What’s it like living in Cómpeta?
If you’re wondering where to live in Andalusia, Cómpeta is a good choice - a charming local village combined with a lively expat community and a very multinational feel. With the majority of residents being close to 50 years old and upwards, this is a laidback village where you embrace the Spanish lifestyle, but also have an active social life.
Living in Cómpeta: essential information
The latest data from Spain’s Institute of Statistics (INE) shows that Cómpeta has a population of 3,875. Around half of the people here are foreigners, meaning that you’ll probably feel right at home with your fellow countrymen. For those looking to completely immerse themselves in Andalusian culture, however, it might be a bit more of a challenge.
The majority of the 1,790 foreigners hail from Britain, so if you’re moving to Cómpeta you’ll be mixing with Brits and Spanish alike. People from all over Europe have made this village their home though, so you’ll also be surrounded by those from Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, and Norway.
Healthcare in Cómpeta
There is one clinic for public medical consultations in Cómpeta, the Centro de Salud Cómpeta, which recently had a revamp in 2023. The consulting clinic may be able to provide very minor procedures, but if you need further treatment, the closest hospital to go for treatment is Hospital de La Axarquía approximately 35 mins drive from Cómpeta. This is the East Málaga-Axarquía regional hospital which offers a full range of health services as well as intensive care and emergency units.
Other health centres in the village include physical therapy and wellness. Read our full guide to find out more about healthcare in Spain.
Working in Cómpeta
According to the Andalusian Institute of Statistics and Cartography the majority of workers in Cómpeta work in the wholesale and retail trade, the second largest industry for employment is construction and hospitality. Jobs in restaurants, bars and cafes are some of the most common here. There are those who work in administration, and even professional and technical activities here.
As many of the population here are British it's possible that an English speaking role can come up but bear in mind that this quaint rural village consists mainly of those at or nearing retirement age and does not have a huge employment market, so you may want to look further afield to keep your options open. Lively tourist hotspots like nearby Nerja can offer more hospitality options and with the amount of tourists that visit, English language skills are needed.
If you already have permission or have an EU passport, there are several job sites to look for work. You can use Indeed Spain which gives many options including being able to search in Spanish or English.
If you're happy to commute for about an hour to work by car or perhaps work as a remote or hybrid worker you can look for jobs in Málaga city, which has lots of international companies. Job Sites like English Jobs Spain list a variety of roles from tech workers to account managers and more.
LinkedIn is also a great resource for jobs in Spain. You can specify remote-hybrid working, the distance you're willing to travel.
If you have a specific skill which is in demand and would like to be your own boss and be in charge of your accounts, you may want to become a freelancer or start your own business. There are over 3 million registered freelancers in Spain, some of whom enjoy the flexibility of home-working, or co-working for a more social vibe.
Some of the coworking options nearby include Nerja´s Hygge House Co-working and Nerja Co-working with its light and breezy spaces. Do take into account that most freelancers (autónomos) in Spain pay a gestor (accountant) to navigate the tax system as declarations are made quarterly and this is an additional cost that you need to consider. Combined with the social security and tax payments many find they are not able to afford this way of working in Spain.
The Spanish Chamber of Commerce offers general information on the workplace, training and employment and even setting up a business in Spain.
It’s important to be aware that you in order to get most of these types of jobs, you will need permission to work in the EU. It’s unlikely that these types of companies will sponsor you for a visa, although it may be possible if it’s a very unique job that you have a particular skill set for.
Read our guide to finding a job in Spain to learn more.
Schools & Education in Cómpeta
The Ayuntamiento of Cómpeta lists the public schools and colleges found in Cómpeta. They include the Matrona Ángeles Cabra kindergarten, the El Almijar secondary school and the Cándido Lara college for infants and primary school students.
If you’re looking for more international education for yourself or your children, the closest option to Cómpeta is in Málaga city itself. The British School of Málaga sits on the Eastern edge of the city and is just under one-hour drive from Cómpeta. Classes are taught in English from 3-18 years old.
Not far from the British international school is the El Farol International Waldorf-Steiner School catering for children from nursery school through to primary school ages. It also offers activities to keep the children entertained and educated, such as workshops and concerts.
Find out more about how to find the best school for your expat family in our guide.
For an overview of education in Spain, you can browse the Spanish Ministry for Education website.
Transport in Cómpeta
Being a small rural village with few transport links, living in Cómpeta really requires the use of a car for comfort, convenience and reliability. Here’s what you need to know about driving in Spain.
There are however several public buses such as Loymer Bus which runs around four buses per day to the coast with the final stop being Málaga city. The timings vary from 1 hour 45 mins to 2 hours. It's worth noting that to get to Nerja by bus you may need to change buses in Torre del Mar.
The nearest airport will be Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport.
