test is to speak to your specialist, then spend a winter there before you buy. On a British passport that means up to 90 days in any 180. Our post on why so many people retire to Spain covers the wider decision.
Do the salt lagoons and sea air help your lungs?
Torrevieja's pink lagoon and the salt flats in Calpe are lovely places to walk. We found no good evidence that living beside them treats a lung condition.
Asthma + Lung UK lists salt therapy, meaning salt pipes and salt caves, among treatments that could be harmful, because inhaled salt can irritate your airways. It says salt therapy has helped some people clear mucus, but the evidence is mixed. That advice is about concentrated salt and does not mention sea air or salt lakes. If you have asthma or COPD, ask your care team before relying on a move.
Does the Mediterranean way of life make a difference?
On food, the evidence is good. The PREDIMED trial in Spain followed 7,447 people aged 55 to 80 at high risk of heart disease. Over a median of 4.8 years, major cardiovascular events hit 3.8 per cent of those on a Mediterranean diet with extra olive oil and 3.4 per cent of those with extra nuts. The figure was 4.4 per cent on a reduced-fat diet, and the adjusted risk was about 30 per cent lower. The results were reissued in 2018 after randomisation problems.
You can eat that way anywhere. Daylight is different. The NHS says seasonal affective disorder is thought to be linked to less winter daylight, though the exact cause is not known. If dark months get you down, those January sunshine figures matter. Our guide to the benefits of living in Spain and our guide to life in Spain cover the daily routine.
What are the health downsides of the Costa Blanca?
- Summer heat. Alicante's August averages 30.8°C by day and 21.2°C at night, at 67 per cent humidity, so nights stay warm and sticky. Spain's MoMo system estimated 5,807 heat-attributable deaths from 15 May to 30 September 2026, the highest summer total in its data back to 2015, and 97 per cent were aged 65 or over. Alicante province had 278, a little more than its share of Spain's population. The highest rates were further north, in Cantabria, Navarra and Catalonia. Check air conditioning and shade on every viewing.
- Autumn storms. About 45 per cent of Alicante's yearly rain falls from September to November, on about 12 days.
- Access to care. Public healthcare depends on your status, not your postcode. You need cover through work, an S1, permanent residency or, after a year's residence, the paid Convenio Especial. GOV.UK says a year on the padrón, but Spain's health ministry also counts residence in the UK or EU, so ask which applies. Our guide to healthcare in Spain for expats explains each route.
So where is the healthiest place for you to live?
| Your priority | Where to look | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Longest lives in official data | Salamanca, Madrid | 85.77 and 85.58 years in 2024 |
| Warmest winters | Southern Tenerife | 21.7°C January high |
| Mild mainland winter, little rain | Almería, Alicante | January high about 17°C, 200 to 311 mm of rain |
| Cooler summers | Galician coast | 22.8°C August high in A Coruña |
| Winter sun with few frost days | Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol | Under 1 frost day a year at Alicante and Málaga |
The Costa Blanca's case is simple. It will not add years by itself, but it makes an active winter easy. Compare the towns in our guides to property in Calpe and property in Torrevieja, read where to live in Spain, or browse homes for sale in Calpe.
Frequently asked questions
What is the healthiest city in Spain?
On INE's life expectancy figures for 2023, the leaders are Majadahonda, Boadilla del Monte and Pozuelo de Alarcón, all near Madrid, at about 87 years. Toledo is the highest provincial capital, at 85.28. On the Costa Blanca, Benidorm has 83.52.
Is Alicante a healthy place to live?
Yes, by EU and UK standards. Alicante province reached 83.61 years of life expectancy in 2024, above the EU average of 81.5 and ahead of the UK for both men and women. It is slightly below Spain's 84.01. Winters are mild, with almost no frost, though summers are hot and humid.
Where in Spain has the mildest climate?
The Canary Islands. Tenerife South airport has average highs of 21.7°C in January and 28.4°C in August, the smallest swing in our comparison. On the mainland, Alicante, Almería and Málaga all have January highs of about 17°C and almost no frost, though August highs reach about 31°C.
Is life expectancy higher in Spain than in the UK?
Yes. Spain's 2024 figures are 81.38 years for men and 86.53 for women. The ONS gives 79.1 and 83.0 for the UK in 2022 to 2024. At age 65, a Spanish woman can expect about 23.6 more years, against 21.2 for a woman in the UK.
Is the Costa Blanca good for arthritis?
It may suit some people, but no study we found proves it. A large UK study linked pain to high humidity, low pressure and wind, not to temperature or rain. Alicante has almost no frost, yet its air averages 66 per cent humidity. Spend a winter there and ask your specialist first.
Is the Costa Blanca the healthiest region in Europe?
We found no official ranking that says so. On Eurostat's 2024 life expectancy data, the Comunitat Valenciana was joint 36th of 244 EU regions at 83.5 years, and Madrid was first at 85.7. That is still well above the EU average of 81.5, and the region's real strength is its winter climate.
Thinking of spending your winters on the Costa Blanca?
Tell us what matters most to you and we will help you compare the towns. TripInvest UK Limited holds licence RAICV 4221, with offices in Torrevieja, Calpe and London. Service is in English from first call to the notary. Our clients don't pay us commission. Call us on +44 20 3888 0008.
Sources
Last checked: October 2026
- INE, life expectancy at birth, Spain, 2024 (official): ine.es
- INE, life expectancy at 65, Spain, 2024 (official): ine.es
- INE, life expectancy at birth by province, 2024 (official): ine.es
- INE, life expectancy at 65 by province, 2024 (official): ine.es
- INE, life expectancy at birth by autonomous community, 2024 (official): ine.es
- INE, life expectancy at birth by municipality, 2023 (official): ine.es
- INE, life expectancy at 65 by municipality, 2023 (official): ine.es
- INE, life expectancy by sex, age and education, 2023 (official): ine.es
- INE, population by province (official): ine.es
- Eurostat, life expectancy by NUTS 2 region, 2024 (official): ec.europa.eu
- Eurostat, life expectancy by country, 2024 (official): ec.europa.eu
- ONS, National life tables, UK, 2022 to 2024 (official): ons.gov.uk
- AEMET, climate normals 1981 to 2010 (official): Alicante, Almería airport, Málaga airport, Tenerife South airport, A Coruña, Salamanca airport, Madrid Retiro
- Met Office, Heathrow historic station data, our 1981 to 2010 averages (official): metoffice.gov.uk
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MoMo daily mortality monitoring, data read on 31 October 2026 (official): momo.isciii.es
- GOV.UK, healthcare in Spain (official): gov.uk
- Ministerio de Sanidad, Convenio Especial (official): sanidad.gob.es
- Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja, registered residents, May 2026 (official): torrevieja.es
- NHS, seasonal affective disorder (official): nhs.uk
- Asthma + Lung UK, complementary therapies: asthmaandlung.org.uk
- Dixon and others, How the weather affects the pain of citizen scientists using a smartphone app, npj Digital Medicine, 2019: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Estruch and others, PREDIMED, New England Journal of Medicine, 2018: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Ara, MoMo heat figures for summer 2026, October 2026: es.ara.cat
