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Living in Donostia/San Sebastián

Donostia/San Sebastián is a city in Spain. A monthly estimate placed internet service at €30 in July 2026. A monthly estimate placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €119 in July 2026. Gigabit broadband availability was 99.3% in 2025. Monthly mean temperatures were 8.6°C in January and 19.1°C in July. At the start of 2025, Donostia/San Sebastián had a population of 189,866.

Pricier rent than any other Spanish city that publishes it, higher unemployment than 71% of Spanish cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 88% of Spanish cities that publish it.

Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to Donostia/San Sebastián?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in SpainNational rates and thresholds that apply in Donostia/San Sebastián.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Donostia/San Sebastián?

Average net cold rent is 14.5 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): 14.5 EUR/m²/month · es.eustat.eus7
What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month
Donostia/San Sebastián recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€400
Utilities, 85 m² flat€119
Fitness club€38
Internet, 60 Mbps€30
Mobile plan, 10 GB€25

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesDonostia/San Sebastián highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Donostia/San Sebastián highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Donostia/San Sebastián€14.50
Madrid€14.00
Barcelona€13.70
Bilbao€11.50
Alacant/Alicante€7.10
Murcia€5.80
Show the other 6 cities
Palma€9.80
Málaga€9.60
Sevilla€9.20
Valencia€8.20
Zaragoza€7.70
Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las€7.30
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly38.25 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in San Sebastian. Jun 2026. Prices in San Sebastian22Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited29.8 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in San Sebastian. Jun 2026. Prices in San Sebastian22Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly400 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in San Sebastian. Jun 2026. Prices in San Sebastian22Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant18.5 EUR31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in San Sebastian. Jun 2026. Prices in San Sebastian22Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB25 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in San Sebastian. Jun 2026. Prices in San Sebastian22Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home118.6 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in San Sebastian. Jun 2026. Prices in San Sebastian22Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings94,734 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings79,335 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
G05 Secondary Seasonal Vacant Dwellings15,402 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)14.5 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.1031 Dec 2024es.eustat.eus7Official

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 870 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 14.5 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.

Source period: 2024

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 5.5% in 2024.

What is the unemployment rate in Donostia/San Sebastián?

The unemployment rate is 5.5 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city8

Unemployment across cities in SpainUnemployment in Donostia/San Sebastián is 5.5%. Of 1,361 cities with data, 844 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Spain per band844 cities: 0% to under 5%8440–5437 cities: 5% to under 10%4375–10Donostia/San Sebastián 5.5%44 cities: 10% to under 15%4410–1523 cities: 15% to under 20%2315–209 cities: 20% to under 25%920–254 cities: 25% to under 30%425–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability99.28 %30 Jun 2025SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202520Official
People in employment78,642 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,659 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)10Official · regional context
Unemployment rate5.5 %country median 4.4%31 Dec 2024INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city8Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Donostia/San Sebastián. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal — Public employment service

Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE)

Job SearchUnemployment ClaimTraining
Search jobs
Open the Spain service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Donostia/San Sebastián. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital Beds Per 100k772.6 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2025Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202515Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Donostia/San Sebastián 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 guide
Hospital Beds Per 100k772.6 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Donostia/San Sebastián?

Police recorded about 5,842 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.16

Recorded crime across major citiesDonostia/San Sebastián highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Donostia/San Sebastián highlighted5,338Orihuela5,289Murcia5,095Córdoba4,916Vitoria-Gasteiz4,578Cartagena4,104Castelló de la Plana/Castellón de la Plana4,023Ciudad Real3,831Molina de Segura3,706Lorca3,690Logroño3,628Burgos2,712Vila-realrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents5,842 incidents per 100,000country median 4,27631 Dec 2024MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.16Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport2 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat18Official
Nearest airportEAS13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv19Official
Distance to nearest airport15.8 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv19Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Donostia/San Sebastián. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

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.

In Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information
Open the full Spain section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Donostia/San Sebastián.

Climate and air quality

Monthly precipitation was 150.6 mm in January and 91.5 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 7.2 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Donostia/San Sebastián?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair6

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Donostia/San Sebastián average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND23°6°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Donostia/San Sebastián average monthly precipitation, mm0551101652201511251191261229692109117155202153JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Donostia/San Sebastián average monthly sunshine, hours05101520345667776533JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Donostia/San Sebastián annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5257.2PM2.5154017.0PM10104022.0NO₂µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in SpainAnnual PM2.5 in Donostia/San Sebastián is 7.2 µg/m³. Of 269 cities with data, 57 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Spain per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–46 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³64–512 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³125–628 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³286–733 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³337–8Donostia/San Sebastián 7.257 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³578–941 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³419–1035 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3510–1130 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³3011–1214 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³1412–134 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³413–146 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³614–151 city: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³116–171 city: 19 µg/m³ to under 20 µg/m³119–20

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean22 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station EASO)4Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean17 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station EASO)5Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean7.2 µg/m³country median 8.731 Dec 2024EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair6Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 11.2 · Feb 11.6 · Mar 13.7 · Apr 15.1 · May 18 · Jun 20.3 · Jul 22 · Aug 22.9 · Sep 21.2 · Oct 18.6 · Nov 14.1 · Dec 12 °C31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly maximum air temperature, DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIÁN, IGELDO, 1991-20201Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 6.1 · Feb 5.8 · Mar 7.5 · Apr 8.7 · May 11.3 · Jun 14.1 · Jul 16.2 · Aug 16.8 · Sep 14.8 · Oct 12.5 · Nov 8.8 · Dec 6.9 °C31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly minimum air temperature, DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIÁN, IGELDO, 1991-20201Official
Average temperature by monthJan 8.6 · Feb 8.8 · Mar 10.6 · Apr 11.9 · May 14.7 · Jun 17.2 · Jul 19.1 · Aug 19.9 · Sep 18 · Oct 15.6 · Nov 11.5 · Dec 9.4 °C31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly air temperature, DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIÁN, IGELDO, 1991-20201Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 150.6 · Feb 124.5 · Mar 119.4 · Apr 126.1 · May 122.1 · Jun 95.9 · Jul 91.5 · Aug 109 · Sep 117.3 · Oct 155.1 · Nov 202.3 · Dec 152.7 mm31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly total precipitation, DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIÁN, IGELDO, 1991-20201Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 3.1 · Feb 4 · Mar 4.9 · Apr 5.5 · May 6.2 · Jun 6.5 · Jul 6.6 · Aug 6.5 · Sep 6.2 · Oct 4.7 · Nov 3.4 · Dec 3.1 hours31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly sunshine duration, DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIÁN, IGELDO, 1991-20201Official

Cities of a similar size in Spain

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Spain cities
Fuenlabrada190,076 residentsGetafe193,238 residentsLeganés195,734 residentsCastelló de la Plana/Castellón de la Plana183,711 residentsBurgos177,402 residentsAlcalá de Henares203,208 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Donostia/San Sebastián?

The published population was 189,866 people in January 2025. Source: Donostia/San Sebastián - official stats3

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Donostia/San Sebastián residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport90.2%Foreign residents 9.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area60.89 km²20 Oct 2025www.ign.es21Official
Foreign-resident share10.43 %31 Dec 2025Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España)9Official
Foreign residents18,657 people1 Jan 2024Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.17Official
Population Female99,591 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)11Official
Population Male89,152 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)11Official
Population189,866 people1 Jan 2025Donostia/San Sebastián - official stats3Official
Population over time20 published observations, 2001–2025
Population in Donostia/San Sebastián by year, residents177,458181,900186,343190,78520012010201420182025189,866residents

Population rose 6.4% between 2001 and 2025, from 178,377 to 189,866.

Foreign residents over time16 published observations, 2010–2025
Foreign residents in Donostia/San Sebastián by year, residents11,58914,51817,44620,375201020142020202519,769residents

Foreign residents rose 60.0% between 2010 and 2025, from 12,352 to 19,769.

International community in Donostia/San Sebastián

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 groupPeopleShare
TOTAL187,892100.0%
Spain164,91987.8%
South America7,5314.0%
Central America and Caribbean5,9233.2%
European Union (without Spain)3,2801.7%
Africa2,1331.1%
Rent of Europe1,6850.9%
Asia1,5000.8%
North America8650.5%
Oceania560.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12

Citizenship

Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
TOTAL187,892100.0%
Spanish172,25791.7%
Central America and Caribbean4,5682.4%
South America3,0681.6%
European Union (without Spain)3,0301.6%
Africa1,7780.9%
Asia1,3840.7%
Rent of Europe1,2660.7%
North America4980.3%
Oceania290.0%
Statelens140.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13

Is Donostia/San Sebastián 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.

Try your profile
Remote worker56%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 48–64%
Skilled employee59%strong on work, weak on education · range 51–67%
Student35%strong on cost, weak on education · range 26–44%
Family45%strong on family, weak on education · range 37–53%
Retirement52%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 43–61%
Foreign residents18,657 people1 Jan 2024Official source · Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.
Population189,866 people1 Jan 2025Official source · Donostia/San Sebastián - official stats
Average net rent (nettokalt)14.5 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2024Official source · es.eustat.eus
Dwellings94,734 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Gigabit broadband availability99.28 %30 Jun 2025Official source · SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025
People in employment78,642 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-02

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households79,335 households31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
Labour Supply Count87,675 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
Private Clinic Presenttrue31 Dec 2025Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 20252Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Donostia/San Sebastián?

The published population was 189,866 people in January 2025. Source: Donostia/San Sebastián - official stats.

How much does it cost to rent in Donostia/San Sebastián?

Average net cold rent is 14.5 EUR/m² per month (2024), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 1,015 EUR a month before utilities. Source: es.eustat.eus.

Is the air quality good in Donostia/San Sebastián?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair.

How safe is Donostia/San Sebastián?

Police recorded about 5,842 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator..

What is the unemployment rate in Donostia/San Sebastián?

The unemployment rate is 5.5 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city.

What is the typical salary around Donostia/San Sebastián?

The median gross salary is 2,659 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).

Is Donostia/San Sebastián a good place to live?

Donostia/San Sebastián 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.

How many people born in Africa live in Donostia/San Sebastián?

The official country of birth distribution records 2,133 people (1.1%) 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 12). Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain: rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/donostia-san-sebastian/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_donostia-san-sebastian-spain-rent-salary_2e3dbd54937b,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain: rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/donostia-san-sebastian/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain: rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/donostia-san-sebastian/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

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

JSON Markdown
  1. AEMET climate normal — mean monthly maximum air temperature, DONOSTIA / SAN SEBASTIÁN, IGELDO, 1991-2020 AEMET climate normal · aemet.es · checked 2026-07-27
  2. Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-07-16
  3. Donostia/San Sebastián - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
  4. EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station EASO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  5. EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station EASO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  6. EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair EEA City Trend · eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
  7. es.eustat.eus es.eustat.eus · checked 2026-08-26
  8. INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city INE Urban Indicators · servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-07-26
  9. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España) ine.es · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
Show 12 more sources
  1. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  2. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  3. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  4. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-08-03
  6. MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator. estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-16
  7. Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
  8. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  9. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  10. SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025 digital.gob.es · checked 2025-06-30
  11. www.ign.es ign.es · checked 2026-08-30
  12. Cost of Living in San Sebastian. Jun 2026. Prices in San Sebastian numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27

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.