Mazarrón vs Águilas: which suits British movers?
The facts British movers weigh up, next to each other. Every figure comes from our town guides, with its source and date.
- Costa and region
- Population
- Mazarrón35,400Approx. 35,400 permanent residents (INE padrón, January 2025), spread between Mazarrón town, Puerto de Mazarrón, Bolnuevo and the Camposol urbanisation.Águilas37,800Approx. 37,800 permanent residents (INE padrón, January 2025).
- British residents
- MazarrónVisible but not dominant. British residents are concentrated in Puerto de Mazarrón and in the Camposol urbanisation inland, and are one of the larger foreign groups locally. The municipality overall remains predominantly Spanish. No confirmed municipal-level UK-national count is available.ÁguilasSmall. Águilas is predominantly Spanish and has a much smaller British presence than the Mar Menor towns or the Costa Blanca. British residents are typically those who chose a Spanish working town and are comfortable integrating. English-speaking services are limited. No confirmed municipal-level UK-national count is available.
- Nearest airport
- MazarrónMurcia–Corvera (~35 km); Alicante–Elche (~140 km)ÁguilasMurcia–Corvera (~80 km); Almería (~120 km)
- Nearest hospital
- MazarrónHospital care at Hospital General Universitario Santa Lucía in Cartagena (~40 km)ÁguilasHospital care at Hospital Rafael Méndez in Lorca (~35 km), the referral hospital for Área de Salud III
- Train
- MazarrónNone. Bus and car only.ÁguilasÁguilas station (Renfe Cercanías C-2, Murcia–Lorca–Águilas) — no trains since October 2021; Renfe replacement buses run during Murcia–Almería high-speed works. No confirmed reopening date.
- Sunshine
- Mazarrón2,621 hrsCosta-wide figure · a year · AEMET San Javier, 1981–2010Águilas2,621 hrsCosta-wide figure · a year · AEMET San Javier, 1981–2010
- 2-bed rent
- Mazarrón~€660/monthCosta-wide figure · ≈70 m² at €9.5/m² · idealista asking rents, Sep 2026, Región de MurciaÁguilas~€660/monthCosta-wide figure · ≈70 m² at €9.5/m² · idealista asking rents, Sep 2026, Región de Murcia
- Renting and buying
- Mazarrón~€1,980/m² average asking price across the municipality (Idealista, August 2026), up sharply on the year. Entry-level apartments at the port and inland urbanisations are cheaper than the Mar Menor towns; Bolnuevo and frontline Puerto de Mazarrón command a premium. Tourist-rental registration required before letting.Águilas~€1,640/m² average asking price (Idealista, September 2026) — among the most affordable on the Costa Cálida. Apartments and townhouses dominate; seafront properties command a premium. Prices have risen modestly on the year. Tourist-rental registration required before letting.
- Who it suits
- MazarrónFamiliesRetireesSecond-home ownersValue seekersHoliday-rental investors
- Families: Good
- Retirees: Good
- Second-home owners: Good
- Value seekers: Excellent
- Holiday-rental investors: Moderate
ÁguilasFamiliesRetireesSecond-home ownersValue seekersIntegration-seekers- Families: Good
- Retirees: Good
- Second-home owners: Good
- Value seekers: Excellent
- Integration-seekers: Excellent
- What works
- Mazarrón—Águilas—
- What to weigh up
- Mazarrón—Águilas—
- Town guide and topic pages
- English-speaking businesses
| MazarrónA low-key coastal municipality of two halves — an inland market town and the beach resort of Puerto de Mazarrón, with Bolnuevo's eroded rock formations nearby. | ÁguilasMurcia's southernmost coastal town — a working Spanish resort with two sheltered bays, a fishing harbour and a well-known Carnival. | |
|---|---|---|
| Costa and region | Costa CálidaMurcia · Region of Murcia | Costa CálidaMurcia · Region of Murcia |
| Population | 35,400Approx. 35,400 permanent residents (INE padrón, January 2025), spread between Mazarrón town, Puerto de Mazarrón, Bolnuevo and the Camposol urbanisation. | 37,800Approx. 37,800 permanent residents (INE padrón, January 2025). |
| British residents | Visible but not dominant. British residents are concentrated in Puerto de Mazarrón and in the Camposol urbanisation inland, and are one of the larger foreign groups locally. The municipality overall remains predominantly Spanish. No confirmed municipal-level UK-national count is available. | Small. Águilas is predominantly Spanish and has a much smaller British presence than the Mar Menor towns or the Costa Blanca. British residents are typically those who chose a Spanish working town and are comfortable integrating. English-speaking services are limited. No confirmed municipal-level UK-national count is available. |
| Nearest airport | Murcia–Corvera (~35 km); Alicante–Elche (~140 km) | Murcia–Corvera (~80 km); Almería (~120 km) |
| Nearest hospital | Hospital care at Hospital General Universitario Santa Lucía in Cartagena (~40 km) | Hospital care at Hospital Rafael Méndez in Lorca (~35 km), the referral hospital for Área de Salud III |
| Train | None. Bus and car only. | Águilas station (Renfe Cercanías C-2, Murcia–Lorca–Águilas) — no trains since October 2021; Renfe replacement buses run during Murcia–Almería high-speed works. No confirmed reopening date. |
| Sunshine | 2,621 hrsCosta-wide figure · a year · AEMET San Javier, 1981–2010 | 2,621 hrsCosta-wide figure · a year · AEMET San Javier, 1981–2010 |
| 2-bed rent | ~€660/monthCosta-wide figure · ≈70 m² at €9.5/m² · idealista asking rents, Sep 2026, Región de Murcia | ~€660/monthCosta-wide figure · ≈70 m² at €9.5/m² · idealista asking rents, Sep 2026, Región de Murcia |
| Renting and buying | ~€1,980/m² average asking price across the municipality (Idealista, August 2026), up sharply on the year. Entry-level apartments at the port and inland urbanisations are cheaper than the Mar Menor towns; Bolnuevo and frontline Puerto de Mazarrón command a premium. Tourist-rental registration required before letting. | ~€1,640/m² average asking price (Idealista, September 2026) — among the most affordable on the Costa Cálida. Apartments and townhouses dominate; seafront properties command a premium. Prices have risen modestly on the year. Tourist-rental registration required before letting. |
| Who it suits | FamiliesRetireesSecond-home ownersValue seekersHoliday-rental investors
| FamiliesRetireesSecond-home ownersValue seekersIntegration-seekers
|
| What works | — | — |
| What to weigh up | — | — |
| Town guide and topic pages | Mazarrón guide →HealthcareAdminHousingCost of LivingCommunityIntegratingDaily LifeThings to DoSchools | Águilas guide →HealthcareAdminHousingCost of LivingCommunityIntegratingDaily LifeThings to DoSchools |
| English-speaking businesses | 11 listed in Mazarrón → | 11 listed in Águilas → |
Figures come from each town guide and are checked against official sources (INE padrón, AEMET, idealista). Costa-wide rows apply to the whole costa, not the town alone. A dash means we don't hold a checked figure yet.
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