Living in Santa Pola
In Santa Pola, the statutory reference rent is €5.90 per m² a month (2022) and unemployment is 5.1% (2026).
Santa Pola is a city in Spain, with a population of 39,709 at the start of 2025. The unemployment rate was 5.06% in June 2026. The foreign population count was 8,911 at the start of 2024.
Pricier rent than 61% of Spanish cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 63% of Spanish cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 89% of Spanish cities that publish it.
Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to Santa Pola?
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 Santa Pola?
Average net cold rent is 5.9 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): 5.9 EUR/m²/month · cdn.mivau.gob.es1
| 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 | 45,156 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official |
| Main residence dwellings | 14,715 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official |
| Secondary, seasonal or vacant dwellings | 30,438 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 5.9 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.10 | 31 Dec 2022 | cdn.mivau.gob.es1Official |
Is Santa Pola 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 354 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 5.9 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 Santa Pola?
The unemployment rate is about 5.1 % (June 2026).
- Unemployment rate: 5.06 % · SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202632
Santa Pola 5.1%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 97.27 % | 30 Jun 2025 | SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202520Official |
| People in employment | 11,895 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 | 5.06 %country median 4.4% | 30 Jun 2026 | SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202632Independent |
What does a salary buy in Santa Pola?
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€5.90/m² · official · cdn.mivau.gob.es · 2022-12-31 | − €354 |
| 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 | €1,141 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Santa Pola. 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 Santa Pola. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Santa Pola?
Police recorded about 6,232 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.14
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 6,232 incidents per 100,000country median 4,281 | 31 Dec 2024 | MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.14Official |
Mobility and administration
The nearest airport was ALC, 10.3 km away, with 96 listed destinations in June 2026. Gigabit broadband availability was 97.3% in June 2025.
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Santa Pola. 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 Santa Pola?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 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 ALACANT-FLORIDA-BABEL)6
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
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.
Santa Pola 12.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 9 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station ELX-AGROALIMENTARI)4Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM10 — annual mean | 20 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station ELX-AGROALIMENTARI)5Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 12 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station ALACANT-FLORIDA-BABEL)6Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 16.7 · Feb 17.3 · Mar 19.3 · Apr 21.4 · May 24.4 · Jun 28.2 · Jul 30.6 · Aug 31.2 · Sep 28.6 · Oct 24.9 · Nov 20.2 · Dec 17.3 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICANTE-ELCHE/AEROPUERTO21Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 6.8 · Feb 7.2 · Mar 9 · Apr 11.3 · May 14.6 · Jun 18.7 · Jul 21.7 · Aug 22.4 · Sep 19.5 · Oct 15.4 · Nov 10.8 · Dec 7.9 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICANTE-ELCHE/AEROPUERTO21Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 11.7 · Feb 12.3 · Mar 14.2 · Apr 16.4 · May 19.5 · Jun 23.4 · Jul 26.2 · Aug 26.8 · Sep 24.1 · Oct 20.2 · Nov 15.5 · Dec 12.6 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICANTE-ELCHE/AEROPUERTO21Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 24.9 · Feb 16.8 · Mar 24.4 · Apr 28.8 · May 19.6 · Jun 8.3 · Jul 2.5 · Aug 10.1 · Sep 46.1 · Oct 33.1 · Nov 30 · Dec 27.6 mm | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICANTE-ELCHE/AEROPUERTO21Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 198.3 · Feb 196.9 · Mar 237.7 · Apr 262.4 · May 305.7 · Jun 335.3 · Jul 356.7 · Aug 325.6 · Sep 261.2 · Oct 233 · Nov 190.1 · Dec 180.3 hours | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICANTE-ELCHE/AEROPUERTO21Official · nearest-station reading |
Similar climate. In Spain: Roquetas de Mar ±0.7 °C. Elsewhere: Downey (United States) ±1.7 °C, Round Rock (United States) ±2.6 °C, Carrollton (United States) ±2.6 °C, Lewisville (United States) ±2.6 °C, Cagliari (Italy) ±1.4 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month
Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.
Population and city profile
How many people live in Santa Pola?
The published population was 39,709 people in January 2025. Source: Santa Pola - official stats18
By nationality
National passport77.6%Foreign residents22.4%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 58.16 km² | 20 Oct 2025 | www.ign.es22Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 24.53 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España)8Official |
| Foreign residents | 8,911 people | 1 Jan 2024 | Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.15Official |
| Female residents | 18,892 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)10Official |
| Male residents | 18,924 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)10Official |
| Population | 39,709 people | 1 Jan 2025 | Santa Pola - official stats18Official |
International community in Santa Pola
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 | 34,453 | 100.0% |
| Spain | 26,476 | 76.8% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 2,157 | 6.3% |
| South America | 2,154 | 6.3% |
| Rent of Europe | 2,138 | 6.2% |
| Africa | 754 | 2.2% |
| Asia | 452 | 1.3% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 231 | 0.7% |
| North America | 83 | 0.2% |
| Oceania | 8 | 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 | 34,453 | 100.0% |
| Spanish | 27,916 | 81.0% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 2,294 | 6.7% |
| Rent of Europe | 2,073 | 6.0% |
| South America | 1,025 | 3.0% |
| Africa | 536 | 1.6% |
| Asia | 430 | 1.2% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 112 | 0.3% |
| North America | 59 | 0.2% |
| Oceania | 7 | 0.0% |
| Statelens | 1 | 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 Santa Pola
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.
San Fulgencio as a Santa Pola alternative in the same region
17 km away, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €3.00/m² San Fulgencio vs €5.90/m² Santa Pola−49%
- Unemployment: 3.0% San Fulgencio vs 5.1% Santa Pola−42%
- Nearest airport: 23.6 km San Fulgencio vs 10.3 km Santa Pola+129%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ San Fulgencio vs 12.0 µg/m³ Santa Pola−42%
- Residents: 9,769 San Fulgencio vs 39,709 Santa Pola−75%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,330 San Fulgencio vs 6,232 Santa Polano percentage
- Median gross pay, region: €1,888 San Fulgencio vs €1,888 Santa Polasame level
Siero as a Santa Pola alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 720 km, better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Nearest airport: 35.7 km Siero vs 10.3 km Santa Pola+247%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,763 Siero vs 6,232 Santa Pola−40%
- Annual PM2.5: 8.0 µg/m³ Siero vs 12.0 µg/m³ Santa Pola−33%
- Rent: €5.50/m² Siero vs €5.90/m² Santa Pola−7%
- Unemployment: 4.4% Siero vs 5.1% Santa Pola−13%
- Residents: 53,049 Siero vs 39,709 Santa Pola+34%
- Median gross pay, region: €2,016 Siero vs €1,888 Santa Pola+7%
Cities near Santa Pola
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 4.7 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 7.1 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2024-12-31
- Rent
- 5.8 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3.5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3.7 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3.7 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
Alternative cities in Spain
Other cities in Spain to compare with Santa Pola, nearest in population first.
How does Santa Pola compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Santa Pola's.
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Santa Pola 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; Santa Pola's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Is Santa Pola part of Elche?
Santa Pola is in the published commuting zone of Elche; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Elche city profile
Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source7
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Santa Pola?
The published population was 39,709 people in January 2025. Source: Santa Pola - official stats.
How much does it cost to rent in Santa Pola?
Average net cold rent is 5.9 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 413 EUR a month before utilities. Source: cdn.mivau.gob.es.
Is the air quality good in Santa Pola?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 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 ALACANT-FLORIDA-BABEL).
How safe is Santa Pola?
Police recorded about 6,232 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 Santa Pola?
The unemployment rate is about 5.1 % (June 2026). Source: SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.
What is the typical salary around Santa Pola?
The median gross salary is 1,888 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).
Is Santa Pola a good place to live?
Santa Pola 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 Santa Pola part of Elche?
Santa Pola is in the published commuting zone of Elche; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.
Which cities are near Santa Pola?
Elche, Alicante, Guardamar del Segura, San Fulgencio, Rojales are near Santa Pola. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Spain live in Santa Pola?
The official country of birth distribution records 26,476 people (76.8%) 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, October 16). Santa Pola, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 43f6fb13cd0327115c1263fdfcc0b7f6]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/santa-pola/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_santa-pola-spain-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_1a8957c3039e,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Santa Pola, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {43f6fb13cd0327115c1263fdfcc0b7f6},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/santa-pola/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Santa Pola, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/santa-pola/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 43f6fb13cd0327115c1263fdfcc0b7f6; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.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
- 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 ELX-AGROALIMENTARI) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station ELX-AGROALIMENTARI) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — ES PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station ALACANT-FLORIDA-BABEL) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- 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
- 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 22 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
- MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator. estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-16
- Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- Santa Pola - official stats ine.es · 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
- WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICANTE-ELCHE/AEROPUERTO WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- 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.