Villajoyosa vs Benidorm: 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
- Villajoyosa~37,449Benidorm77,22177,221 residents (INE, 1 Jan 2025). Swells to 200,000+ in peak summer.
- British residents
- Villajoyosa~400Benidorm~3,500
- Nearest airport
- VillajoyosaAlicante–Elche (~55 km); Valencia (~160 km)BenidormAlicante–Elche (~65 km); Valencia (~150 km)
- Nearest hospital
- VillajoyosaHospital Marina Baixa (public) is in Villajoyosa itself (TRAM stop Hospital Vila)BenidormHospital Clínica Benidorm (private)
- Train
- VillajoyosaTRAM light rail to Alicante and Dénia. Line 9 serves the town.BenidormTRAM-train (Alicante Metropolitan Tram) connects to Alicante and Denia
- Sunshine
- Villajoyosa2,851 hrsCosta-wide figure · a year · AEMET Alicante, 1981–2010Benidorm2,851 hrsCosta-wide figure · a year · AEMET Alicante, 1981–2010
- 2-bed rent
- Villajoyosa~€890/monthCosta-wide figure · ≈70 m² at €12.7/m² · idealista asking rents, Sep 2026, Alicante provinceBenidorm~€890/monthCosta-wide figure · ≈70 m² at €12.7/m² · idealista asking rents, Sep 2026, Alicante province
- Renting and buying
- Villajoyosa—Benidorm~€2,800–3,500/m² (2025–2026). Range from budget studios to premium seafront apartments. High rental yields. 11.5% price increase in 2025. Strong investor interest.
- Who it suits
- VillajoyosaFamiliesRetireesSecond-home ownersRemote workersBudget buyers
- Retirees: Excellent
- Families: Good
- Second-home owners: Good
- Food and culture lovers: Good
- Remote workers: Moderate
BenidormRetireesHoliday-rental investorsSecond-home ownersBeach lovers- Families: Good (off-season)
- Retirees: Excellent
- Remote workers: Moderate
- Second-home owners: Excellent
- Holiday-rental investors: Excellent
- What works
- Villajoyosa—Benidorm—
- What to weigh up
- Villajoyosa—Benidorm—
- Town guide and topic pages
- English-speaking businesses
| VillajoyosaThe Costa Blanca's most colourful town — a historic fishing village famous for chocolate, painted houses and a relaxed seaside pace. | BenidormSpain's original skyscraper resort — two beaches, year-round tourism and the most famous British holiday destination in the country. | |
|---|---|---|
| Costa and region | Costa BlancaAlicante · Valencian Community | Costa BlancaAlicante · Valencian Community |
| Population | ~37,449 | 77,22177,221 residents (INE, 1 Jan 2025). Swells to 200,000+ in peak summer. |
| British residents | ~400 | ~3,500 |
| Nearest airport | Alicante–Elche (~55 km); Valencia (~160 km) | Alicante–Elche (~65 km); Valencia (~150 km) |
| Nearest hospital | Hospital Marina Baixa (public) is in Villajoyosa itself (TRAM stop Hospital Vila) | Hospital Clínica Benidorm (private) |
| Train | TRAM light rail to Alicante and Dénia. Line 9 serves the town. | TRAM-train (Alicante Metropolitan Tram) connects to Alicante and Denia |
| Sunshine | 2,851 hrsCosta-wide figure · a year · AEMET Alicante, 1981–2010 | 2,851 hrsCosta-wide figure · a year · AEMET Alicante, 1981–2010 |
| 2-bed rent | ~€890/monthCosta-wide figure · ≈70 m² at €12.7/m² · idealista asking rents, Sep 2026, Alicante province | ~€890/monthCosta-wide figure · ≈70 m² at €12.7/m² · idealista asking rents, Sep 2026, Alicante province |
| Renting and buying | — | ~€2,800–3,500/m² (2025–2026). Range from budget studios to premium seafront apartments. High rental yields. 11.5% price increase in 2025. Strong investor interest. |
| Who it suits | FamiliesRetireesSecond-home ownersRemote workersBudget buyers
| RetireesHoliday-rental investorsSecond-home ownersBeach lovers
|
| What works | — | — |
| What to weigh up | — | — |
| Town guide and topic pages | Villajoyosa guide →HealthcareAdminHousingCost of LivingCommunityIntegratingDaily LifeThings to DoSchools | Benidorm guide →HealthcareAdminHousingCost of LivingCommunityIntegratingDaily LifeThings to DoSchools |
| English-speaking businesses | 33 listed in Villajoyosa → | 55 listed in Benidorm → |
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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