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Costa Blanca or Costa del Sol? How to choose your coast

Costa Blanca or Costa del Sol? How to choose your coast

Published 8 October 2026 · 5 min read

Most of our clients arrive torn between the same two coasts. Both have mild winters, international communities and a deep pipeline of new-build homes. The difference is in the details.

Getting there

The Costa Blanca is served by Alicante–Elche airport, roughly in the middle of the coast, so most towns from Finestrat to Torrevieja are within about 45 minutes. The Costa del Sol is served by Málaga airport, with Fuengirola, Mijas and Benalmádena close by and Marbella and Estepona further west.

Budget

As a broad pattern, the Costa del Sol — especially Marbella and the New Golden Mile — trades at higher prices per square metre than most of the Costa Blanca. On the Costa Blanca, the same budget often buys an extra bedroom, a private pool or a larger terrace, particularly in the south around Rojales, Algorfa and Torrevieja.

Lifestyle

The Costa del Sol is busier and more cosmopolitan, with a dense calendar of golf, beach clubs and restaurants and a strong year-round business community. The Costa Blanca is more varied: Alicante is a real Spanish city, the north (Finestrat, Altea, Jávea) mixes mountains and coves, and the south is relaxed and golf-oriented.

Taxes

On a new-build purchase VAT is the same everywhere (10%). The regional stamp duty differs: 1.2% in Andalucía versus 1.4% in the Valencian region for deeds signed from June 2026.

How we help you decide

We usually suggest a two-day viewing trip on one coast rather than a rushed tour of both. Tell us your budget, the bedrooms you need and how you will use the home, and we will build the route.