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Living in Santander

Santander is in Spain; its population was 175,425 at the start of 2025. For Santander, monthly mean temperatures were 10.7°C in January and 19.7°C in July. A monthly estimate placed internet service at €36 in December 2022. A monthly estimate placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €144 in December 2022. Gigabit broadband availability was 98.2% in 2025.

Pricier rent than 74% of Spanish cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 92% of Spanish cities that publish it and cleaner air than 72% of Spanish cities that publish it.

Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to Santander?

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 Santander.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Santander?

Average net cold rent is 7 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): 7 EUR/m²/month · cdn.mivau.gob.es2
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Santander recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€249
Utilities, 85 m² flat€144
Fitness club€36
Internet, 60 Mbps€36
Transport pass€34
Mobile plan, 10 GB€26

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesSantander highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Santander highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Madrid€14.00
Barcelona€13.70
Bilbao€11.50
Palma€9.80
Santander€7.00
Murcia€5.80
Show the other 6 cities
Málaga€9.60
Sevilla€9.20
Valencia€8.20
Zaragoza€7.70
Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las€7.30
Alacant/Alicante€7.10
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly36.26 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited36.08 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly248.8 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant11.94 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB26.25 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Santander. Jun 2026. Prices in Santander22Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass34.33 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home144.5 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings93,405 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings72,468 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
G05 Secondary Seasonal Vacant Dwellings20,940 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)7 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.1031 Dec 2022cdn.mivau.gob.es2Official

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 420 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7 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: 2022

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 8.7% in 2024.

What is the unemployment rate in Santander?

The unemployment rate is 8.7 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city8

Unemployment across cities in SpainUnemployment in Santander is 8.7%. 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%4375–10Santander 8.7%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 availability98.25 %30 Jun 2025SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202521Official
People in employment63,066 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
Median gross salary (regional)1,937 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)9Official · regional context
Unemployment rate8.7 %country median 4.4%31 Dec 2024INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city8Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2015–2024
Unemployment rate in Santander by year, %7.9%11.7%15.4%19.2%201520172019202120248.7%%

Unemployment rate fell 52.7% between 2015 and 2024, from 18.4% to 8.7%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Santander. 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 Santander. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital Beds Per 100k659.4 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2025Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202514Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Santander 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 100k659.4 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Santander?

Police recorded about 4,561 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.15

Recorded crime across major citiesSantander highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Santander 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 residents4,561 incidents per 100,000country median 4,27631 Dec 2024MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.15Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport17 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat18Official
Nearest airportSDR13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv19Official
Distance to nearest airport4.7 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv19Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Santander. 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 Santander.

Climate and air quality

Monthly precipitation was 110.1 mm in January and 48.3 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 7.4 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Santander?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 — Table 16 PM2.516

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
Santander average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND23°8°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Santander average monthly precipitation, mm045901351801108883826756485579108161121JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Santander average monthly sunshine, hours05101520345677777533JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Santander annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5257.4PM2.5154018.0PM10104012.0NO₂µg/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 Santander is 7.4 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/m³337–8Santander 7.457 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 mean12 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station TETUÁN)3Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean18 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station TETUÁN)4Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean7.4 µg/m³country median 8.731 Dec 2024MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 — Table 16 PM2.516Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 13.2 · Feb 13.1 · Mar 14.7 · Apr 15.8 · May 17.7 · Jun 20.2 · Jul 22.2 · Aug 23.2 · Sep 21.9 · Oct 20 · Nov 16 · Dec 14.1 °C31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly maximum air temperature, SANTANDER I,CMT, 1991-20201Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 8.1 · Feb 7.6 · Mar 8.8 · Apr 10 · May 12.2 · Jun 15 · Jul 17 · Aug 17.6 · Sep 16.1 · Oct 13.9 · Nov 10.5 · Dec 8.7 °C31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly minimum air temperature, SANTANDER I,CMT, 1991-20201Official
Average temperature by monthJan 10.7 · Feb 10.4 · Mar 11.8 · Apr 12.9 · May 15 · Jun 17.6 · Jul 19.7 · Aug 20.4 · Sep 19 · Oct 17 · Nov 13.3 · Dec 11.4 °C31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly air temperature, SANTANDER I,CMT, 1991-20201Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 110.1 · Feb 88.4 · Mar 83 · Apr 82.4 · May 66.6 · Jun 55.9 · Jul 48.3 · Aug 54.8 · Sep 79.3 · Oct 108.2 · Nov 161 · Dec 120.8 mm31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly total precipitation, SANTANDER I,CMT, 1991-20201Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 2.9 · Feb 3.9 · Mar 5.3 · Apr 6 · May 6.5 · Jun 6.7 · Jul 7.2 · Aug 7 · Sep 6.7 · Oct 5 · Nov 3.3 · Dec 3.1 hours31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly sunshine duration, SANTANDER I,CMT, 1991-20201Official

Cities of a similar size in Spain

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

All Spain cities
Albacete175,400 residentsAlcorcón175,719 residentsBurgos177,402 residentsCastelló de la Plana/Castellón de la Plana183,711 residentsDonostia/San Sebastián189,866 residentsFuenlabrada190,076 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Santander?

The published population was 175,425 people in January 2025. Source: Santander - official stats20

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Santander residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport89.3%Foreign residents 10.7%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents433.8 cars per 1000 people31 Dec 2024Eurostat5Official
City area34.76 km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO, European Commission7Official
Foreign-resident share10.8 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat6Official
Foreign residents18,691 people1 Jan 2024Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.17Official
Population density4,995 people/km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO / Eurostat Urban Audit7Official
Population Female93,201 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)10Official
Population Male79,525 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)10Official
Population175,425 people1 Jan 2025Santander - official stats20Official
Population over time29 published observations, 1996–2025
Population in Santander by year, residents170,596175,900181,203186,50719962003200920192025175,425residents

Population fell 5.4% between 1996 and 2025, from 185,410 to 175,425.

Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2015–2024
Foreign residents in Santander by year, residents11,56114,11416,66619,2192015201720192021202418,691residents

Foreign residents rose 45.9% between 2015 and 2024, from 12,808 to 18,691.

International community in Santander

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
TOTAL172,000100.0%
Spain148,48186.3%
South America11,1016.5%
Rent of Europe3,2171.9%
European Union (without Spain)3,0151.8%
Central America and Caribbean2,6261.5%
Africa1,6240.9%
Asia9770.6%
North America9120.5%
Oceania470.0%

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 groupPeopleShare
TOTAL172,000100.0%
Spanish157,27291.4%
South America5,2333.0%
European Union (without Spain)3,1831.9%
Rent of Europe2,5441.5%
Africa1,3160.8%
Central America and Caribbean1,2400.7%
Asia9010.5%
North America2840.2%
Statelens160.0%
Oceania110.0%

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

Is Santander 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 worker63%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 55–71%
Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on education · range 55–71%
Student63%strong on cost, weak on education · range 54–72%
Family55%strong on family, weak on education · range 47–63%
Retirement60%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 51–69%
Foreign residents18,691 people1 Jan 2024Official source · Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.
Population175,425 people1 Jan 2025Official source · Santander - official stats
Average net rent (nettokalt)7 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2022Official source · cdn.mivau.gob.es
Dwellings93,405 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Gigabit broadband availability98.25 %30 Jun 2025Official source · SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025
People in employment63,066 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-26

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households72,468 households31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
Labour Supply Count75,744 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official

Common questions

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

How many people live in Santander?

The published population was 175,425 people in January 2025. Source: Santander - official stats.

How much does it cost to rent in Santander?

Average net cold rent is 7 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 490 EUR a month before utilities. Source: cdn.mivau.gob.es.

Is the air quality good in Santander?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 — Table 16 PM2.5.

How safe is Santander?

Police recorded about 4,561 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 Santander?

The unemployment rate is 8.7 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city.

What is the typical salary around Santander?

The median gross salary is 1,937 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).

Is Santander a good place to live?

Santander 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 Santander?

The official country of birth distribution records 1,624 people (0.9%) 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). Santander, Spain: rent, salary, jobs, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/santander/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_santander-spain-rent-salary-jobs-safety_023442807346,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Santander, Spain: rent, salary, jobs, safety},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/santander/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Santander, Spain: rent, salary, jobs, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/santander/) — 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, SANTANDER I,CMT, 1991-2020 AEMET climate normal · aemet.es · checked 2026-07-27
  2. cdn.mivau.gob.es cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-08-26
  3. EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station TETUÁN) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  4. EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station TETUÁN) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  5. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  7. Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  8. INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city INE Urban Indicators · servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-07-26
  9. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
  10. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
Show 13 more sources
  1. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  2. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  3. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  4. Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-08-03
  5. MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator. estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-16
  6. MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 — Table 16 PM2.5 MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 · miteco.gob.es · checked 2026-07-26
  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. Santander - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
  11. SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025 digital.gob.es · checked 2025-06-30
  12. Cost of Living in Santander. Jun 2026. Prices in Santander numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
  13. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.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.