Almería, Spain: city and province, climate, Roquetas de Mar, El Ejido and relocation

Almería is a city and province in south-east Spain, on the Mediterranean at the eastern end of Andalusia. It is one of the driest and sunniest corners of the country, with 200 mm of rain and almost 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, and property here costs far less than on the Costa del Sol.

This guide covers the city and the province (location, climate, sights, beaches, getting there), separate sections on Roquetas de Mar and El Ejido, the two largest towns after the capital, and a detailed relocation part: residence permits, purchase and rental prices, neighbourhoods, Andalusian taxes, schools, healthcare and the drawbacks. The Tabernas desert, the Cabo de Gata natural park and the greenhouses of El Ejido are all here.

Where Almería is

Almería is the capital of the province of the same name, the easternmost of Andalusia’s eight provinces. To the east the province borders the Region of Murcia, to the west the province of Granada. The city sits on the Bay of Almería, between the Sierra de Gádor mountains and the Cabo de Gata natural park.

• Country: Spain; autonomous community: Andalusia.
• City population: 205,468 on 1 January 2025.
• Province population: 773,577, up 9% in seven years.
• Largest towns in the province: Almería, Roquetas de Mar (111,240 residents) and El Ejido (91,440).
• Foreign residents: 23.2% of the province’s population, the highest share in Andalusia and higher than in Málaga.
• Language: Spanish, the only official language in Andalusia.

On tourist maps the province’s coastline is called the Costa de Almería: from Adra in the west through Almerimar, Roquetas de Mar, Aguadulce, the city of Almería and Cabo de Gata to Mojácar, Vera and Pulpí on the border with Murcia. Next along to the west is Granada’s Costa Tropical, then the Costa del Sol; for an overview of the whole region, see our guide to Andalusia and the Costa del Sol.

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Climate: the driest and sunniest corner of Spain

Almería has a Mediterranean climate, but a very dry, almost semi-desert one. According to AEMET normals (Almería airport station, 1981–2010), the annual mean temperature is 19.1 °C, 12.6 °C in January and 26.7 °C in August, with an average August high of 31 °C. Rainfall is just 200 mm a year, spread over about 25 rainy days. Sunshine reaches 2,994 hours a year, more than in Málaga, Seville or Granada.

There is practically no summer rain: 1 mm a month in July and August. Most rain falls between October and December, and even then it is only 27–30 mm a month. Winters are mild, with an average January low of 8.3 °C. In practical terms, winter here is among the warmest and sunniest in mainland Spain, while summer means long heat and dry air; water scarcity is a constant issue for the region.

To compare with other Spanish cities by winter and summer temperatures, sunshine and rain, see our ranking of the climate of Spain by region and city.

Best time to visit

The swimming season usually runs from June to October. July and August are the hottest months, averaging 26–27 °C with daytime highs around 31 °C. For trips to Tabernas and hiking in Cabo de Gata, spring and autumn work better: in April–May and October–November daytime temperatures are 20–25 °C and there is almost as much sun as in summer. In winter Almería is a good choice for anyone after warmth without flying to the Canary Islands: December and January average about 13 °C with 180–195 hours of sunshine a month.

What to see in Almería and the province

• The Alcazaba: a 10th-century Moorish fortress on the hill above the city, founded under the Caliph of Córdoba Abd al-Rahman III. It is one of the largest Muslim fortresses in Spain; next to it are the walls on San Cristóbal hill.
• The cathedral: built as a fortress-cathedral, because in the 16th century the coast suffered pirate raids.
• Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park: 49,512 hectares of land and sea in the municipalities of Almería, Níjar and Carboneras, with about 50 km of rocky volcanic coastline. The park is a biosphere reserve and a UNESCO Global Geopark. Inside are the villages of San José, La Isleta del Moro and Las Negras, the Cabo de Gata lighthouse and salt flats with flamingos.
• The Tabernas desert: a protected natural area of about 11,450 hectares, 30 km north of the city and one of the driest places in Europe. Spaghetti westerns were filmed here, and the film-set towns still stand.
• Mojácar: a white hilltop village above the sea, one of the most beautiful in the province. Half of its residents are foreigners, mostly British.
• Níjar: an old village of potters and weavers at the foot of the mountains, the gateway to Cabo de Gata.

Beaches

Almería’s beaches come in two kinds. Town beaches are long and sandy with promenades: in Almería itself, in Aguadulce and Roquetas de Mar, in Almerimar (El Ejido), in Mojácar and in Vera. Wild beaches are the coves of Cabo de Gata: Mónsul, Genoveses and Los Muertos near Carboneras, reached on foot or by dirt track; in summer car access to some of the park’s beaches is restricted. Blue Flag beaches can be found in Mojácar, Roquetas de Mar and other towns in the province; the ADEAC association publishes the current list each season.

How to get to Almería

Almería airport is small: in 2025 it handled 801,689 passengers, 1.9% more than the year before. Its main foreign market is the United Kingdom, with 249,124 passengers. For comparison, Málaga airport handled 26.8 million people in the same year, so many travellers fly to Málaga and continue along the A-7 motorway on the coast.

Almería does not yet have high-speed rail. The Murcia–Almería line is under construction, but as of October 2026 there is no official opening date. Roquetas de Mar is 18 km from the provincial capital and El Ejido 33 km; buses run between the towns.

Roquetas de Mar: the resort town

Roquetas de Mar is the province’s second-largest town: 111,240 residents on 1 January 2025, up 17% since 2018. It is a coastal municipality west of Almería with the resort areas of Aguadulce and Playa Serena (Urbanización de Roquetas), a harbour, Santa Ana castle and six Blue Flag beaches.

• Foreign residents: 30.6% of the population; the largest community is Romanian, 8,129 people, followed by Moroccans. The town also has 1,035 Russian and 556 Ukrainian citizens (1 January 2025), more than a third of all Russian citizens in the province and more than in Almería itself.
• Housing: the Ministry of Housing’s appraised value in Q2 2026 was €1,706/m², up 14% year on year. The median flat rent according to 2024 tax returns was €450 a month for 77 m²; new contracts cost more.
• British school: Roquetas is home to The British School of Almería, the only British school in the province authorised by Andalusia to teach the full cycle, from Nursery to Year 13.
• Unemployment: 12% according to Andalusia’s municipal statistics for 2025.

Roquetas suits those who want the sea and resort infrastructure half an hour from the provincial capital and the airport. Aguadulce is the most established part, with a marina and promenade; Playa Serena means golf and hotels; old Roquetas is a year-round town to live in.

El Ejido: the “sea of plastic” and greenhouse work

El Ejido is the province’s third-largest town, with 91,440 residents. It is Europe’s capital of greenhouse farming: on the Campo de Dalías plain, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes are grown under plastic for export. According to the Andalusian government’s mapping, greenhouses covered 33,787 hectares of the province in 2024, two thirds of them in the Campo de Dalías, and the municipality of El Ejido alone accounts for 13,312 hectares. From the air it looks like a solid white field, hence the nickname “sea of plastic”.

• Foreign residents: 32.1% of the population, more than half of them Moroccans working in the greenhouses and packing plants. The town also has 655 Russian citizens (669 a year earlier) and 179 Ukrainian citizens.
• Housing: the most affordable of the three towns, with an appraised value of €1,372/m² in Q2 2026 and a median rent of €400 a month for 78 m² according to 2024 tax data.
• Work: municipal unemployment is 9.2%, lower than in Almería (17.6%) and Roquetas. There are jobs, but in agriculture, logistics and packing rather than offices.
• Resort: by the sea is Almerimar, with a marina and a golf course; El Ejido has four Blue Flag beaches.
• Hospital: Hospital Universitario Poniente is on the road to Almerimar and serves the west of the province.

An important point about greenhouse jobs: neither the digital nomad visa nor the non-lucrative residence permit allows this work. To be hired by a Spanish employer you need a work visa or a residence permit through arraigo (settlement); more on that below.

Moving to Almería: which residence permit fits

There are no special rules for Almería: people move on the standard grounds for Spanish residence. The route is chosen by the source of income.

• Remote work for foreign clients or employers: the digital nomad visa, with income from €2,849 a month for the main applicant, plus €1,069 for the first family member and €356 for each additional one. Applications go to the UGE, the unit that handles cases under the Entrepreneurs Law 14/2013, with a fee of €73.26. If you are already legally in Spain, you can get a residence permit for up to three years straight away.
• Living on savings, rental income, dividends or a pension: the non-lucrative residence permit, requiring €2,400 a month (€28,800 a year) for the main applicant and €600 a month for each family member. You apply at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence; the fee is €10.94. This permit does not allow any work, including remote work.
• Employment, including in agriculture: a work visa based on a job offer from a Spanish employer.
• Arraigo (settlement): for those who have already lived in Spain for two years.

General-regime cases (renewals of the non-lucrative permit, arraigo, employment) are handled by the province’s immigration office: the Oficina de Extranjería de Almería at Calle Marruecos, 1, in the city of Almería. Fingerprints for the residence card (TIE) are taken at the National Police by appointment. After five years of legal residence you can apply for permanent residence in Spain.

If you are moving with capital, plan ahead, before you become a Spanish tax resident: selling assets, the ownership structure, gifts to children and the choice of tax regime all cost differently before and after the move. If you would like to go through your own situation, book a consultation.

Property in Almería: purchase and rental prices

Almería is one of the most affordable places on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. According to idealista, in August 2026 a flat in the city of Almería was listed at an average of €1,807/m², 11.3% more than a year earlier but a third below the Spanish average (€2,924/m²). A 100 m² flat at the average price comes to about €180,000; in Marbella, at its average price, it would be about €600,000.

• Appraised value according to the Ministry of Housing in Q2 2026: Almería €1,796/m², up 21% year on year; Roquetas de Mar €1,706/m², up 14%; El Ejido €1,372/m², up 21%. The provincial average is €1,493/m², the Spanish average €2,355/m². New-build homes in Almería are appraised at €2,398/m². Prices are rising faster than the national average, which matters for your numbers: the window of cheap property is narrowing.
• Rent: according to landlords’ tax returns (the state SERPAVI index), the median flat rent in 2024 was €549 a month in Almería, €450 in Roquetas and €400 in El Ejido, but these are existing, often older contracts.
• No rent cap: Andalusia has not declared any stressed rental market zones, so landlords set new rents freely. How to search for a flat and what to check in the contract is covered in our guide to renting a flat in Spain.
• Holiday lets: under Andalusia’s Decree-Law 1/2025, town halls can restrict tourist flats by zone and suspend new registrations for up to three years; a building’s community rules can also ban short-term letting. If you are buying to let, check this before the purchase.

For a buyer with a budget from €500,000, Almería offers what costs several times more on the Costa del Sol: a villa with a plot and sea views, or a penthouse with a large terrace by the beach. How the transaction, the deposit and the property checks work is explained in our guide on how to buy a house in Spain.

Where to live: neighbourhoods and towns

According to idealista data for August 2026, the most expensive areas of the city of Almería are Vega de Acá–Nueva Almería (€2,641/m²), Retamar (€2,443/m²), El Toyo (€2,412/m²) and Ciudad Jardín–Tagarete (€2,335/m²). These are new seafront districts on the east side of the city, closer to the airport and Cabo de Gata: wide streets, modern buildings and golf courses in El Toyo. The cheapest is the historic La Chanca–Pescadería district (€604/m²), but newcomers are usually advised against living there: it is a poor neighbourhood with low-quality housing stock.

• Nueva Almería and Ciudad Jardín: city living by the sea, with a promenade, schools and services within walking distance.
• Retamar and El Toyo: resort districts on the road to Cabo de Gata, houses with gardens and golf; inconvenient without a car.
• Aguadulce (Roquetas de Mar): marina, promenade, closer to the British school; about 20 minutes to central Almería.
• Mojácar and Vera: the east of the province, with a British community: in Mojácar foreigners made up half the population in 2022 and British citizens 29%. Murcia is closer from here than Málaga.
• Almerimar (El Ejido): marina and golf in the west, a quiet resort among the greenhouses.

To compare with the neighbours: to the west, Granada and Málaga; to the east, Murcia. If you need a large city with jobs and transport, see moving to Málaga.

Taxes in Almería: Andalusian rules

Almería follows Andalusia’s tax legislation, the Law 5/2021 on ceded taxes. For a wealthy family it is one of the gentlest regimes in Spain for inheritance and gifts.

• Transfer tax on resale homes (ITP): 7%. On a €600,000 villa that is €42,000. A reduced 6% applies to a main residence up to €150,000, and 3.5% to buyers under 35 within the same limits. In Almería the relief is genuinely usable: at the average asking price, €150,000 buys a flat of about 80 m², whereas in Marbella it buys less than 35 m².
• New builds: VAT (IVA) plus stamp duty (AJD) at 1.2%.
• Inheritance: for children, spouses and parents (groups I and II), the taxable base is reduced by €1,000,000 per heir, and a 99% relief applies to the remaining tax. More in our guide to inheritance and gift tax in Spain.
• Gifts: the same relatives get a 99% relief if the gift is declared voluntarily and gifts of money or goods worth over €5,000 are executed before a notary. This makes it possible to pass capital to children during your lifetime almost tax-free.
• Wealth tax: the tax-free allowance is €700,000, a main residence is exempt up to €300,000, and Andalusian law provides a 100% relief. But while the state solidarity tax on large fortunes (ITSGF) applies, payable on net wealth above €3 million, the full relief only works for those who do not pay it. For everyone else the relief is reduced by the amount of that tax, so in the end they pay the Treasury an amount equal to the ITSGF. The tax has been extended indefinitely, pending reform of regional financing.
• Income tax (IRPF): the regional scale runs from 9.5% to 22.5%: 9.5% up to €13,000, then 12%, 15% and 18.5%, and 22.5% above €60,000. The state portion is added on top.

Employees relocating for a job, and digital nomads, should check the Beckham Law: six years of a flat rate on Spanish income instead of the progressive scale.

Schools: British and Spanish

• The British School of Almería: Roquetas de Mar, C/ Alemania, 28. Andalusia’s authorisation for the British curriculum from Nursery (age 3–4) to Year 13, for 450 places, was renewed by an order of 10 May 2023. The school was formerly called St. George’s British School of Roquetas de Mar.
• Montessori School Almería: city of Almería, Avenida Nueva Almería, 27. British curriculum from Pre-Nursery (age 2–3) to Year 6; in December 2025 Andalusia expanded its authorisation from 70 to 115 places. There is no secondary school.
• Spanish schools: the city of Almería has 60 primary and 35 secondary schools, Roquetas 24 and 17, El Ejido 23 and 14 (Andalusian statistics for the 2023/24 school year). Andalusia has one official language, Spanish, so there is no second regional language at school, and many state schools run a bilingual programme with English.
• Russian school: we found no officially registered Russian school in the province.

To be frank about the choice: there is only one international school in the province offering the full cycle to the final year, whereas the Costa del Sol has dozens. Families with teenagers who need a British qualification or the IB should factor this in before moving. The city also has a public university, the University of Almería.

Healthcare and transport

• Hospitals: the province’s main hospital is Hospital Universitario Torrecárdenas in the city of Almería; its complex includes the Red Cross hospital and the Nicolás Salmerón high-resolution centre. The west of the province is served by Hospital Universitario Poniente in El Ejido. There are 14 health centres in Almería, 5 in Roquetas and 4 in El Ejido.
• Access to public healthcare: employees and the self-employed (autónomos) register with Social Security and get a card from the Andalusian Health Service (SAS). The non-lucrative permit requires private insurance from a Spanish insurer. Without registration on the padrón you cannot be assigned a doctor or enrol a child at school.
• Transport: getting around the province without a car is hard: buses between towns, no high-speed train, a small airport. The toll-free A-7 motorway runs along the coast.

International community in Almería

Almería has the highest share of foreign residents in Andalusia, 23.2% of the province, and each part of the coast has its own mix. In Roquetas de Mar the largest community is Romanian, in El Ejido Moroccan, and the east of the province, Mojácar and Vera, is British: Mojácar has 2,213 British residents and Vera 1,019.

According to INE’s annual census for 1 January 2025, 2,875 Russian citizens lived in the province, the second-highest number in Andalusia after Málaga. Three quarters of them live in three towns: 1,035 in Roquetas de Mar, 655 in El Ejido and 443 in Almería itself. The numbers barely changed in 2024: plus one in Roquetas, minus 14 in El Ejido, minus 32 in Almería. Ukrainian citizens number 556 in Roquetas, 401 in Almería and 179 in El Ejido. In other municipalities the numbers are small: according to the last municipal census by citizenship (1 January 2022), 140 Russians in Vícar, 113 in Adra, 50–60 each in Níjar, Vera and Garrucha and 37 in Mojácar. The state register of religious entities lists no parish of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in the province. For the Russian-speaking diaspora across the country, see our article on Russians in Spain.

Drawbacks of living in Almería

• Heat and dryness: summer daytime highs around 31 °C, no rain from June to August, little greenery: this is semi-desert, not the subtropics.
• Remoteness: a small airport with a limited choice of flights and no high-speed train yet; the large airports of Málaga and Alicante are several hours away by car.
• Few international schools: only one British school with the full cycle to Year 13, in Roquetas.
• High unemployment in the provincial capital: 17.6% according to 2025 municipal statistics; local jobs are mainly in agriculture, retail and tourism.
• Small Russian-speaking community: about 2,900 Russian citizens across the whole province, with no parish of their own and no Russian schools.
• Fast-rising prices: the appraised value in Almería rose 21% in a year, faster than the Spanish average.

Key points about living in Almería

Almería is for those who want sun, sea and wild nature without the prices and crowds of the Costa del Sol. A square metre here costs half as much as in Málaga, Andalusian taxes are gentle on inheritance and gifts, and the winter is one of the warmest in mainland Spain. In exchange you get a dry semi-desert landscape, hot summers, a small airport, a single British school with the full cycle and a small Russian-speaking community. The most straightforward choice for a family is Roquetas de Mar or the new seafront districts of Almería; for a quiet life with British neighbours, Mojácar and Vera.

Frequently asked questions about Almería

Where is Almería?

In south-east Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. Almería is the capital of Andalusia’s easternmost province, which borders the Region of Murcia and the province of Granada.

What is the climate like in Almería?

Very dry and sunny: according to AEMET normals, an annual mean of 19.1 °C, 12.6 °C in January and 26.7 °C in August, just 200 mm of rain and 2,994 hours of sunshine a year. It rains on about 25 days a year, mostly in autumn and winter.

How much does property cost in Almería?

In August 2026 a flat in the city of Almería was listed at an average of €1,807 per square metre according to idealista, 11.3% more than a year earlier. The Ministry of Housing’s appraised value in Q2 2026 was €1,796/m² in Almería, €1,706/m² in Roquetas de Mar and €1,372/m² in El Ejido. The median flat rent according to landlords’ tax returns (SERPAVI, 2024) was €549 a month.

How many foreigners live in Almería province?

Foreign residents make up 23.2% of the province’s population, the highest share in Andalusia. On 1 January 2025 the province also had 2,875 Russian citizens, most of them in Roquetas de Mar (1,035), El Ejido (655) and the city of Almería (443).

Can I work in the El Ejido greenhouses on a digital nomad visa?

No. The digital nomad visa allows remote work for foreign clients or employers, and the non-lucrative residence permit does not allow work at all. To work in the greenhouses for a Spanish employer you need a work visa or a residence permit through arraigo.

Is there a British school in Almería?

Yes. The British School of Almería in Roquetas de Mar teaches the British curriculum from Nursery to Year 13 with Andalusian authorisation. In the city of Almería, Montessori School Almería follows the British curriculum up to Year 6.

Is there a high-speed train to Almería?

Not yet. The Murcia–Almería high-speed line is under construction, but as of October 2026 there is no official opening date. People fly into Almería airport, or into Málaga and continue along the A-7 motorway.

Which is better to live in, Almería or Roquetas de Mar?

Almería is the provincial capital, with Torrecárdenas hospital, a university and new seafront districts. Roquetas de Mar is a resort 18 km away with six Blue Flag beaches, the British school and the province’s largest Russian-speaking community.

Sources

• INE, municipal register (padrón) on 1 January 2025, Almería province: table 2857
• INE, annual census on 1 January 2025, population by citizenship in large municipalities: table 68544
• INE, municipal register on 1 January 2022, municipalities of Almería province by citizenship: table 33658
• AEMET, climate normals 1981–2010, Almería airport station and Málaga airport
• Spanish Ministry of Housing, appraised housing value and SERPAVI rent index
• idealista, housing prices in Almería, August 2026; Noticias de Almería, rents in Almería, August 2026
• Government of Andalusia, greenhouse mapping for Almería, Granada and Málaga, 2024
• Government of Andalusia, Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park and Tabernas desert
• Institute of Statistics and Cartography of Andalusia, municipal profiles: Almería, Roquetas de Mar, El Ejido
• Aena, Almería airport in 2025
• BOE, Andalusian Law 5/2021 on ceded taxes and Law 38/2022 on the solidarity tax on large fortunes
• BOJA, school authorisations: Montessori School Almería, 2026, British school in Roquetas de Mar
• Andalusian Health Service: Torrecárdenas hospital, Poniente hospital