Is Zaragoza ACTUALLY a Better Alternative to Madrid and Barcelona?

Zaragoza, Spain is a city that maybe you haven't considered living in. Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, and other Spanish cities are talked about a lot but what about Zaragoza? Josh and Kalie from ExpatsEverywhere breakdown what it would be like to live in Zaragoza. What's the cost of living compared to other Spanish cities? What's the vibe? Where would they live? See what they say.

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Josh and Kalie left the US for a life abroad in 2009 and haven't looked back. They have lived in Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and are currently in Portugal. Yes, they realize they only moved to countries starting with the letter "S" until they spoiled that streak with their move to Portugal. Follow ExpatsEverywhere as we aim to get information to you through expat interviews, city breakdowns, expat life, travel, vlogs, and more.

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[zedzod]

Well, I think Zaragoza is one of the best options to live in Spain. The first thing I want to say is that I was born in Zaragoza and lived there until I was 26 years old. Now I live in Barcelona.
Zaragoza is not like Madrid and Barcelona. It doesn't have the problems of a big city with a large metropolitan area, but it does have some of the advantages of a larger city.
It has very good public services, few traffic problems and less pollution, good cultural and commercial life...
Also, something you don't say is that it is located right in the center of the area that would form Madrid, Barcelona, ​​​​Valencia and Bilbao. It is also very close to the Pyrenees and the border with France. Many Zaragoza residents have a second residence in the Pyrenees, where they go both in winter to ski and in summer to rest and enjoy cooler temperatures, go hiking or practice adventure sports. Many others have a second residence on the coast of Tarragona or Castellón, which are close and well connected.
The climate is cold in winter and hot in summer, although dry. In Barcelona with lower temperatures the feeling is more suffocating due to the humidity.
As for restaurants, the tapas culture is superior in Zaragoza than in Madrid or Barcelona, ​​where tapas are focused on tourists and are more expensive and of poorer quality. Zaragoza in that sense is more similar to cities like San Sebastián or Logroño, where locals usually go out to consume them daily. It is common for bars in any neighborhood of the city to have a good assortment of tapas. This in Barcelona is difficult to see.
Zaragoza is a quieter and safer city than the other large Spanish cities, with a high quality of life, relatively low housing prices and where large companies such as Amazon or Microsoft are settling, which are installing their data centers there. It also has one of the largest logistics platforms in Europe, which is why more and more companies are choosing the city to set up their distribution centers.
I hope this helps anyone.

[Michaelcj-md]

Was stationed there in the USAF in the 80s . Finally moved back for good in 2000. But going back every 4 years between that time.

[xHarux]

Hello! I am from Zaragoza and I live in the other area of ​​the river, not where the Basilica is located. I have always thought and felt that the downtown area is more for sightseeing, partying, walking and having a good time with friends and family and the area where I live is more for everyday life. Also, it depends on your economic situation, the area outside the center is more economical. I don't want to say that you can't live in the center, but I think it is more expensive and hectic. Thank you very much for the video and for showing my city. I hope more people can enjoy it. Greetings!!!

[scotverdin]

It's been awhile, but stopped there and loved it. A gorgeous city.

[terrisokolow]

Enjoyed your take on this what looks like a beautiful city! Too big for my taste for sure.

[panchopuskas]

I lived and worked there for a year in great place.

[RS-lnns]

JUST BECAUSE YOU PREFER OTHER PARTS OF SPAIN TO ZARAGOZA, THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S BETTER THAN ZARAGOZA. THAT'S JUST YOUR OPINION. MANY WOULD PREFER TO BE IN ZARAGOZA THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN SPAIN LIKE MADRID, WHERE IT'S VERY OVERCROWDED, WITH TOO MANY TOURISTS THERE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.

[neiss]

As a Spaniard it's scary to see the brutal expat appetite for Spain on social media, one knows that the positive things of immigration can be easily outweighed by the obvious downsides of massive affluence to one's country. First it was Barcelona and Madrid, then Mallorca, San Sebastian, and Málaga, now it seems as if there is no city in Spain small or hidden enough to be in the spotlight for the voracious relocation hype to Europe from Americans and Asians. Don't get me wrong, it's cool to be considered a nice country to live in by the rest of the world but doubling the population (yes, Spain received 85 Million tourists/expats in 2023), is unbearable for a country's social, economic, cultural and ecological environment.

[Seamus]

I was stationed there in the 80s as well, and am making plans to move back. Please continue to steer people away from Zaragoza as much as possible, expats have screwed up enough gorgeous Spanish cities.

[susanaescriba]

I don't understand what you are looking for in provincial capitals, they are non-touristy areas, they don't need tourism. what are you looking for ?

[aidyn]

I'm not gonna lie, I feel like this video was not well put together. You lead with the ability to travel quickly to other cities, proceed to largely compliment the city but then say that you wouldn't "expat it." Yet Bilbao...a notoriously more crime ridden location (which you yourselves mentioned that you had concerns about parking there) you do expat? There's either exposition that SERIOUSLY missing or there's inconsistencies in your reviews... in both cases these videos feel rushed and lead to a loss in credibility if I'm being honest.

[Yocambio]

5-8C hotter than Barcelona in summer. That’s more than we’re willing to deal with.

[javiermartinez]

Prácticamente cualquier ciudad del interior de España de Madrid hacia el norte es buena. Pasaréis frío en invierno, eso sí.😆

[Proisma]

Video contradictorio y sin ninguna base se nota que no os habeis informado bien y hay muchos datos erroneos en vuestro video y no os habeis esforzado en hacer un video mediocre si quereis iros a vivir a barcelona mejor para que os timen con el piso la comida y tambien os roben que eso parece que os gusta y dejais zaragoza en paz guiris.