Last week we produced part one of our article about why Valencia wins out in 2026 (You can read it here) so today as promised it's time for part two. However, we have a lot more than that. We are also including our latest podcast, news about our new Facebook Community (Despite Facebook being a cesspit) and as usual some more things to see, read and listen to as we move into 2026. Let's start though with the next ten reasons for moving to Valencia in 2026...
Strong Property Market Fundamentals
Valencia's property market demonstrates solid fundamentals and continues to attract serious buyers from all over the World. Prices have grown steadily at between 7-20% annually in recent years (Depending on the year), yet Valencia remains 30-40% less expensive than Barcelona and significantly below Madrid prices too. The city is experiencing genuine growth with major infrastructure investments, growing international recognition and increased tourism that are driving demand without creating bubble conditions. Rental yields in prime areas reach 4-6%, substantially higher than most Western European cities these days, while the market shows resilience and consistent growth rather than speculative volatility.
International buyer interest, particularly from Americans and Northern Europeans, continues increasing as Valencia gains recognition as Spain's best-value major city. The combination of lifestyle quality, growing economy, and relative affordability creates a situation where property investment aligns with quality of life. You're entering a market with strong fundamentals, reasonable (but rising) entry prices, and multiple demographic trends supporting continued appreciation.
Strategic Location
Valencia's position on Spain's Mediterranean coast makes it an ideal European base. The modern AVE high-speed train reaches Madrid in just over an hour and a half, while Valencia Airport offers direct flights to major European cities - London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin all within 2-3 hours. Weekend trips to Barcelona (3 hours by train), ski resorts in the Pyrenees, or Morocco become spontaneous possibilities.
The city serves as your starting point for exploring the rich diversity throughout Spain: medieval Toledo, cosmopolitan Barcelona, Andalusian cities like Seville and Granada are all easily accessible. For Americans maintaining business or family connections, Valencia Airport's growing international routes and connections through Madrid and Barcelona make transatlantic travel straightforward though we are still waiting for direct routes to the States on a regular basis. This strategic positioning means you're never isolated, you're at the crossroads of Mediterranean culture with the entire European continent accessible for weekend breaks or business travel.
Growing Digital Nomad Scene
Valencia has emerged as a European remote work hotspot, attracting professionals with its combination of reliable infrastructure, affordable living, and quality of life. The city now hosts dozens of coworking spaces offering memberships from €100-250 monthly with high-speed internet, meeting rooms, and networking events. Even the towns around Valencia now have plenty of co-working hubs. Fibre internet is standard in flats (100+ Mbps typical), mobile coverage is excellent, and most cafés genuinely welcome laptop workers (Just make sure to order drinks and food semi regularly).
The timezone (CET) works well for US East Coast afternoon calls and European business hours. Perhaps most importantly, Valencia provides what remote workers truly seek, a life beyond work. You can finish your workday and be swimming in the Mediterranean 20 minutes later, join evening Spanish classes, or meet friends for tapas all without the crushing costs of traditional digital nomad hubs like London or Amsterdam. Spain's digital nomad visa provides the legal framework for extended stays, whilst the growing community means networking events and social gatherings specifically for remote workers.
Quality International Schools
Valencia's international education options rival major European capitals, with multiple schools offering British (Cambridge International), American (US curriculum), and International Baccalaureate programmes. Los Olivos, The British School of Valencia, Caxton College, American School of Valencia, and Cambridge House among others provide English-language education from nursery through secondary, many with strong university placement records to top UK, US, and European institutions. Class sizes typically run smaller than American public schools and similar to British state schools, facilities are modern(ish), and annual fees (€6,000-12,000 depending on age) represent a fraction of comparable international schools in London or Geneva.
Many schools feature strong sports programmes, arts facilities, and genuinely international students though the majority of the students at these schools will be Spanish. For relocating families, this solves a critical concern: your children can continue education in English whilst gradually learning Spanish through the environment, positioning them as truly bilingual. Spanish public and private schools also welcome international students for families preferring immersive Spanish education and often provide initial Spanish language support.
Proximity To Nature
Valencia is a compact city. Walk in a straight line from the centre and in under an hour you'll be out of the city and maybe even in the sea. Within an hour's drive of Valencia's city centre, you'll find dramatically different landscapes: the Sierra Calderona mountains offer hiking trails, cork forests, and Iberian villages seemingly frozen in time. The Albufera Natural Park, just 10 kilometres south, encompasses Spain's largest lagoon, rice paddies where paella rice grows, and sunset boat rides through wetlands attracting hundreds of bird species (Keep an eye out for the Flamingoes and remember no drones!). Head inland towards Requena or Utiel and you're in wine country, with bodegas offering tastings among vineyards. North brings dramatic coastal cliffs and hidden coves near towns like Alcossebre.
This accessibility transforms weekends - a morning hike in pine-scented mountains followed by an afternoon beach swim becomes a normal Saturday. The Mediterranean climate means outdoor activities year-round, providing constant variety and the mental health benefits of regular immersion in natural environments.
Manageable City Size
Under a million people but with so much to do. Valencia's population of approximately 800,000 (1.6 million metro area) hits the sweet spot: large enough for world-class amenities, small enough to navigate easily and develop genuine neighbourhood connections. You can cycle across the entire city in under an hour, yet access opera, international cuisine, major sporting events, contemporary art museums, and diverse nightlife on your way.
Unlike sprawling mega-cities where commutes devour hours and neighbourhoods feel anonymous, Valencia maintains human scale. After a bit you'll recognise faces at your local market, your barista remembers your order, and you'll randomly encounter friends whilst running errands. This size means significantly less stress: minimal traffic (compared to Madrid or Barcelona), easier access to nature, and genuine community feeling often lost in larger cities. The entire historic centre is walkable, with neighbourhoods that maintain distinct character, and you're never more than 20-30 minutes from wherever you need to be.
Improving English Language Presence
Whilst Spanish remains essential to get the full fat experience (and learning it dramatically enhances that experience), English proficiency in Valencia is steadily increasing, particularly in areas relevant to international residents. Younger generations learn English from primary school, many professionals in tourism, property, and hospitality speak functional to fluent English, and the growing international community has prompted businesses to adapt. You'll find English-speaking doctors, property agents fluent in English (But you'll only need us of course ;-)), and international schools creating networks of English-speaking families.
This doesn't mean you can or should ignore Spanish - learning the language dramatically improves integration - but it does mean you won't be stranded whilst learning. The practical reality is that you can handle essential tasks (banking, healthcare, utilities) in English through international-focused service providers whilst gradually building Spanish skills. Many find this balance ideal: enough English support to function immediately, enough Spanish immersion to gain real fluency over time.
Work Life Balance Culture
Spanish culture fundamentally rejects the "live to work" mentality. The afternoon break tradition (though less universal than stereotypes suggest) reflects deeper values: businesses often close 2-5 PM, allowing proper lunch, rest, or personal time before afternoon hours. Evening activities start late - dinner at 10 PM or later is normal. Spaniards refuse to rush through meals. This isn't about laziness; productivity during working hours is high, but Spaniards fiercely protect personal time and family connections. You'll notice this immediately: colleagues won't glorify overwork, emails after 7 PM are rare, and August sees much of the country on holiday simultaneously. Winning!
Foreign residents consistently report working fewer hours whilst accomplishing equivalent output, discovering that constant availability wasn't actually necessary. Generous annual leave (30+ days is standard), long lunch breaks, and cultural permission to prioritise family create sustainability impossible in hustle cultures. It's no wonder it sometimes seems impossible to get anything done here ;-).
Active Outdoor Year Round Lifestyle
Valencia's climate and infrastructure combine to make year-round outdoor activity the default lifestyle. Morning beach runs in January, cycling the Turia Gardens any month, weekend mountain hikes from October through May, and water sports from April to November become routine rather than seasonal treats.
The design of the city and its surroundings supports active living with extensive cycle lanes meaning cycling for both transport and exercise, beach access encouraging swimming as a normal activity, and the Turia Gardens providing 9 kilometres of car-free routes for runners and cyclists. Sports clubs offer affordable memberships (€20-50 monthly), outdoor fitness classes run in parks year-round, and pickup football, volleyball, and basketball games happen spontaneously. If you want something more organised you can book an eight a side football game every day for under 5 Euros a pop. The environment makes active living the easy, natural choice. If you feel like it you'll find yourself walking more, swimming regularly, and cycling for errands without conscious "exercise decisions", the lifestyle simply incorporates movement organically. This is a huge difference from the car culture of the USA or the endless suburbs of the UK requiring you to have your own vehicle.
An Authentic Spanish Experience
Valencia offers something increasingly rare, a genuine Spanish culture in a major city that hasn't been overwhelmed by mass tourism or become an expat enclave (Yet). Unlike Barcelona's heavily touristed cityscape or coastal resort towns, Valencia remains fundamentally Spanish where locals far outnumber tourists, businesses cater to residents (Except for the tourist tat places dotted around the centre now), and traditions continue because locals value them, not for tourist consumption.
You'll experience authentic fiestas where towns just close and neighbourhoods celebrate patron saints, you´ll find cafés filled with Valencians debating football over coffee and markets where vendors speak Valencian among themselves. The city's relative international obscurity has preserved its character - it's Spain's third-largest city yet retains authenticity often lost in more famous destinations. This means you'll actually learn Spanish culture rather than experiencing a sanitised tourist version. Get to understand Spanish politics through local friends, celebrate regional traditions, and navigate genuine labyrinthine Spanish bureaucracy for yourself. For those seeking an authentic international experience rather than an English-speaking bubble with better weather, Valencia delivers. It's welcoming to internationals whilst remaining firmly, proudly Spanish... and Valencian!
Have we convinced you yet. If not, why not contact us and let us know what you are looking for? Just fill in the form below and we will get in touch to start your journey here.
Welcome to 2026 Welcome to Valencia
Our latest podcast, the first of 2026 and we're diving straight into the good stuff.
In this episode we're talking about why Valencia makes sense in 2026 (spoiler: your money goes A LOT further here), why we've started a Facebook group despite Facebook being a cesspit, and the time-travelling dreamer who wanted to see 30 properties under €100k in central Valencia over a weekend.
We break down the real numbers - from €3 coffees with pastries to €30 gym memberships to run them off, from 300 days of sunshine to 15-minute metro rides to the beach. Plus why worrying about Spanish taxes is missing the massive cost-of-living picture.
We also take a moment to remember Cyndi - a huge loss to our Valencia community.
15 minutes. No BS. Just honest talk about life, property, and moving to Valencia.
Our New Facebook Community
We are so sick and tired of cellar dwelling trolls so it was time to move on from certain Social Media spaces. Twitter (aka the child porn site), was ditched a long time ago, and now we will be posting a lot less on Facebook and other social media sites but we have created a new group for our community that we control. If you want to move to Valencia or are someone who has already moved here with us and wants to connect with like minded individuals then get on over and join. No trolls, no spam, no mlm, no scams. Just information, answering your questions and mutual support.
Stepping Stone Rental Blog
On the latest Stepping Stone Rentals blog Isabella explored the differences between SSR and Airbnb. Here for a bit or here for a while? Take a look at the differences and why SSR works for so many groups of people.
If You Liked This...
Then you'll like more of our articles, podcasts and more. Just click on the images below to be taken there and discover a whole lot more. Including part one of this article.
Ribarroja Mediterranean Villa 675K
A large family Home, on a generous but low maintenance plot, ideally situated for a new family to start their journey in Valencia in 2026, this recently renovated and immaculately maintained property set on the winding rises of Montealcedo in Riba-Roja, modern living with views, privacy and a cooling breeze surrounded by nature, peace and quiet in a tranquil enclave. Read more at this link and take a look at the tasty photos.
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