Spain’s 2025 property scene is still a treasure map for bargain-hunters. Sunshine that doesn’t quit, a state-of-the-art public-health system and a diet the cardiologists keep banging on about, make it easy to see why International Living ranked the country sixth in its 2025 Global Retirement Index.
And while the smart money once crowded the Costas, there are still pockets where you can snap up a home for the price of a big city parking space. Below you’ll find 11 such havens, each blessed with year-round vitamin D, lively expat circles and more fiestas than you can shake a jamón at. Ready to trade drizzle for Riojan drizzle (the wine, naturally)? Read on.
Share this:
Firstly, why retire to Spain?
Apart from the 300-plus days of sunshine, Spain offers universal healthcare that routinely tops European league tables, a Mediterranean diet UNESCO calls Intangible Cultural Heritage, and a national predilection for taking life outdoors. Coastal towns add the lung-cleansing benefits of sea air, while inland villages deliver stress-busting mountain vistas. Factor in pensioner discounts on public transport and a straightforward non-lucrative visa, and the only real danger is forgetting what your raincoat looks like.
Apartments on this palm-fringed resort start from around €149,000 for two bedrooms with on-site pools and security patrols. Life here is organised around the 18-hole Dave Thomas course, a five-star hotel spa and a glut of restaurants that’ll keep you happily avoiding the stove.
Golf societies, pilates on the driving range and Friday tapas crawls mean instant friends. Murcia International Airport is a 25-minute cab ride, and the lagoon’s warm, shallow water is a tonic for creaky joints. Healthcare? Private clinics on site and a new public hospital in Los Alcázares.
A one-bed apartment averages €108,500 in Los Alcázares, while two-beds hovers near €260,000. Nearly 30 per cent of buyers here are foreigners, so conversation at the chiringuito will rarely slow down for lack of Spanish vocab.
Seven kilometres of Mar Menor beach invites free hydro-therapy for all, the sailing club runs cheap senior courses, and the weekly craft market is catnip for hobbyists. Murcia Airport is practically next door; Alicante’s is an hour up the motorway. Local primary care centres speak English, and the Hospital General in Cartagena is 20 minutes away.
Think wildflower-strewn hills, Moorish watchtowers and houses from €55,000. Albox has long been a magnet for budget-savvy Brits, and the Saturday boot sale is basically Facebook Marketplace in real life.
The town’s walking club tackles the nearby Sierra de los Filabres, while an arts society organises photography jaunts to desert film locations. You’ll need wheels—public transport is sketchy—but Almería’s coast is under an hour away, and the town clinic plugs you straight into Andalucía’s public-health network.
Perched in the Axarquía mountains, tiny Árchez still offers village houses from roughly €75,000. Cobbled alleys wind around a Mudéjar minaret; life winds around the local tapas bar.
Join one of the area's Facebook groups to discover the year round events you could enjoy if you owned a house here, from outdoor yoga and comedy shows
to vibrant ferias and street markets. Málaga Airport is 70 minutes away. If you crave sand, Nerja’s beautiful beaches can be reached in 30 minutes.
Where else can you get ten kilometres of dune-backed beach and townhouses from €70,000? The historic centre is a labyrinth of bougainvillaea and gossip; down on the promenade, kite-surfers provide lunchtime entertainment.
Bridge club meets Wednesdays, while the local sailing school gives seniors a discount. The new €4 million health centre opened last year, and Valencia city—with its international airport and high-speed trains—is just an hour by motorway.
Spa-town chic without the Marbella markup: terraces start at €50,000. Between the celebrated mineral baths, orchard-blossom air and annual midnight water-fight, wellness is practically compulsory.
Hiking groups tackle the Alpujarras, while the bilingual book club meets in a café that serves pomegranate-spritz. Granada’s airport is 40 minutes; the Costa Tropical’s beaches are 30. A brand-new health centre opened in 2023.
Studio apartments still pop up for €75,000 in this Torrevieja neighbour. You get Blue-Flag sand, flamingo-pink salt-lagoons and a board-walk that doubles as your daily physio session.
Three nearby waterparks keep visiting grand-kids happy; for adults there’s pétanque on the beach and an English-speaking drama group. Alicante Airport: 35 minutes. The public hospital in Torrevieja ranks among Valencia’s best for cardiology.
Olive-grove capital Jaén posts an average €83,500 asking price, making it one of Spain’s cheapest provincial cities. Your skyline is a medieval castle; your local tapas come free with every drink.
The University of Jaén runs open lectures you can gate-crash, and the Renaissance towns of Úbeda and Baeza are Saturday-drive perfection. A high-speed rail link hits Madrid in three hours, and the regional hospital is a teaching powerhouse.
For a two-bed house you’re looking at €180,000 on average, with fixer-uppers below €100k. Albatera’s draw is space: citrus-scented fincas, a municipal pool complex and a music academy where retirees can learn flamenco guitar.
It’s 30 minutes to Alicante Airport and 20 to the Costa Blanca beaches. The town’s medical centre feeds into the modern Vega Baja Hospital, and a twice-hourly bus hits Alicante city for urban fixes.
White-lattice balconies, mountain air and apartments advertised from €88,000. Sundays see the island’s most famous farmers’ market; weekdays you can join the Nordic-walking club or the embroidery circle in the Casa de la Cultura.
Two public bus lines reach Las Palmas in 25 minutes for major hospitals and its international airport. Teror’s annual Fiesta del Pino fills the town with pilgrims and stalls—enjoy front-row seats with your €2 café con leche.
A pueblo blanco that still lists houses from €45,000. Expect Moorish walls, an imposing church and neighbours who turn every spare Saturday into a street barbecue.
Cyclists ride the Via Verde; painters flock for the honey-light; and the English-language theatre troupe rehearses in a vaulted bodega. Jerez Airport is an hour; Málaga just under 90 minutes. The new primary-care centre opened in 2022, and Ronda’s hospital covers anything more complex.
Get your paperwork ducks in a row. Apply early for the non-lucrative visa or the EU residency certificate, and snag your NIE before house-hunting to speed up the notary dance.
Budget realistically. Even in these bargain towns, factor IBI property tax, community fees and the €60–€75 a month it costs to run Spain’s gold-standard healthcare via the convenio especial if you’re under pension age.
Learn enough Spanish to gossip. A smattering improves doctor visits, builders’ quotes and your ability to win at the Friday market.
Test-drive the microclimate. Inland villages can be frosty in January; coastal spots busy in August. Rent for a month in both seasons.
Embrace the fiesta. From Lanjarón’s water fight to Teror’s pilgrimage, local fiestas aren’t just colourful—they’re the fastest route into the community.
Swap the grey for gris (the Spanish word for sky), and you’ll discover that sunshine on tap and neighbours who argue whether the olives or the wine are better really do make those golden years sparkle. ¡Bienvenido a España!
Next up:
11 best destinations in Spain to spend your retirement 2025
Ready to retire in Spain? This guide reveals 11 of the best towns, villages and cities for retirement in 2025. Find your ideal blend of sunshine, lifestyle, healthcare and affordability—plus where to buy property and what to expect from each destination.
Be the first to comment!