Where to buy in the Valencian Community in 2026: uses and buyer profiles
Main 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, especially in tech, services, logistics, and tourism;
- a rich cultural offering: museums, festivals, gastronomy, nightlife;
- comprehensive infrastructure: metro, tram, cycle paths, high-speed train to Madrid, international airport;
- very diverse neighbourhoods, from the historic centre to more residential and family-friendly areas.
For a main residence, many buyers prioritise:
- central or semi-central neighbourhoods (Ruzafa, El Carmen, Ensanche) for a lively urban lifestyle;
- areas well connected by metro or tram to reduce car use;
- municipalities in the first ring around the city (Mislata, Burjassot, Paterna, Alboraia, etc.) to gain more space for an equivalent 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, beach, and wide open spaces (Turia park, Albufera, etc.).
In the main residence segment, Valencia remains generally more affordable than Madrid or Barcelona, while still offering significant market depth. Demand data observed on Green-Acres in Valencia, a platform specialising in international buyers, illustrates this attractiveness: the most sought-after properties often combine large floor areas with relatively moderate budgets compared to major European cities.
Second home: coastline (Denia, Altea) or charming village
For a second home, the criteria change: you are less focused on a job pool and more on a pleasant living environment, easy access from France or elsewhere in Europe, and potentially good seasonal rental prospects.
Two main buyer profiles stand out:
- Lovers of lively coastal areas: Denia and Altea offer beaches, marinas, restaurants, promenades, and water sports. These resorts are very popular with both Spanish and foreign holidaymakers.
- Those who love peace and authenticity: the Valencian and Alicante hinterland is full of charming villages, sometimes less than 30 to 40 minutes from the sea, with a more local atmosphere and significantly lower prices.
Altea attracts buyers thanks to:
- its picturesque white old town, highly photogenic;
- its mainly upmarket international clientele;
- its range of apartments with sea views and hillside villas.
Searches for second homes in Altea clearly reflect this more “premium” positioning: on Green-Acres, the most requested properties show price levels significantly higher than the average in the Valencian Community, with a strong focus on high-end villas and apartments with open views of the Mediterranean. This move upmarket is particularly visible in neighbourhoods overlooking the sea, where the scarcity of building plots supports property values.
Denia appeals thanks to:
- its long sandy beaches and wilder coves;
- its port with routes to the Balearic Islands, popular with boat owners;
- a family-friendly atmosphere, with more year-round life than in some purely summer resorts.
Property in Denia is often positioned as a compromise between affordability and a seaside setting. According to search trends published for Denia on Green-Acres, buyers favour comfortable floor areas 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 lifestyle;
- are willing to be further from the beach in order to gain more space and peace and quiet;
- are considering a village house, a guesthouse project, B&B, or remote work in a green setting 🌿.
In the Alicante hinterland in particular, there is highly diverse foreign demand. Aggregated data for the province show that the French are the leading international clientele ahead of the Dutch and Germans, with a median budget of around €300,000 for properties of about 120 m². This buyer profile, often seeking space, a garden, and tranquillity, helps to boost villages that still remain well below coastal prices.
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. But internal disparities are significant.
In 2026, typical observations are:
- 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 sought-after features, prices can exceed €3,000/m² and rise further for top-end properties.
- Valencia city: a wide range, with more working-class neighbourhoods still relatively affordable, and central or highly sought-after districts where the price per square metre is close to that of major Spanish cities.
By way of illustration, the average price levels observed for properties searched for in Altea confirm its status as an upmarket coastline, with a price per m² clearly higher than in Denia or the inland areas. These gaps are a reminder that, for an identical budget, the choice of municipality and distance from 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: accepting 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: focusing the budget on a highly sought-after coastal area (Altea, Denia, certain neighbourhoods in Valencia), even if it means starting with a smaller property or one that needs updating.
- “Step-by-step” strategy: first buying a more affordable property (village, outer suburbs) as a base to get to know the region, then potentially switching later to a coastal or more central property if your project is confirmed.
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 for you.
Seasonal rental yield: pay close attention to tourist regulations
It is very tempting to finance part of the purchase through short-term rentals. The climate, the sea, and tourist appeal make the Valencian Community well suited to this strategy. But it requires a good understanding of the regulatory framework.
In particular, you need to take into account:
- Tourist licences: in many municipalities, you must obtain a specific authorisation to rent out on a short-term basis. Criteria may relate to the type of building, the area, accommodation capacity, and safety standards.
- Local restrictions: some municipalities limit or freeze the granting of new licences in saturated areas, such as historic centres or waterfronts.
- Taxation: rental income is taxable, and the rules vary depending on whether or not you are a tax resident in Spain. It is crucial to anticipate this aspect when calculating your returns.
- Operational management: cleaning, key handover, maintenance, communication with guests… either you delegate to an agency (at a significant cost), or you organise a trusted solution locally.
To secure your project, it is advisable to:
- check the exact status of the municipality and neighbourhood regarding tourist rentals before buying;
- base your plans on a cautious scenario: do not build your entire investment plan on maximum occupancy rates;
- have a “Plan B” ready: medium- or long-term rental, greater personal use, or potential resale.
In the most touristy areas of Alicante (Altea, Denia, and other seaside resorts as well), the very strong presence of foreign buyers, well documented by international demand data, increases pressure on regulations. The same property may offer an attractive yield in seasonal rental, but see its profitability severely reduced if licensing rules are tightened: hence the importance of building a realistic and diversified income scenario.
Good rental yields are achievable in the region, but they are built on a realistic approach rather than promises of quick returns 💡.
Valencian Community: balance between moderate budget and appreciation potential
The Valencian Community has a unique position on the European property map.
It offers:
- a highly sought-after climate, with more than 300 days of sunshine per year across much of the region;
- a cost of living generally lower than in France or northern Europe;
- increasingly developed transport links (high-speed trains, low-cost airlines, motorways);
- a property market that is still, overall, more affordable than other heavily saturated Mediterranean areas.
For a buyer thinking in the medium to long term, this can translate into:
- attractive capital appreciation potential, especially in areas still catching up or undergoing urban transformation;
- greater flexibility to adapt the project as life evolves: second home turning into main home, mixed rental and personal use, remote working, retirement;
- a good balance between day-to-day quality of life and economic prospects, particularly around Valencia.
Of course, nothing is perfect: you need to remain clear-eyed about tourist pressure in certain areas, the risk of occasional market overheating, and possible changes in rental regulations.
By accepting this complexity, you can build a solid project:
- by defining your main priority (living there, renting out, 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 coastline, the interior for space and peace;
- by surrounding yourself with reliable local professionals (agencies, notaries, tax advisers, property managers).
Data from searches carried out by foreign buyers in the province of Alicante also confirm that the Valencian Community no longer attracts only retirees: median budgets and floor areas sought reflect a real diversity of profiles (families, remote workers, mixed-use investors). This depth of demand helps support the market’s long-term resilience, without making it 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 really get to know it 💬.
