Moving to Seville: Costs, Housing, Work and Tips (2026)

In short: Seville is the capital of Andalusia: a real city with an old town, two universities, the AVE to Madrid and an international airport. It suits you if you are looking for Spanish city life and can cope with very hot summers.

Who is Seville right for?

• Good: remote workers find coworking spaces, good fibre coverage and a lively city centre.
• Good: students have a wide choice with the Universidad de Sevilla and the Universidad Pablo de Olavide.
• Good: families get a German school and quiet suburbs in the Aljarafe.
• Good: if you travel a lot, you have the airport and the AVE right on your doorstep.

• Less suitable: if you do not handle heat well, you will suffer from June to September.
• Less suitable: if you want to be by the sea: the nearest beach is around an hour’s drive away.
• Less suitable: if you want to get by without Spanish, because English is rare in everyday life.

German-speaking doctors in Seville: 15 verified practices and clinics →

Where to live?

Area / town	Rent €/m²	Suits
Triana and Los Remedios	14.3	Couples, families, short distances across the river
Centro / Alameda	14.3	Singles, students, nightlife
Nervión	13.7	Commuters (Santa Justa station), families
Macarena	12.6	Smaller budgets, being close to the Virgen Macarena hospital
Sevilla Este	12.3	Families with a car, newer apartment blocks
Aljarafe: Tomares, Mairena del Aljarafe, Bormujos	10.2 to 10.8	Families, house with a garden, Metro Line 1 to Mairena

Figures from the Idealista rental report for September 2026 (districts or municipalities); in the old town, supply is small and holiday flats compete with long-term tenants.

What does life cost?

Item	Per month
Rent for a 2-room flat (approx. 70 m²)	approx. 940 €
Utilities (electricity, water, internet)	150 to 200 €
Groceries (1 person)	250 to 300 €
Transport	40 to 60 €
Total (1 person)	approx. 1,380 to 1,500 €

Rent calculated from 13.4 €/m² × 70 m² (Idealista, September 2026), the rest is an estimate; in summer, the air conditioning pushes up the electricity bill.

Working

Seville lives from administration, services, tourism and trade. On top of that come aviation (Airbus builds aircraft here) and the agricultural and food industry. Local salaries are well below German levels, and jobs without good Spanish exist almost only in tourism or in international call centres. Seville works best with a remote job or as a freelancer with clients outside Spain. More on this: working in Spain, autónomo.

Everyday life: climate, health, schools, transport

• Climate: In July the average daily high is 36.0 °C, in August 35.5 °C, and January brings an average of 5.7 °C at night; at 539 mm per year, rain falls almost only in the winter half of the year (AEMET, Sevilla Aeropuerto station, 1981 to 2010). Without air conditioning and roller shutters, the summer is hard to bear.
• Health: The large public hospitals are the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, the Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena and, in the south, the Hospital Universitario Virgen de Valme. There are also private clinics. Link health insurance.
• Schools: The Deutsche Schule Sevilla (Colegio Alemán Alberto Durero) goes up to the Abitur (German school-leaving exam); there are also British and international private schools. Link with your family.
• Transport: The airport has direct flights to Germany, and the AVE runs from Santa Justa station to Madrid in around two and a half hours (Renfe). In the city, buses, the metro, the tram and a bike are enough; in the Aljarafe you usually need a car.

First steps on the ground

1. Apply for your NIE

   Book an appointment at one of the Policía Nacional foreigners’ offices in Seville online in good time, as slots are scarce. Guide

2. Find a flat

   View the flat yourself before signing and check the air conditioning, orientation and noise. Guide

3. Register at the town hall

   You do the Padrón at the Ayuntamiento de Sevilla, or in the Aljarafe at the town hall of your municipality. Guide

4. Open a bank account

   With your NIE, you can open an account at a Spanish bank or an online bank. Guide

5. Health card

   With your Padrón and proof of insurance, you apply for the card at the relevant Centro de Salud (health centre). Guide

Common mistakes

• Renting a flat in winter and only noticing in July that it has no air conditioning or sits right under the roof.
• Taking a ground-floor flat in a narrow old-town alley that is damp and dark in winter.
• Moving to the Aljarafe and underestimating the daily traffic jams on the bridges over the Guadalquivir.
• Scheduling the move for the weeks around Semana Santa or the Feria, when offices are slow and accommodation is expensive.

Compare: Córdoba, Cádiz, Málaga. For studying: studying in Seville.

Frequently asked questions