Logroño, Spain

Expats In Logroño, Spain

Aside from all the practical matters, Logroño is simply an upbeat and enjoyable place to be—although it’s still fairly unknown to expats.

Those expats who have moved here, however, enjoy the low cost of living, the superb food and wine, and how easy it is to get around on foot.

Lovers of good wine, good food, and a completely-walkable medieval downtown—in a small, manageable city—should have Logroño high on your retirement list.

“On our first visit to town, we swapped our three-day stay in Madrid for three days in Logroño, on the recommendation of a Madrid resident,” says roving expat and Live and Invest Overseas contributor Lee Harrison. “Logroño turned out to be our most memorable stop of the trip that year… a stop that put it on our itinerary for good.”

Watch this space!

Average Cost Of Living In Logroño, Spain

The cost of living in Logroño is quite low, especially when compared to the big-name tourist destinations like Madrid, Barcelona, or Seville.

Even if you prefer a formal dining experience, the reasonable restaurant prices and low wine prices will come as a surprise. Rent is reasonable, market prices are inexpensive, and home prices are low by European standards.

Although property prices are very reasonable, resist the temptation to buy where all the action is downtown. While this can be fun for a visitor—and productive as a rental—the sun will be coming up by the time things quiet down enough to sleep with the windows open.

Just a few blocks away, you’ll find much quieter surroundings suitable for a longer-term stay or part-year residence.

For less than US$100,000, you can find an older apartment in a super location.

Recently, a unit was for sale with 72 meters (775 square feet) of living space with two bedrooms and one bathroom. It had two small balconies looking onto the street. Situated in a good downtown location—about one-and-a-half blocks from the stone bridge—but not in a chaotic tourist area. Built in 1989, the unit was on the second floor with no elevator. It was a bargain with an asking price of just $87,000.

For something a bit larger, there’s a fourth-floor unit (with elevator) also located in the historic center. It has 102 meters of living space (about 1,100 square feet) counting the balconies, with two bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The asking price on this one is $146,000.

Click here for currency conversion at today’s exchange rate.

If you really want to have pintxos at your doorstep, there’s a good unit for sale at the center of all Logroño’s action. It’s a classy unit with newly refurbished parquet floors, new bathrooms, and lots of attractive wood trim. With two bedrooms and two bathrooms, it has 76 meters of living space (817 square feet). It’s on the third floor, with two elevators. The asking price is $234,000.

Two-bedroom units in the historic center rent for between 750 euros and 1,100 euros per month, depending on size and location.

Looking to buy a property to rent out? Logroño’s property market is not bad compared to a few others available in northern Spain.

Above all, if you rent long-term (more than monthly), expect to net around 5.5%, allowing for HOA fees and property taxes. If you operate a vacation rental using Airbnb, the best you can expect is around 11%, allowing for HOA fees, taxes, and a 65% occupancy. Spanish income taxes haven’t been factored in here.

Let’s take a closer look at the cost of living in Logroño.

Apartment Or House Rental Budget (For A Couple)

Things To Do In Logroño, Spain

Logroño’s narrow, cobblestone streets are lined with attractive, well-preserved buildings holding a wealth of small cafés, restaurants, shops… and of course tapas bars.

While the architecture, the river, plazas and parks are beautiful, it’s the “tapas culture” that will bring you onto the street night after night.

In this region, the wine is the feature attraction, rather than the pintxos (tapas) themselves. A glass of a decent wine goes for two euros… while a premium wine will run beyond four euros. (Wine by the bottle is priced equally low.) By comparison, in California a good wine can easily top US$20 per glass.

Not only that, but Logroño’s character changes throughout the day. It’s a joy to take a stroll in the morning when the streets are quiet and there’s almost no one out and about.

During the afternoon, you can enjoy the bars and cafés with a light crowd… they’re not deserted but not packed.

After 8 p.m., the town is energetic, bustling, and chaotic along some of the downtown streets.

Tapas And Pintxos in Logroño

Go on a tapas trail around the city of Logroño.

“Tapas” in this part of Spain are more-commonly called by their Basque name of “pintxos” (pronounced PEEN-chos, and written in Spanish as pinchos).

Technically, pintxos and tapas can be somewhat different, but the idea is the same…it’s a small, less-than-appetizer sized portion of some house specialty, that’s served informally with wine…normally while standing at a bar or high-top table.

Pintxos are often a more-enjoyable substitute for a more formal, sit-down meal while in Spain.

Here’s how the experience works: You pass by an inviting-looking café or bar, and one of their appetizer-sized delicacies on display catches your eye. It could be Spanish meatballs, chorizo, olives, cheeses, croquettes, shrimp, etc.

So you walk in, order a glass of good wine, and sample the pintxos. Maybe you just have the one that caught your eye… maybe more. Then you move on, until the next pintxo (or wine) calls out to you further down the street…

After a few hours, you’ve sampled a wide array of regional wines, and a diverse selection of local delicacies, without having to spend hours inside the same restaurant.

Dining like this means you eat a lot less, spend less, and walk a lot more. What’s more, you see more places, experience more of the city, and meet more people.

The tapas bars and restaurants are buzzing, and thousands fill the downtown area to sample the renowned pintxos and Rioja wines.

To see how bustling it can be, head to Calle del Laurel—the most-popular, with its wall-to-wall tapas bars—or Calle Portales.

Culture And Sight-Seeing In Logroño

But there’s far more to the city than these popular venues… frequent visitors will stick to Logroño’s hidden-away alleys and walkways that conceal those pintxo bars that few visitors know about.

There’s more to Logroño than just great food and drink, though. Culture-vultures will delight in the many ancient structures and museums in the city.

Be sure to visit the Museo de la Rioja. The museum is situated in an old 18^th century palace and houses many artifacts from pre-Roman and Roman times as well as from the Middle Ages through to modern day.

You’ll see ancient Roman coins, a collection of spears and swords, and even a tablet from the famous San Millán monasteries. These historical objects on display were all found in the Rioja region.

Also visit the oldest church in Logroño—Church of San Bartolomé. Built in the 12^th-century, it’s an impressive site to behold. You can climb to the top for spectacular views of the city.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Redonda is also must-see. Construction for this cathedral began in the 15^th century but wasn’t completed until the 18^th century.

Safety In Logroño, Spain

Crime rates in Logroño are low and overall the city is considered a safe place to live. As always, exercise caution when walking around at night and lock up your property securely when you leave.

Health Care In Spain

The Spanish health care system is one of the best in the world. It placed seventh in the most recent World Health Organization rankings. In comparison, the U.S. ranks #37 and Canada ranks #30.

As a North American retiree, you likely won’t have free access to the Spanish public health system. But there is a pay-in scheme of around US$65 a month for under-65s and US$170 a month for older residents.

Meantime, private health insurance plans start from around US$300 a month.

The good news is that there are several hospitals in Logroño and also a number of high-standard medical and dental clinics in the city. So should you get sick or have ongoing health issues, you will be well catered for with the health care offered in Logroño.

Spain: Visa And Residency Information

U.S. citizens can enter Spain for visits of up to 90 days visa-free for tourism, business, and short-term study purposes. The U.S. has an agreement with the EU that allows Americans to visit countries within the Schengen Zone and Europe (which includes Spain), for travel without a visa.

For this, you’ll need a valid passport, proof of a return ticket, proof of the reason you’re traveling to Spain, travel insurance and proof of financial means and accommodation while you’re in Spain.

However, if you wish to stay longer than 90 days, you need a “long-stay visa” in your passport before you leave the United States.

Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa

As of June 2023, Spain has a digital nomad visa that lets remote workers and freelancers live and work in the country for a year (renewable for up to five years).

After five years of legally living in Spain, you can apply for permanent residency.

Most importantly, Spain’s digital nomad visa has a minimum income requirement, currently set at US$2,332 per month for an individual.

Spain’s Golden Visa

Spain introduced a residency by investment visa in November 2013, modified in July 2015 to make it more attractive. Known as the Golden Visa, there are several options for how to qualify:

• A minimum of 1 million euros in shares of a Spanish company (or companies);

OR

• Invest 1 million euros on a bank deposit or investment fund, or 2 million in Spanish treasury bonds;

OR

• Property purchase with a minimum value of 500,000 euros. This can be one property or an accumulation of two or more less expensive properties, but the initial 500,000 euros investment must be mortgage-free (although any portion over 500,000 euros may be funded via a mortgage).

This investor visa covers the legal spouse of the visa holder, civil and common law partners, dependent parents, and dependent children, including those over 18.

To initiate the process you can apply in Spain for a six-month visa once a contract to purchase a property is signed and deposit funds are in a Spanish bank account.

Thereafter, a five-year renewal is given and this can be done from outside Spain.

The visa includes the right to work and the right to access social security and health care once employed.

The Golden Visa—Investment in Spanish Property

The Golden Visa is a residence visa for non-EU members and can be granted to anyone who invests 500,000 euros or more in Spanish property, and it’s a fast track for permanent residency.

The visa allows you to live and work in Logroño and the rest of Spain.

To qualify, as well as buying a property for 500,000 euros (or more), you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be a resident of a country outside the European Union.

• Be over 18 years of age.

• Have no criminal record.

• Have private medical insurance in Spain.
• Demonstrate that you have sufficient financial means to live in Spainand support your family.

To get the Golden Visa through the investment of real estate, you’ll need to provide purchase of property proof.

The main benefits of obtaining a Golden Visa is that your residence permit is fast-tracked to three years. After that you may qualify for permanent residence and Spanish citizenship. The visa also allows free movement through the rest of the 26 European countries in the Schengen zone.

Here is more information about this.

The weather in Logroño is pleasant all year.

July is the hottest month with warm days and pleasantly cool nights… the average high is 86°F, while the low is a cool 60°F (that’s 30°C and 16°C, respectively).

The coldest month in Logroño is January, with a still-livable high of 50°F (10°C).