City comparison
San Sebastian vs Seville: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Seville is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €250 a month less than San Sebastian, mostly because of rent. Seville has the milder winter (about 17°C vs 14°C average highs in Dec to Feb). Both are in Spain, so the visa rules, taxes and healthcare system are the same: the choice comes down to cost, climate and lifestyle.
Choose San Sebastian for
- Beach life
- Nature & green space
- Mountains nearby
- Family life
Choose Seville for
- Affordability
- Sunny, warm climate
- Culture
- Expat community
- Lower living costs
San Sebastian vs Seville at a glance
| San Sebastian | Seville | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Spain | Spain |
| Single budget / month | €1,850 | €1,600 |
| Couple budget / month | €2,700 | €2,350 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,050 | €750 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 14°C / 56°F | 17°C / 63°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 25°C / 77°F | 35°C / 95°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 1,784 | 3,089 |
| City size | Mid-size city | Large city |
| Coastal | Yes | No |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | No |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: San Sebastian or Seville?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €1,850 a month for one person in San Sebastian and €1,600 in Seville, rent included. For a couple it’s €2,700 vs €2,350, and for a family of four €4,000 vs €3,400.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,050 in San Sebastian against €750 in Seville, while a monthly transit pass costs - vs €30. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 14°C (56°F) in San Sebastian and 17°C (63°F) in Seville. In summer it’s roughly 25°C vs 35°C. San Sebastian gets about 1,784 hours of sunshine a year and Seville about 3,089.
1,784 hours of sunshine a year · 1,747 mm of rain a year · Source: San Sebastian airport (Hondarribia) 1991-2020 normals (Meteo Climat) via the Wikipedia climate table
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13°C / 56°F | 5°C / 42°F |
| Feb | 14°C / 57°F | 5°C / 42°F |
| Mar | 16°C / 61°F | 8°C / 46°F |
| Apr | 18°C / 64°F | 9°C / 49°F |
| May | 21°C / 69°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| Jun | 23°C / 74°F | 15°C / 60°F |
| Jul | 25°C / 77°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Aug | 26°C / 79°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Sep | 24°C / 75°F | 15°C / 59°F |
| Oct | 21°C / 70°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| Nov | 16°C / 61°F | 8°C / 47°F |
| Dec | 14°C / 57°F | 6°C / 43°F |
3,089 hours of sunshine a year · 502 mm of rain a year · Source: AEMET 1991-2020 normals (Seville airport) via the Wikipedia climate table
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16°C / 61°F | 6°C / 43°F |
| Feb | 18°C / 65°F | 7°C / 45°F |
| Mar | 22°C / 71°F | 10°C / 49°F |
| Apr | 24°C / 75°F | 12°C / 53°F |
| May | 28°C / 83°F | 15°C / 59°F |
| Jun | 33°C / 91°F | 19°C / 65°F |
| Jul | 36°C / 97°F | 21°C / 69°F |
| Aug | 36°C / 97°F | 21°C / 70°F |
| Sep | 32°C / 89°F | 18°C / 65°F |
| Oct | 26°C / 79°F | 15°C / 59°F |
| Nov | 20°C / 69°F | 10°C / 50°F |
| Dec | 17°C / 62°F | 7°C / 45°F |
Daily life
San Sebastian is a mid-size city on the coast; Seville is a large city. San Sebastian is a small, safe and very beautiful seaside city, famous for its food and three city beaches. It is also one of the most expensive places to rent in our Spanish set, and it rains a lot. Seville is Spain's most atmospheric southern city: monumental, affordable, and made for long evenings outdoors. It is also very hot in summer and has fewer English speakers and no direct North American flights.
Living in San Sebastian: the upsides and downsides
- One of Europe's great food cities
- Three city beaches and green hills to hike
- Very safe and easy to walk or cycle
- Downside: High rents and very few long-term rentals
- Downside: Rainy, mild climate with fewer sunny days than southern Spain
Living in Seville: the upsides and downsides
- Lower rents than Madrid, Barcelona or Malaga in our estimates
- Superb monuments, tapas and festivals
- Compact, bikeable center
- Downside: Extreme summer heat: average July highs of 36.3 C
- Downside: English is less common than in other big Spanish cities
Visas and residency
Both cities are in Spain, so you’d use the same residence routes either way:
- Spain Digital Nomad Visa (Telework Visa) - Digital nomad visa, open, €2,442/mo income
- Spain Entrepreneur Visa - Entrepreneur route, open, €600/mo income
- Spain Golden Visa (Closed 2025) - Golden visa, closed, €500,000 investment
- Spain Non-Lucrative Visa (Residence Without Work) - Retirement visa, open, €2,400/mo income
Read the full guides: living in San Sebastian and living in Seville.
Related comparisons
- Malaga vs Seville
- Madrid vs Seville
- Seville vs Valencia
- Barcelona vs Seville
- Granada vs Seville
- Bordeaux vs San Sebastian
- Barcelona vs San Sebastian
- Palma de Mallorca vs Seville
- Palma de Mallorca vs San Sebastian
- Madrid vs San Sebastian
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 56 cities we cover. Methodology.