Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Live and Invest Overseas.
By Western European standards, Spain is a big country. In this part of the world it’s second in size only to France. For a U.S. comparison, it takes up about as much room as Texas.
Its history, geography, language and climate are varied as are its culture, cuisine, architecture and costs.
Indeed, the trickiest thing about expat life in Spain is choosing one spot to call home from the wealth of great options on offer.
Find a great lifestyle fit in Spain
If you like city life, Valencia, Barcelona, Malaga and Madrid all have much to offer.
If you want to kick back on a palm-fringed island then Mallorca, Tenerife or Ibiza would fit the bill.
For sunseekers, the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol offer more than 300 days of sunshine each year.
If you want to pioneer, a number of villages offer incentives to newcomers in a bid to regenerate their communities, including Ponga and Rubia in the north of the country.
A beachside haven with the best of all worlds
If you’d like the best of all worlds … big-city conveniences, a small-town vibe, Mediterranean beaches, sunny days, and low costs, then consider the beachside haven of Tarragona.
Sitting prettily on Spain’s Costa Dorada (“Golden Coast”) in the northeast of the country, Tarragona is a two-hour drive south from Barcelona. The high-speed train will get you there in just over 30 minutes.
This is Spain’s Catalonia region, a proud place with its own distinct history, flag and language. While Spanish is the official language across the country, Spain gives equal status to several regional languages, including Catalan.
If you speak Spanish, you’ll do fine here. If you learn Catalan, you’ll be on the same page as the locals. If you speak English, you’ll get by for the most part — Spanglish, charades and a smile go a long way.
Tarragona, Spain
Once the Roman capital of the Iberian Peninsula, Tarragona today is a wonderland of wide boulevards, golden-sand beaches, biscuit-colored brick buildings and lush parks.
Hints of the city’s rich history are revealed around most every corner and perhaps most impressively represented by the breath-taking Roman Amphitheatre of Tarraco, which curves out to meet the glittering sea beyond.
The city’s main shopping street, Rambla Nova, starts at the Imperial Tarraco Square in the city center and runs through to the Balco del Mediterrani (“the Mediterranean balcony”) from where you can pause to take in the expansive sea views.
A feast for all your senses
Along this tree-lined route, you’ll find chic boutiques, high-end stores, inviting restaurants and stop-you-in-your-tracks sculptures, including the Monument als Castells.
Castells are popular and impressive sights at festivals across Catalonia. These toe-tingling towers involve layers of people standing on one another’s shoulders. Often as many as 10 people high, they were declared an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010.
Walking from Monument als Castells, facing the sea, to your right you’ll find the central market, a feast for the senses offering everything from colorful candies to still-wriggling seafood.
On the opposite side of Rambla Nova you’ll find the old quarter (Parte Alta), a maze of narrow streets, colorful flower shops, jewelry stores, antique-sellers and, at the heart of it all, the Tarragona Cathedral.
You’ll also be spoiled for choice when looking to make a pit-stop. Ancient archways lead to sweet squares housing laidback bars where you can happily while away the afternoon.
A great life at a great price
In Tarragona, there’s a small expat community as well as a number of international schools. Language classes and sports clubs are some of the most popular ways to meet like-minded souls. Amenities — from hospitals to health centers, shops, pharmacies, vets and more — are close at hand, too.
Rentals start from around 600 euros (roughly $655) a month, and, if you’re looking to buy, homes in the heart of the city run in the range of 155,000 to 210,000 euros ($169,000 to $229,000).
If you’re here for a shorter stay, you’ll find great value. I stayed in a spacious, one-bedroom, sea-view apartment right on Rambla Nova for under 100 euros ($110) a night.
Farther up or down the coast in Barcelona or Valencia, respectively, you’ll pay more than double that for a lot less.
A couple could live well here on a monthly budget of around 3,000 euros ($3,275), and a single will spend around 1,900 euros ($2,075). That’s covering rent, dining out once a week, health insurance, phone, utilities, groceries, transport and entertainment.
The laidback lifestyle, friendly locals, and Mediterranean sunsets come free.
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