Living in Orihuela
In Orihuela, rent averages €4.20 per m² a month (2022) and unemployment is 4.7% (2026).
The unemployment rate was 4.69% in June 2026. At the start of 2024, the foreign population was 30,066. At the start of 2025, Orihuela had a population of 84,560.
Cheaper rent than 66% of Spanish cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 75% of Spanish cities that publish it and dirtier air than 97% of Spanish cities that publish it.
Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to Orihuela?
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 Orihuela?
Average net cold rent is 4.2 EUR/m² per month (2022), 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): 4.2 EUR/m²/month · cdn.mivau.gob.es2
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 20 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | DIGI 300 Mbps fibre4Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 12 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | DIGI 100GB mobile plan3Official · national market |
| Dwellings | 88,506 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official |
| G05 Main Residential Dwellings | 31,806 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official |
| G05 Secondary Seasonal Vacant Dwellings | 56,703 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 4.2 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.10 | 31 Dec 2022 | cdn.mivau.gob.es2Official |
| Official reference rent (median) | 450 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality19Official |
Is Orihuela 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 252 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 4.2 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
What is the unemployment rate in Orihuela?
The unemployment rate is about 4.7 % (June 2026).
- Unemployment rate: 4.69 % · SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202631
Orihuela 4.7%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 83.05 % | 30 Jun 2025 | SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202520Official |
| People in employment | 25,950 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 1,888 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)9Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 4.69 %country median 4.4% | 30 Jun 2026 | SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202631Independent |
What does a salary buy in Orihuela?
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. | €1,527 |
| Rent, 60 m²€4.20/m² · official · cdn.mivau.gob.es · 2022-12-31 | − €252 |
| 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 | €1,243 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Orihuela. 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 Orihuela. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital beds per 100,000 residents | 331.6 beds per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202514Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Orihuela 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 guideSafety
How safe is Orihuela?
Police recorded about 5,338 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 5,338 offences per 100,000 · Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 — III. Total infracciones penales, municipal rows1
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 5,338 offences per 100,000country median 4,281 | 31 Dec 2024 | Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 — III. Total infracciones penales, municipal rows1Official |
Mobility and administration
The nearest airport was RMU, 35.1 km away in June 2026. Gigabit broadband availability was 83.1% in June 2025.
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Orihuela. 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 Orihuela?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 14 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 SAN BASILIO)7
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.
Orihuela 14.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 30 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station SAN BASILIO)5Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM10 — annual mean | 34 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station SAN BASILIO)6Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 14 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station SAN BASILIO)7Official · nearest-station reading |
| Climate Monthly Extreme High C | Jan 24.37 · Feb 26.32 · Mar 30.59 · Apr 34.64 · May 40.2 · Jun 41.83 · Jul 42.66 · Aug 44.58 · Sep 42.22 · Oct 33.85 · Nov 29.33 · Dec 24.41 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center15Official |
| Climate Monthly Extreme Low C | Jan -6.45 · Feb -3.71 · Mar -2.97 · Apr 2.28 · May 4.42 · Jun 10.5 · Jul 14.8 · Aug 14.69 · Sep 10.07 · Oct 3.34 · Nov -0.73 · Dec -5.36 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center15Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 8.88 · Feb 9.72 · Mar 12.66 · Apr 15.51 · May 19.39 · Jun 24.28 · Jul 26.99 · Aug 26.82 · Sep 23 · Oct 18.73 · Nov 12.76 · Dec 9.57 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center15Official |
Population and city profile
How many people live in Orihuela?
The published population was 84,560 people in January 2025. Source: Orihuela - official stats17
By nationality
National passport64.4%Foreign residents35.6%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 365.5 km² | 20 Oct 2025 | www.ign.es21Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 36.72 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España)8Official |
| Foreign residents | 30,066 people | 1 Jan 2024 | Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.16Official |
| Population Female | 41,704 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)10Official |
| Population Male | 40,745 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)10Official |
| Population | 84,560 people | 1 Jan 2025 | Orihuela - official stats17Official |
International community in Orihuela
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 | 78,486 | 100.0% |
| Spain | 51,691 | 65.9% |
| Rent of Europe | 12,504 | 15.9% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 6,443 | 8.2% |
| South America | 3,132 | 4.0% |
| Africa | 3,123 | 4.0% |
| Asia | 1,116 | 1.4% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 358 | 0.5% |
| North America | 98 | 0.1% |
| Oceania | 21 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11
Citizenship
Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 78,486 | 100.0% |
| Spanish | 52,605 | 67.0% |
| Rent of Europe | 12,832 | 16.3% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 6,750 | 8.6% |
| Africa | 3,363 | 4.3% |
| South America | 1,586 | 2.0% |
| Asia | 1,048 | 1.3% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 215 | 0.3% |
| North America | 74 | 0.1% |
| Oceania | 13 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12
Additional context
Alternatives for people set on Orihuela
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.
Callosa de Segura as an Orihuela alternative in the same region
7 km away, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €3.00/m² Callosa de Segura vs €4.20/m² Orihuela−29%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ Callosa de Segura vs 14.0 µg/m³ Orihuela−50%
- Unemployment: 5.8% Callosa de Segura vs 4.7% Orihuela+24%
- Residents: 19,988 Callosa de Segura vs 84,560 Orihuela−76%
- Foreign residents: 22.9% Callosa de Segura vs 36.7% Orihuela−38%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,330 Callosa de Segura vs 5,338 Orihuelano percentage
- Nearest airport: 33.2 km Callosa de Segura vs 35.1 km Orihuela−5%
Gandia as an Orihuela alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 118 km, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Recorded crime, per 100k and foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.
- Annual PM2.5: 8.0 µg/m³ Gandia vs 14.0 µg/m³ Orihuela−43%
- Nearest airport: 63.5 km Gandia vs 35.1 km Orihuela+81%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 6,386 Gandia vs 5,338 Orihuelano percentage
- Rent: €4.50/m² Gandia vs €4.20/m² Orihuela+7%
- Hospital beds, per 100k: 417.2 Gandia vs 331.6 Orihuela+26%
- Foreign residents: 22.5% (2024) Gandia vs 36.7% (2025) Orihuelano percentage
- Residents: 83,135 Gandia vs 84,560 Orihuela−2%
Cities near Orihuela
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 3.2 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 2.9 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3.4 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3.2 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 4 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3.3 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3.1 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
Alternative cities in Spain
Other cities in Spain to compare with Orihuela, nearest in population first.
How does Orihuela compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Orihuela's.
Orihuela in rankings
School 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; Orihuela's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Orihuela?
The published population was 84,560 people in January 2025. Source: Orihuela - official stats.
How much does it cost to rent in Orihuela?
Average net cold rent is 4.2 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 294 EUR a month before utilities. Source: cdn.mivau.gob.es.
Is the air quality good in Orihuela?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 14 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 SAN BASILIO).
How safe is Orihuela?
Police recorded about 5,338 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 — III. Total infracciones penales, municipal rows.
What is the unemployment rate in Orihuela?
The unemployment rate is about 4.7 % (June 2026). Source: SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.
What is the typical salary around Orihuela?
The median gross salary is 1,888 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).
Is Orihuela a good place to live?
Orihuela 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.
Which cities are near Orihuela?
Redován, Bigastro, Beniel, Callosa de Segura, Cox are near Orihuela. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Africa live in Orihuela?
The official country of birth distribution records 3,123 people (4.0%) 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). Orihuela, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 3470e33e1104779596bf68bc7d5e7330]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/orihuela/ Retrieved 2026-09-29. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_orihuela-spain-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_d04cc53dd009,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Orihuela, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-29},
version = {3470e33e1104779596bf68bc7d5e7330},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/orihuela/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-29. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Orihuela, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/orihuela/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 3470e33e1104779596bf68bc7d5e7330; 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
- Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 — III. Total infracciones penales, municipal rows Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 · estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-26
- cdn.mivau.gob.es cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-08-26
- 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 SAN BASILIO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station SAN BASILIO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — ES PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station SAN BASILIO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España) ine.es · checked 2026-08-03
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
Show 21 more sources
- 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
- Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-08-03
- NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
- Orihuela - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality SERPAVI · cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-09-12
- 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.