Living in Balmaseda
In Balmaseda, rent averages €7.60 per m² a month (2024) and unemployment is 6.3% (2026).
The nearest airport was BIO, 25.7 km away, with 35 listed destinations in June 2026. Balmaseda had a population of 7,718 at the start of 2025.
Pricier rent than 81% of Spanish cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 80% of Spanish cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 62% of Spanish cities that publish it.
Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to Balmaseda?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in Balmaseda?
Average net cold rent is 7.6 EUR/m² per month (2024), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 7.6 EUR/m²/month · es.eustat.eus7
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 20 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | DIGI 300 Mbps fibre3Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 12 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | DIGI 100GB mobile plan2Official · national market |
| Dwellings | 3,930 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain15Official |
| G05 Main Residential Dwellings | 3,144 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain15Official |
| G05 Secondary Seasonal Vacant Dwellings | 789 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain15Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 7.6 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.10 | 31 Dec 2024 | es.eustat.eus7Official |
Is Balmaseda a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 456 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7.6 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
The unemployment rate was 6.28% in June 2026.
What is the unemployment rate in Balmaseda?
The unemployment rate is about 6.3 % (June 2026).
- Unemployment rate: 6.28 % · SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202631
Balmaseda 6.3%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 90.91 % | 30 Jun 2025 | SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202520Official |
| People in employment | 2,883 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain15Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 2,659 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)11Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 6.28 %country median 4.4% | 30 Jun 2026 | SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202631Independent |
What does a salary buy in Balmaseda?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions. | €2,041 |
| Rent, 60 m²€7.60/m² · official · es.eustat.eus · 2024-12-31 | − €456 |
| Internet€20 · official · DIGI 300 Mbps fibre · 2026-09-30 | − €20 |
| Mobile plan€12 · official · DIGI 100GB mobile plan · 2026-09-30 | − €12 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €1,553 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Balmaseda. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Balmaseda. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Safety
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 4,850 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Anuario Estadístico del Ministerio del Interior 2024, Table 3-1-21Official · regional context |
Mobility and administration
Gigabit broadband availability was 90.9% in June 2025.
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Balmaseda. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas — public language education network — State Language Course
Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports / autonomous education authorities
For adult language learners, residents.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Balmaseda?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA air quality statistics — ES PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station ZALLA)6
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Balmaseda 8.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 7 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station ZALLA)4Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM10 — annual mean | 14 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station ZALLA)5Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 8 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station ZALLA)6Official · nearest-station reading |
| Climate Monthly Extreme High C | Jan 19.78 · Feb 20.82 · Mar 23.94 · Apr 27.63 · May 31.07 · Jun 33.72 · Jul 35.7 · Aug 36.94 · Sep 34.9 · Oct 29.26 · Nov 23.36 · Dec 18.08 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center16Official |
| Climate Monthly Extreme Low C | Jan -6.06 · Feb -5.53 · Mar -5.44 · Apr -1.18 · May 1.79 · Jun 4.79 · Jul 8.11 · Aug 8.2 · Sep 5.37 · Oct -2.2 · Nov -2.8 · Dec -7.17 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center16Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 5.29 · Feb 5.55 · Mar 7.98 · Apr 10.23 · May 13.1 · Jun 16.73 · Jul 18.48 · Aug 18.91 · Sep 16.71 · Oct 13.46 · Nov 8.5 · Dec 5.82 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center16Official |
Population and city profile
How many people live in Balmaseda?
The published population was 7,718 people in January 2025. Source: INE — Padrón municipal (t=2856, c3=ine5)9
By nationality
National passport90%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 22.37 km² | 20 Oct 2025 | www.ign.es21Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 9.98 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España)10Official |
| Foreign residents | 772 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España)10Official |
| Population Female | 3,935 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)12Official |
| Population Male | 3,658 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)12Official |
| Population | 7,718 people | 1 Jan 2025 | INE — Padrón municipal (t=2856, c3=ine5)9Official |
International community in Balmaseda
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 7,680 | 100.0% |
| Spain | 6,900 | 89.8% |
| Africa | 265 | 3.5% |
| South America | 236 | 3.1% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 169 | 2.2% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 70 | 0.9% |
| Rent of Europe | 15 | 0.2% |
| Asia | 13 | 0.2% |
| North America | 12 | 0.2% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13
Citizenship
Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 7,680 | 100.0% |
| Spanish | 7,084 | 92.2% |
| Africa | 213 | 2.8% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 174 | 2.3% |
| South America | 110 | 1.4% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 54 | 0.7% |
| Statelens | 21 | 0.3% |
| Asia | 15 | 0.2% |
| Rent of Europe | 7 | 0.1% |
| North America | 2 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source14
Additional context
Alternatives for people set on Balmaseda
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Zalla as a Balmaseda alternative in the same region
6 km away, better on 2 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Unemployment: 5.4% Zalla vs 6.3% Balmaseda−14%
- Nearest airport: 20.3 km Zalla vs 25.7 km Balmaseda−21%
- Foreign residents: 8.9% Zalla vs 10.0% Balmaseda−11%
- Residents: 8,334 Zalla vs 7,718 Balmaseda+8%
- Rent: €7.60/m² Zalla vs €7.60/m² Balmasedasame level
- Median gross pay, region: €2,659 Zalla vs €2,659 Balmasedasame level
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,850 Zalla vs 4,850 Balmasedasame level
Calvià as a Balmaseda alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 624 km, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Residents: 53,793 Calvià vs 7,718 Balmaseda+597%
- Foreign residents: 33.8% Calvià vs 10.0% Balmaseda+239%
- Unemployment: 1.3% Calvià vs 6.3% Balmaseda−80%
- Rent: €11.40/m² (2022) Calvià vs €7.60/m² (2024) Balmasedano percentage
- Median gross pay, region: €2,080 Calvià vs €2,659 Balmaseda−22%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,880 Calvià vs 4,850 Balmasedano percentage
- Nearest airport: 19.1 km Calvià vs 25.7 km Balmaseda−26%
Cities near Balmaseda
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 11.5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2024-12-31
- Rent
- 7.6 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2024-12-31
- Rent
- 8.2 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2024-12-31
- Rent
- 8 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2024-12-31
- Rent
- 9.1 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2024-12-31
- Rent
- 9.1 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2024-12-31
- Rent
- 9 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2024-12-31
- Rent
- 7.5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2024-12-31
Alternative cities in Spain
Other cities in Spain to compare with Balmaseda, nearest in population first.
How does Balmaseda compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Balmaseda's.
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Balmaseda under the national coverage rules.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSchool for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 16. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Regional reception programmes (aulas de enlace Madrid / aules d acollida Catalonia etc). How to enrol a child (educacionfpydeportes.gob.es).
A country-wide rule for Spain; Balmaseda's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Is Balmaseda part of Bilbao?
Balmaseda is in the published commuting zone of Bilbao; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Bilbao city profile
Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source8
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Balmaseda?
The published population was 7,718 people in January 2025. Source: INE — Padrón municipal (t=2856, c3=ine5).
How much does it cost to rent in Balmaseda?
Average net cold rent is 7.6 EUR/m² per month (2024), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 532 EUR a month before utilities. Source: es.eustat.eus.
Is the air quality good in Balmaseda?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA air quality statistics — ES PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station ZALLA).
What is the unemployment rate in Balmaseda?
The unemployment rate is about 6.3 % (June 2026). Source: SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.
What is the typical salary around Balmaseda?
The median gross salary is 2,659 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).
Is Balmaseda a good place to live?
Balmaseda may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Is Balmaseda part of Bilbao?
Balmaseda is in the published commuting zone of Bilbao; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.
Which cities are near Balmaseda?
Bilbao, Zalla, Güeñes, Muskiz, Abanto y Ciérvana-Abanto Zierbena are near Balmaseda. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Africa live in Balmaseda?
The official country of birth distribution records 265 people (3.5%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 29). Balmaseda, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 10159794edc3a205e76c2c3c6d7dc350]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/balmaseda/ Retrieved 2026-09-29. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_balmaseda-spain-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_288e80cfbde4,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Balmaseda, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-29},
version = {10159794edc3a205e76c2c3c6d7dc350},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/balmaseda/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-29. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Balmaseda, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/balmaseda/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 10159794edc3a205e76c2c3c6d7dc350; retrieved 2026-09-29; built 2026-09-29.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- Anuario Estadístico del Ministerio del Interior 2024, Table 3-1-2 interior.gob.es · checked 2026-09-24
- DIGI 100GB mobile plan digimobil.es · checked 2026-09-15
- DIGI 300 Mbps fibre digimobil.es · checked 2026-09-15
- EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station ZALLA) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station ZALLA) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — ES PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station ZALLA) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- es.eustat.eus es.eustat.eus · checked 2026-08-26
- GISCO Urban Audit 2021 — Functional Urban Areas (URAU_RG_100K_2021_4326_FUA) GISCO Urban Audit 2021 · gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-19
- INE — Padrón municipal (t=2856, c3=ine5) INE · ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España) ine.es · checked 2026-08-03
Show 21 more sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
- NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- SERPAVI 2026 — Tabla 2, Madrid SERPAVI 2026 · publicaciones.transportes.gob.es · checked 2026-07-26
- SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025 digital.gob.es · checked 2025-06-30
- www.ign.es ign.es · checked 2026-08-30
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026 SEPE · sepe.es · checked 2026-07-26
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.