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27.929
Population
3.062 €
Avg €/m²
Updated 2026-08-30How we source our data →

Living in Orihuela Costa

Orihuela Costa is not Orihuela. It is the coastal strip of the municipality, in Alicante province. The historic town that gives it its name sits inland, and is a different market. The main Spanish asking-price index publishes four districts for the municipality. In July 2026 Orihuela Costa was indexed at more than twice the figure for Orihuela Ciudad, the inland town, in the same month on the same index. One of the other two sits between them; the fourth is cheaper still than the inland town.

That gap makes the municipal average useless. The coast holds about a third of the municipality's registered residents and most of its housing stock, so the average sits much nearer the coast than the town, and it describes neither place. Never quote or accept the Orihuela average. Before you talk price, establish which of the four districts a listing sits in. Note too that the index publishes one figure for the whole coastal strip: there is no separate index for La Zenia, Cabo Roig or Villamartin, whatever an agent tells you.

The strip runs sixteen kilometres by the town hall's count, taking in Punta Prima, Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Campoamor and Mil Palmeras, with Villamartin listed in the same coastal area. Ten beaches flew Blue Flags in 2026. The town hall's register counted 27,929 residents in 2024, nearly as many as the inland city itself.

The verdict

Honestly considered, both sides.

The upside is real. So is the downside. Both matter more than any brochure will admit.

The case for

  • Ten Blue Flag beaches along sixteen kilometres

    All ten of the municipality's 2026 Blue Flags fly on this strip, from Punta Prima to Mil Palmeras, plus one for the Club Nautico Dehesa de Campoamor. The inland city has no coastline at all.

  • Healthcare runs through Torrevieja, not inland Orihuela

    The coast belongs to the Torrevieja health department, so its reference hospital is the Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja rather than the one serving the inland town. There is a health centre on the coast itself.

  • The price index treats the coast separately

    The asking-price index publishes Orihuela Costa as its own district, which means you can track the strip against the inland town instead of relying on a blended municipal number.

  • Golf across five courses in the municipality

    The municipal tourism board counts ninety holes over five courses: Villamartin, Las Ramblas, Real Club de Golf Campoamor, Las Colinas and Vistabella. Note that Las Colinas and Vistabella lie inland in the municipality, not on the strip.

  • A large, established northern European buyer base

    The town hall's own register shows a large, established British and northern European resident population. At municipal level the biggest foreign group is British by a wide margin, ahead of Moroccan, Ukrainian, Russian and Colombian residents.

The case against

  • A district with no government of its own

    Orihuela Costa is one of eleven Juntas de Distrito, a residents' participation body chaired by a councillor. It has no separate budget and no delegated powers. Decisions are made at the town hall, well inland.

  • Municipal statistics describe somewhere else

    The national statistics office publishes nothing for the coastal strip, only for the whole municipality. Any municipal figure a buyer is shown blends the coast with an inland town that is a different market entirely.

  • Urbanisation-level prices are agents' numbers

    The index publishes one figure for the entire strip. There is no separate index for Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Punta Prima, Villamartin or Campoamor, so any per-urbanisation price you are quoted has no index behind it.

  • No railway and no tram on the coast

    The Orihuela Miguel Hernandez station sits in the inland city, on the Murcia to Alicante commuter line, not on the coast. The TRAM light rail north of Alicante comes nowhere near. You will need a car.

  • Built around tourism and holiday ownership

    The strip is a resort coast rather than a historic town. No official source publishes seasonal occupancy for it, so check for yourself how much year-round population your chosen urbanisation holds.

Editor's note

Where you might be better off elsewhere

We like Orihuela Costa for what it is: a purpose-built second-home coast with ten Blue Flag beaches, its own line in the price index, and a hospital department that answers to nearby Torrevieja.

We would tell you not to buy here if you want a year-round Spanish town around you, a railway station, or a town hall on your doorstep. Orihuela Costa is a district, not a town. It has no budget, no delegated powers, and no national statistics of its own beyond a price line, a town-hall headcount and a set of Blue Flags. It is a resort coast, and everything administrative is inland.

If that gives you pause, consider Torrevieja, the obvious neighbour, with an actual town hall, a hospital and statistics of its own. Guardamar del Segura pairs beaches with a real working town. Alicante gives you a commuter rail terminus, the TRAM and a year-round city economy. All three are towns first and resorts second. Orihuela Costa is the reverse, and you should buy it, or not, on exactly those terms.

Lifestyle data

Property market

3.062 €
/m²
+7.8% YoY

Updated 2026-08-30

Access

ALICANTE AIRPORT
Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández · ALC
0+ direct routes
Top direct
LondonManchesterDublinAmsterdamBrusselsOslo

Amenities

0
Int. schools
0
Hospitals

Orihuela Costa on the map

Orihuela Costa FAQ

Honest answers to the questions buyers actually ask.

Is Orihuela Costa the same place as Orihuela?+
No. Orihuela Costa is the coastal district of the municipality of Orihuela, in Alicante province. The historic town of Orihuela sits inland, away from the coast, and it is a completely different property market. The two share a town hall and little else. If you are searching listings or price data under the name Orihuela, always check which of the municipality's four price districts the property actually sits in before drawing any conclusion.
How much more expensive is the coast than the inland town?+
In July 2026 the main Spanish asking-price index put Orihuela Costa at more than twice the figure for Orihuela Ciudad, the inland town, in the same month on the same index. Of the other two, Desamparados-Hurchillo-Torremendo sits between them, while Molins-Campaneta-San Bartolome is the cheapest district of all, below the inland town. Over the year to July 2026 the coast rose by less than a tenth, while the inland town rose by about a quarter from a much lower base. The gap remains wide.
Can I get a reliable price for La Zenia or Cabo Roig specifically?+
Not from any index. The asking-price index publishes one figure for the whole coastal strip. There are no separate figures for Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Punta Prima, Villamartin or Campoamor. Any urbanisation-level price you are quoted is an agent's own number, not an index figure. Use the strip-wide figure as your anchor, then compare actual listings within the urbanisation you want, and treat anything more precise than that with suspicion.
How many people live in Orihuela Costa?+
The town hall's own register put Orihuela Costa at 27,929 people in 2024, against 32,879 in the historic inland city and 85,674 for the whole municipality. So the coast holds about a third of the municipality and is nearly as populous as the city itself. Note the source: this is a town-hall figure, not a national statistics office one. The national office publishes nothing for the coastal strip, only for the municipality as a whole.
Which hospital serves Orihuela Costa?+
The Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja. For healthcare, Orihuela Costa is detached from Orihuela entirely: it belongs to the Torrevieja health department, not the one serving the inland town. There is also a health centre in Orihuela Costa itself. In practical terms the coast looks to Torrevieja rather than to inland Orihuela for hospital care. It is also a useful illustration of how little the coastal strip has to do with the town whose name it carries.
Is there a train or tram to Orihuela Costa?+
No. There is no railway on the coast. The station named Orihuela Miguel Hernandez is in the inland city, on the Murcia to Alicante commuter line, a long drive from the coastal strip. The TRAM light rail that serves the coast north of Alicante does not come anywhere near. No official source publishes a drive time from the coast to either airport or to the inland city, so we will not invent one, but plan on running a car.
What share of Orihuela Costa's residents are foreign?+
Nobody can honestly tell you. The national statistics office publishes a foreign share only for the municipality of Orihuela as a whole, and the coast and the inland city are obviously different populations, so that figure describes neither. The town hall's own 2024 release is internally inconsistent: its count of Spanish nationals does not reconcile with the share it states. We therefore publish no foreign share for the coast. What can be said: the municipality's largest foreign group is British by a wide margin, ahead of Moroccan, Ukrainian, Russian and Colombian, and that is a municipal figure.
What are the costs of buying property in Orihuela Costa?+
When buying property in Orihuela Costa, budget for property transfer tax (ITP) of 9% up to 1.000.000 € (11% above that, each band taxed at its own rate, as with income tax), plus roughly 3-4% in notary, land registry and legal fees. Agency commission is usually paid by the seller. On the mainland and the Balearics, new builds pay VAT (IVA) of 10% plus AJD stamp duty instead of ITP. Transfer tax is set by Comunitat Valenciana rather than nationally, and reduced rates can apply for main homes and younger buyers.
What are the ongoing costs of owning property in Orihuela Costa?+
Annual property ownership costs in Orihuela Costa include IBI (property tax) of 0.4-1.1% of cadastral value, community fees (for apartments), rubbish collection tax (basura), utility bills, and property insurance. Budget approximately 2-4% of property value per year for all running costs. IBI is set by the town hall of Orihuela Costa within a national band, so it is municipal rather than regional.
What taxes do I pay when selling property in Orihuela Costa?+
When selling property in Orihuela Costa, you pay capital gains tax (plusvalía) on the profit at rates of 19-26% depending on the gain amount. Non-residents have 3% of the sale price withheld at completion. You may also pay municipal capital gains tax. Main residence exemptions may apply for residents over 65. Capital gains tax is national, so it is the same in Comunitat Valenciana as anywhere in Spain. Plusvalia municipal is set by the town hall of Orihuela Costa and has had two calculation methods since the 2021 reform, so ask your lawyer which one is cheaper for you.
Can I still get a Golden Visa by buying property in Spain?+
No. Spain withdrew the Golden Visa property investment route in April 2025, so buying in Orihuela Costa no longer leads to residency. Non-EU buyers who want to live in Spain apply for a separate permit instead, most often the non-lucrative visa (proof of income and private health insurance) or the digital nomad visa (remote work for non-Spanish clients). Ask an immigration lawyer which route fits your situation before you buy.

Transfer tax rates as of August 2026. Rates are set per autonomous community and do change. Confirm the current figures with a Spanish lawyer or tax adviser before you budget.

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