Murcia may not be one of the most famous cities in Spain, but it is one with lots to offer for anyone looking to visit or relocate to the south of Spain. Murcia is located in the south-east of the country and is the seventh largest city in Spain. It is also the capital of the wider region of Murcia. It is known as being a university town with two major universities situated here, and it therefore attracts a lot of Spanish as well as international students.
It benefits from not getting too crowded with tourists, who are more likely drawn to cities like Barcelona and Madrid, and coastal resorts during the spring and summer months. This is good for people living in Murcia, but it does not mean it is not a lively city. The city is especially bustling during term times when the 50,000-strong student population is in residence.
Parts of Murcia have extremely low costs of living and rent prices, while even the more expensive ones are impressively affordable. One-bedroom city centre apartments in Murcia would cost you around €420 per month, with slightly lower prices outside of the centre. Rooms for rent in Murcia are also available within shared houses and apartments, where you could save even more money.
You can use our search portal on Nestpick to find apartments for rent in Murcia that will make you feel at home in this Spanish city.
Best areas to live in Murcia
The city of Murcia is made up of 28 barrios, or districts. The most populated of these barrios is El Carmen to the south of the Segura River. As the districts of Murcia are quite small, many of them are gathered closely around the city centre. The barrios of La Paz, La Fama, and Vistabella are located nearby on the eastern side of the city, San Antón, San Basilio, and El Ranero to the north, San Andrés on the west, and Santiago el Mayor in the south. These and all the other Murcia districts are easy to get between, either on foot in many cases or by the city’s public transport.
Rental properties in Murcia, Spain are vast and varied across all 28 of Murcia’s barrios. Apartments to rent in Murcia are perfect for expats and students because of the reasonably low cost of rent.
Where to live in Murcia
Living in the city centre of Murcia
The city centre of Murcia, like any other, has lots of tourist attractions on offer, but without the massive crowds of tourists. This allows for a much more relaxed and slower-paced way of seeing the city and the sights it has to offer. There are a number of museums in the city centre, displaying art and artefacts from a range of periods as well as sharing the culture and history of the region. Then there are landmarks like the Cárcel Vieja and Plaza Santo Domingo.
Murcia’s centre also boasts a great deal of greenery, with small parks scattered all around the city. The wide variety of bars, pubs, and clubs in the city centre of Murcia make it a particular draw for the city’s students, with many premises staying open until the very early hours of the morning.
Like the rest of Murcia, renting an apartment in the city centre is affordable for all budgets. The city offers a mixture of modern style apartment blocks to accommodation in more traditional and even historic buildings. Apartments range in size from studio apartments to larger 3-bedroom apartments, with some having individual rooms to rent available within the larger apartments. Rents around €400 per month for a 1-bedroom apartment in the city centre are not uncommon, so living in this city is highly affordable. Take a look on Nestpick to see if there is something that is right for you in Murcia city centre.
Apartments in Murcia El Carmen
More than 23,000 people call the barrio of El Carmen their home, making it the most populous barrio in all of Murcia. It is also considered to be the first suburb expanded from the main city of Murcia, giving it the nickname of El Barrio among locals. It is located close to the city centre of Murcia, just south of the Segura River. Numerous bridges span this river, providing easy connections from El Carmen into Murcia.
El Carmen is also home to a number of attractions, including museums, parks, bars, and restaurants. The Jardin de Floridablanca is especially a popular place to visit. This park was built in the 18th century, making it Spain’s very first public park. It offers some spectacular sights among which to relax and soak up the sun all year round. El Carmen is home to a high school and a public medical centre, so families are also drawn to this district when looking for a place to live in Murcia.
The district features a range of hotels, holiday apartments, and residential apartment buildings. So, there is plenty available no matter the length of your stay. If you haven’t found permanent accommodation before moving to Murcia as an expatriate, then these hotels and holiday apartments can provide a comfortable place to stay while you continue your search. Apartments for rent in El Carmen are varied in terms of style and size, but all offer a high quality of living at affordable monthly prices.
Apartments in Vista Alegre
Vista Alegre is a neighbourhood bordering on the city centre to the north of Murcia. This is a convenient place to live as it puts you easily within walking distance of the city centre and all of its facilities, attractions, and amenities. It is largely a residential area that attracts a range of demographics, from students and young professionals to families and couples.
Certain university buildings are located within Vista Alegre, and there are also schools, a medical centre, and the university hospital Morales Meseguer. All of these amenities along with the great choice of parks and gardens in the neighbourhood are big draws to families relocating to Murcia, especially those with young children. While the proximity to the vibrant lifestyle of the city centre is the main draw for students.
With developments occurring from the 1950s to the 70s, this area boasts lots of large, spacious flats close to the centre of Murcia, either to buy or to rent. These apartments are ideal for expat couples or families moving to Murcia, or for a group of students looking to share accommodation. House prices, as well as monthly rent prices, are reasonable despite the high quality of accommodation in this district.
Espinardo apartments
If you’re looking for a house or apartment a little further out of Murcia city centre, then Espinardo is a great place to start your search. It is one of the larger barrios of Murcia in terms of area, although not in terms of population with more than 11,000 people living there, compared to more populated districts such as El Carmen. Espinardo is located approximately 4-5km away from Murcia city centre, with bus routes linking the two together.
The area is largely residential, but it has a number of local attractions including bars and restaurants, a sports complex, and the Murcia Zoo just outside of Espinardo’s borders. It also features all the necessities such as supermarkets, banks, schools, and a hospital. The University of Murcia has an Espinardo Campus in the north of Murcia, although it is now technically found outside of Espinardo’s borders due to recent demarcations of the districts.
In 2008, a large national housing project took place in Espinardo, creating more than 1,000 homes in the district made affordable for young people and students. So, you can find a range of apartments and houses within your budget in the neighbourhood of Espinardo. The district attracts a mixture of middle class and lower-middle-class inhabitants of a range of ages, although it is generally a younger demographic. If you’re looking for some peace away from the city centre, then Espinardo apartments will be ideal for you and your family.
Student accommodation Murcia
The low cost of living in Murcia compared with the rest of Spain makes it an attractive place for students, with student accommodation in Murcia found at around €150 - €200 per month. The city contains two main universities: The University of Murcia with around 38,000 students, and the smaller Catholic University San Antonio with over 10,000 students, although the campus of the latter university is found further out of the city to the west.
The two main campuses of The University of Murcia are found in the centre of the city and outside of Espinardo. So, there is a large student population in the centre of Murcia as well as the barrios that immediately surround it. These are also popular locations for Murcia’s students as it gives them easy access to the bars and clubs of the city, which tend to be busy all week long during term times.
There are certain dedicated student halls and apartments around the city centre, although the low rental prices in the area mean that students are not limited to these types of accommodation. So, students have a wide range of choice when it comes to finding accommodation in Murcia.
Murcia public transport
Public transport in Murcia is primarily by bus and tram lines. These effectively connect all 28 of Murcia’s barrios together, making it easy and affordable to get around the city. Murcia also has a train station, Murcia del Carmen in the neighbourhood of El Carmen. This provides connections with a variety of Spanish cities outside of Murcia, including Valencia, Madrid, and Cataluña, and even as far as Montpellier in France.
For students living in or near the city centre of Murcia with classes on the Espinardo campus, a tram line connects this campus directly to the city centre from Plaza Circular. Like the general cost of living in Murcia, the city’s public transport is reasonably priced, with a one-way ticket costing you €1.45. For regular travellers, you can also save money by purchasing a monthly transport pass for €25.