Family life in Alicante

Is Alicante a good place to raise a family?

A warm, walkable Mediterranean city on the Costa Blanca, at rents well below Valencia, Barcelona or Málaga.

Updated August 2026 · our reading of official public data · Domior Discover

Palm trees along Playa del Postiguet in Alicante, the city rising behind the seafront on a clear day.Photo: acediscovery / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

At a glance

Alicante for families, in six numbers

21%
International community
more than one in five residents
Average age 44
City size
15%
Under 16
about one child in seven
€1,238
Three-bed flat
outside the centre; €1,365 near the seafront
Compact, flat and walkable
Getting around
Alicante-Elche
Airport
a short ride west of the city

The short answer

Is Alicante a good place to raise a family?

Yes, and it is one of the gentlest first moves to Spain. Alicante is a warm, walkable Mediterranean city on the Costa Blanca where children grow up outdoors, on wide beaches and in open plazas, at rents well below Valencia, Barcelona or Málaga. Winters are mild enough to be on the beach in January, summers are hot but cooled by the sea, and more than one in five residents is already international, so a new family is never the only one. Schools teach in both Valencian and Spanish, and childcare for the little ones is among the cheapest in Spain. There is one thing to plan around, which we come to below, but sort that out and Alicante gives a child a sunny, easy, outdoor childhood by the sea.

A family's budget

What a family spends each month

A family of two adults and children spends about €2,750 a month in Alicante. Rent is the big one; the rest changes far less than people expect.

A family

two adults and children

≈ €2,750

Per month

Rent — three-bed outside the centre: €1,238
Food and groceries for a family: €680
Transport: €64
Power, water, internet and mobile: €210
Kids, going out and the rest: €560

Or somewhere else?

Alicante, Valencia or Málaga

Alicante is the affordable coastal option. The same family-sized flat in the centre of each:

Alicante

A three-bed in the centre: €1,365

Warm, walkable, the gentlest price of the three.

Valencia

A three-bed in the centre: €1,974

A bigger city and the Turia park, at a mid price.

Málaga

A three-bed in the centre: €2,085

The busy Costa del Sol, at the highest price.

Where families live

Alicante has children all over it

There are children in every part of Alicante, but the real choice is between the city and the beach towns just north of it. In the city, families tend to look at the Ensanche and Vistahermosa, comfortable central areas with parks and schools, or the newer PAU districts a little further out, which give more room for the money. The old centre by the Postiguet beach is lovely but tight, and it fills with holidaymakers in summer. Many international families settle up the coast in Playa de San Juan and El Campello, where the flats are bigger and the beaches are wide. As everywhere, the best tip is simple: choose your school first, then the area around it.

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Mature ficus trees shading the gravel walks of the Parque de Canalejas in central Alicante.Photo: Zarateman / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Schools

How school works

Start it early, and start with the language. State schools in Alicante teach in both Valencian and Spanish. A 2024 regional law now lets families choose which of the two is the main language of the classroom, with the other and English taught alongside. Children pick both up quickly, but deciding the base language, and finding a school that offers it, is the first thing to sort out.

There are three kinds of school. Public schools are free. Concertado schools are state-funded and free in principle, though most ask for a small monthly contribution. Private and international schools charge full fees, which vary widely, so plan with a range rather than a single figure and confirm with each school before you commit.

Childcare

For the small ones

For under-threes, the Comunitat Valenciana is one of the cheapest regions in Spain. The oldest group, age 2 to 3, is free in public and approved private nurseries, and younger ages are heavily subsidised through a grant called the Bono Infantil, which pays a set amount each month towards the fees. Places and grants are allocated in a spring window, so apply on time. A private nursery is the faster route if you miss a public place.

Getting around

You do not need a car

€22 a month

A monthly transport pass is €22 and children under 14 travel free.

Alicante is small, flat and right on the sea, so many families simply walk or cycle. The TRAM light rail runs up the coast to the beach towns, the buses cover the rest, and Alicante-Elche airport is a short ride west of the city. A car is handy only for the towns further up the coast.

Weather through the year

Warm, dry, and mild in winter

About 18.5°C across the year. Mild, bright winters, hot summers cooled by the sea, and very little rain.

average daily highaverageaverage daily lowrainfall

Official figureAEMET normals, ALACANT/ALICANTE (station 8025).

The one thing to plan for

The best international schools are outside the city

Alicante's best-known international schools are not in the centre. They sit in the coastal towns just north, around San Juan, El Campello and Alfaz del Pi, so families who want that schooling usually live out there and build the daily routine around it. It is not a drawback, but it decides where you look for a flat, so settle the school before the neighbourhood.

If not here