Where to buy in the Valencian Community in 2026: uses and buyer profiles
Primary residence: Valencia and its economic metropolitan area
If you are looking to settle year-round, to work locally or remotely, Valencia and its metropolitan area offer the best balance between jobs, services, and quality of life.
Valencia appeals thanks to:
- a more dynamic job market than the Spanish average, particularly in tech, services, logistics, and tourism;
- a rich cultural offering: museums, festivals, gastronomy, nightlife;
- comprehensive infrastructure: metro, tram, bike lanes, high-speed train to Madrid, international airport;
- a very varied range of neighbourhoods, from the historic centre to more residential and family‑oriented areas.
For a primary residence, many buyers prioritise:
- central or semi-central districts (Ruzafa, El Carmen, Ensanche) for a vibrant urban lifestyle;
- areas well connected by metro or tram to limit car use;
- municipalities in the first ring around the city (Mislata, Burjassot, Paterna, Alboraia, etc.) to gain more space for the same budget.
This choice is particularly suitable if you:
- work locally or need to travel regularly for work;
- have children and need schools, healthcare services, and extracurricular activities;
- are looking for a balance between urban life, the beach, and wide open spaces (Turia Park, Albufera, etc.).
In the primary residence segment, Valencia remains overall more affordable than Madrid or Barcelona, while still offering a substantial market depth. Demand data observed on Green-Acres in Valencia, a platform specialising in international buyers, illustrates this attractiveness: buyers are often looking for large floor areas with contained budgets compared to major European metropolitan areas.
Second home: coast (Denia, Altea) or charming village
For a second home, the criteria are different: you are less focused on the job market and more on a pleasant living environment, easy access from France or elsewhere in Europe, and possibly good seasonal rental potential.
Two broad buyer profiles stand out:
- Lovers of lively seaside areas: Denia and Altea offer beaches, marinas, restaurants, promenades, and water sports. These resorts are very popular with both Spanish and foreign holidaymakers.
- Lovers of peace and authenticity: the Valencian and Alicante hinterlands are full of charming villages, sometimes less than 30 to 40 minutes from the sea, with a more local atmosphere and significantly lower prices.
Altea is attractive because of:
- its picturesque white old town, highly photogenic;
- its predominantly upmarket international clientele;
- its range of sea-view apartments and hillside villas.
Searches for second homes in Altea clearly reflect this more “premium” positioning: on Green-Acres, the most sought-after properties show price levels significantly above the average in the Valencian Community, with a strong focus on high-end villas and apartments with unobstructed views of the Mediterranean. This move upmarket is particularly visible in the neighbourhoods overlooking the sea, where the scarcity of buildable land supports prices.
Denia appeals for:
- its long sandy beaches and wilder coves;
- its port with connections to the Balearic Islands, popular with boat owners;
- a family‑friendly atmosphere, with a more pronounced year‑round life than in some purely summer resorts.
The property market in Denia often positions itself as a compromise between affordability and seaside setting. According to the search trends published for Denia on Green-Acres, buyers favour comfortable sizes for mid-range budgets, making it an interesting alternative for those who find Altea too expensive but do not want to give up a lively coastline and good connections to the islands.
Charming villages are ideal if you:
- are looking for a slower, more local way of life;
- are willing to be further from the beach in order to gain more space and tranquillity;
- are considering a village house, a guesthouse project, bed and breakfast, or remote working in the countryside 🌿.
In the Alicante hinterland in particular, there is a very diverse foreign demand. Aggregated data for the province show that the French are the leading international clientele ahead of the Dutch and the Germans, with a median budget of around €300,000 for properties of about 120 m². This buyer profile, often looking for space, a garden, and peace and quiet, helps revitalise villages that still remain well below coastal price levels.
Budgets and strategies
Entry possible below €1,600/m² in villages; premium coastline above €3,000/m²
On average, the Valencian Community remains more affordable than Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, or much of the French Riviera. However, internal disparities are significant.
In 2026, we generally observe:
- Inland villages or smaller secondary towns: entry-level prices can be below €1,600/m², sometimes well below for properties in need of renovation or in less sought-after locations.
- Attractive coastline (Altea, Denia and surrounding areas): for well-located properties, close to the sea, with views or desirable features, prices can exceed €3,000/m², and rise further for very high-end properties.
- Valencia city: a wide range, with more working‑class districts still relatively accessible, and central or highly sought‑after areas where price per square metre is approaching that of the major Spanish cities.
By way of illustration, the average price levels observed for properties searched for in Altea confirm its status as an upmarket coastal area, with a price per m² clearly higher than in Denia or the inland areas. These discrepancies show that, for an identical budget, the choice of municipality and distance to the sea has a direct impact on the size and type of property you can afford.
Given these price levels, several strategies are possible:
- “Maximum space” strategy: accept an inland village or even a medium‑sized town to obtain a house with outdoor space for the price of a small apartment on the coast.
- “Location first” strategy: focus your budget on a highly sought‑after coastal area (Altea, Denia, certain districts of Valencia), even if that means starting with a smaller property or one that needs updating.
- “Progressive” strategy: first buy a more affordable property (village, outer suburbs) to establish a base, test the region, and later shift towards a coastal or more central property if your project takes shape.
The right choice depends on:
- your holding period (short, medium, long term);
- your ability or not to manage renovation work from a distance;
- how important future resale and potential capital appreciation are to you.
Seasonal rental yield: pay attention to tourism regulations
It is very tempting to finance part of the purchase through short‑term rentals. The climate, the sea, and tourism appeal make the Valencian Community well suited to this strategy. But it requires a solid understanding of the regulatory framework.
In particular, you need to take into account:
- Tourist licences: in many municipalities, it is compulsory to obtain a specific permit for short‑term rentals. The criteria may depend on the type of building, the zone, the capacity, and safety standards.
- Local restrictions: some municipalities limit or freeze the granting of new licences in saturated areas, such as historic centres or seafronts.
- Taxation: rental income is taxable, and the situation varies depending on whether or not you are a tax resident in Spain. It is crucial to anticipate this aspect in your profitability calculations.
- Operational management: cleaning, key handover, maintenance, communication with guests… you can either delegate to an agency (at a significant cost) or organise a reliable solution on site.
To secure your project, it is recommended to:
- check the exact situation of the municipality and neighbourhood regarding tourist rentals before buying;
- analyse a conservative scenario: do not base the whole viability of the project on a maximum occupancy rate;
- plan a “Plan B”: medium- or long-term rental, greater personal use, potential resale.
In the most tourist-oriented areas of Alicante (Altea, Denia, but also other seaside resorts), the very strong presence of foreign buyers, well documented by international demand data, is adding pressure on regulations. The same property may offer an attractive yield in seasonal rental, but see its profitability significantly reduced if licences become more restrictive: hence the importance of building a realistic and diversified income scenario.
A good rental yield is achievable in the region, but it is built on a realistic approach rather than on promises of quick returns 💡.
Valencian Community: balance between moderate budgets and appreciation potential
The Valencian Community occupies a unique place on the European property map.
It offers:
- a highly sought‑after climate, with more than 300 days of sunshine a year across much of the region;
- a cost of living generally lower than in France or northern Europe;
- increasingly developed transport links (high‑speed train, low‑cost airlines, motorways);
- a property market that is still, overall, more accessible than other highly saturated Mediterranean areas.
For a buyer thinking in the medium to long term, this can translate into:
- an interesting potential for capital appreciation, particularly in areas still catching up or undergoing urban transformation;
- a greater degree of flexibility to adapt the project as life evolves: a second home becoming a main residence, mixed use with rentals, remote working, retirement;
- a balance between everyday quality of life and economic prospects, especially around Valencia.
Of course, not everything is perfect: you need to remain clear‑eyed about tourist pressure in certain areas, the risk of occasional overheating in the market, and possible changes in rental regulations.
It is precisely by accepting this complexity that you can build a robust project:
- by clearly defining your priority (living, renting, preparing for retirement, diversifying your assets);
- by choosing the area that best matches it: Valencia for jobs and urban life, Altea or Denia for a lively coast, inland for space and tranquillity;
- by surrounding yourself with reliable local professionals (agencies, notaries, tax advisers, property managers).
Data from searches by foreign buyers in the province of Alicante confirm that the Valencian Community no longer attracts only retirees: median budgets and desired floor areas reflect a real diversity of profiles (families, remote workers, mixed investors). This depth of demand contributes to the long‑term resilience of the market, without turning it into an automatic Eldorado.
The Valencian Community is neither an automatic “Eldorado” nor a closed market. It is an area that is both attractive, diverse, and still accessible—provided you take the time to truly get to know it 💬.
