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Valencia offers a great balance of affordability, quality of life, and a relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle. The city has excellent beaches, plenty of parks, and many bars and restaurants. It's bike-friendly, walkable, and generally safe. Compared to Madrid and Barcelona, Valencia is less touristy and offers better value for money. It's an ideal place for digital nomads and families looking for comfort without breaking the bank.
However, some find Valencia a bit boring, lacking the buzz of a major city. While the center is lively, the outskirts can feel empty or run-down. Public transport is not great, but getting around by bike or on foot is easy. Renting in the center is becoming more expensive, and uncontrolled low-quality tourism has made parts of the city overcrowded and noisy. English proficiency is low, so knowing some Spanish helps. Also, most buildings lack central heating, which can be an issue in winter.
Despite these downsides, Valencia remains a highly livable city with a great mix of modern and historic elements, good weather, and a strong sense of community. If you prefer a peaceful, vibrant mid-sized city over a fast-paced metropolis, Valencia is an excellent choice.
AI-generated summary of reviews
Valencia is just a paradise on earth, and you realise it when you feel so blessed just walking around in this vibrant yet calm, small yet big city. The parks, the activities, the beaches everything is accessible and affordable. Life is simple here and you do not need much to have a nice life, we all do the same things. This is a gem in Europe and we are blessed to have found it.
1 year ago
I currently live with my family in Valencia for 5 months and every day we are grateful to have found this piece of the world that we fall in love with every day, its gastronomy, its family plans, its culture, the green areas, outdoor plans, everything is Well-being here... like every city, it has some things to improve, but it has many positive things like feeling good with what you see, with what you do, sun almost all year round, many things to do with children and adults, a lot of art and music wherever you go …we love Valencia and we are happy to live here…and of course the fallas have just finished and it is a magnificent celebration that activates all your senses…we are already looking forward to next year to enjoy it more!
2 years ago
I went to Valencia for a week and I will never go there again. As a black person, the racism there could be felt in my bones. On top of this, it was extremely boring. I went in November, so maybe this is why it was boring. However, the architecture of the city is old and did not inspire me. First place I visited where I was ready to leave after 3 days.
2 years ago
I am native spanisch teacher living now in Valencia as a nomad. After years living abroad there is something in this city that gives me the feeling something good is going on. Great mix of people and everything that’ s called mediterranean and most don’t know what they’re speaking about. Food, climate and way of life. Great coffee in Bluebell Cafe and spanisch lessons for nomads too.
2 years ago
If you're looking for the perfect place to live or visit as a digital nomad, Valencia should be at the top of your list. With its year-round good weather, beautiful beaches, and abundance of bars and restaurants, Valencia offers everything you could want in a city. But what really sets it apart is its mix of old and modern architecture, as well as its safe and friendly environment.
One of the best things about Valencia is its excellent cost/value relationship. You'll be able to enjoy all that the city has to offer without breaking the bank. And if you're looking to get out of the city and explore the natural beauty of the region, Valencia is a great base for exploring the gorgeous coast and nearby natural parks in the south.
After living in many different digital nomad hotspots over the past decade, I can confidently say that Valencia is my favorite.
I stayed at the end of 2022 in a flat very close to the beach called Cool Lofts, I found it on AIRBNB.
2 years ago
Valencia is a gem! It has a relaxed way of living as you can enjoy lots of parks and palm trees all over. We stayed for a month and worked while being there. Regarding the weather, we were there from mid September to mid October and it was a good beach time until we left – warm water and great beaches.
We didn't get to finish all the restaurants on the list while we were there. The gastronomy is amazing with lots of different tapas. You will be very happy if you like sea food as there is a wide variety. Don't forget to try Agua de Valencia and the classic Sangria. They have lots of tasting menus for two or more people that are usually a good value for money. For most of the places you need to make reservations as they are full.
We stayed in El Carmen, which is the city center where all the fun is too. But you have a great diversity of restaurants almost everywhere in the city. It is walkable and very bike-friendly. We didn’t need a monthly pass for the public transport, only used the metro for going to the airport and back and the tram for getting to the beach. We used the SUMA card on which you can put credit. We also rented electric scooters that are very easily found in most places and easy to go through the traffic.
I advise you to do some days of Duolingo before coming here because people hardly speak english. But they are willing to help and understand you so just a few basic words will be enough. They still have the mask obligation on public transport and you can’t smoke at the terraces.
The city is safe and clean. You can pay with card almost everywhere and also leave the tips with card (to which it seems they are not so used to – they look surprised when getting it sometimes).
2 years ago
Valencia has it all, good weather, beach, plethora of bars and restaurants, safe environment and great mix of old/modern architecture.
It's a very friendly place with an excellent cost/value relationship. It's a stunning base to explore the natural parks and the gorgeous coast in the South.
After living in so many digital nomad hotspots over the last 10 years, Valencia is definitely my favorite. Make sure to stay in the nice neighborhood of Ciutat Vella or Gran Via
3 years ago
Valencia is an absolute beauty of metropolis. Wether your a nomad or full time lawyer, Valencia is epic. I have lived here for 5 years now (after planning to live for 1), I have lived in London, Hong Kong, Madrid and Paris and I choose Valencia. Incredible public transport, great lively city center, cool and gentrified inner city zones and calm and great residential areas. Beautiful Architecture and friendly people enjoying a mediterranean lifestyle in ''The healthiest city on Earth'' Love Valencia, recommend it
3 years ago
Don't know why this city is ranked so high. It was super desolate and weird. There are some nicer parts, like Rufazza, but the outskirts are dead. Not much to do and only a few really nice streets. Tons of graffiti, and not even good graffiti lol.
3 years ago
I spent a few days in Valencia, an overall friendly city, and I would happily do it again. But keep to the old harbor quarters or the central parts; some of the outskirts are depressing. I was surprised by the speed at which rooms were taken off the market, presumably due to some Halloween event, and I had to flee the city for the countryside to have somewhere to stay.
3 years ago
I spent 8 days in Valencia with my boyfriend for new years. We really enjoyed it honestly. We found the city quite walkable, even though it's relatively big, very bike-friendly, felt super safe riding around. Didn't find the public transport to be bad at all, but then again we come from a capital with much shittier public transport. Food is affordable, there's tons of cafes and restaurants everywhere (they were constantly full though). My biggest issue was that barely anyone speaks any English, but from my understanding this is an issue in most of Spain. If you're looking to move there also remember there's no central heating in most buildings, so if it's winter time, it's gonna be cold. People use small radiators for the most part, but obviously that only makes a difference if it's kept on for hours in one room. Overall though, I really enjoyed the city, it was peaceful yet lively.
5 years ago
Prices have gone up, so living in the center is not that cheap anymore. Another thing: low-quality tourism has grown uncontrollably in the past few years due to lack of planning from the City, becoming a true nuisance for locals, especially in downtown. The city feels overcrowded and noisy, too much for its size and population--yes, it is a big village, not a buzzing city. Other than that, the weather is generally quite good, and although public transportation is bad, you can move around pretty easily. Not and "absolute gem" by any means (architecture is horrible other than in the center), but livable.
6 years ago
Staying in Valencia is relatively cheap, but I must admit that it's a bit boring here too. If you're looking for a place where to get some stuff done - this might be it, but I'm not coming back.
I totally second the review that said "It's more of a big village than a buzzing city".
6 years ago
I'm Irish and found it a to be a great city, What more can I say ;) Has las Fallas too which is quite frankly one of the most amazing festivals in the world.
6 years ago
I'm an American expat living in Valencia with my wife and 2 children for the past 6 months and I feel like this is the most underrated city in Europe. Hoping the word doesn't get out because this place is an absolute gem.
6 years ago
Been here for 3 months now. Have lived in several cities around the world and can say Valencia has provided the best quality of life. It has everything - a massive beach, a wonderful park that runs through the city, tons of great bars, cafes and restaurants, and a decent nightlife too. It's also cheaper and less touristy vs Madrid and Barcelona. And if you live near the center (which is possible due to lower rents), you can walk or bike everywhere. There are lots of bike paths and the metro is far nicer than London's. My bet is that it will become really popular with nomads very soon. If you come, explore Ruzafa, a hip, central area filled with great cafes for working.
7 years ago
Beautiful city with happy and very open-minded people. Almost every time I go out I see at least one gay couple holding hands or kissing in the center, on the beaches. I think the 'gay friendly' score could easily be 'great'.
7 years ago
Best city in Spain in terms of value for money. City has a very nice city center and great beaches. Perfect city to live well and get lots of work done. Don't go there if you're looking for a party city or historical sight seeing (It's more of a big village than a buzzing city).
7 years ago