The choice between the two coasts comes down to budget, the kind of home you want and how often you will fly out. In short: the Costa del Sol costs more per square metre and is mostly apartments, with Marbella as the prestige address; the Costa Blanca gives you more home for the money, far more villas with private pools, and a drier winter. Buying costs are nearly identical.
1. What we list on each coast
On the Costa del Sol we list 135 new-build homes, from €196,000 to €4.5 million and a median of about €401,500. Half are under €400,000. The mix is 116 apartments, 12 villas and 7 townhouses; every villa is over €1 million. The main towns are Estepona and Mijas (29 each), Marbella (15) and Fuengirola (14).
On the Costa Blanca, including the Mar Menor, we list more than 230 homes, from €129,300 to €4.2 million and a median of €385,000. About 55% are under €400,000. The mix is 106 apartments, 103 villas and 19 townhouses. The main towns are Torrevieja (27), Orihuela Costa (22), Finestrat (20), Pilar de la Horadada (15) and Ciudad Quesada (15), plus the golf resorts of Las Colinas and La Finca. About 27 are on the Mar Menor, in Murcia.
2. Price levels
The valuer Tinsa put the average value of housing in Málaga province at €2,786 per m² in the third quarter of 2026, against €2,057 in Alicante province: about 35% dearer, with both rising by double digits in a year. Our listings show the same gap: median asking prices are about €4,700 per m² on the Costa del Sol and €3,900 on the Costa Blanca. €350,000 buys a two-bedroom apartment in Mijas or Estepona, or a three-bedroom villa with a private pool in San Fulgencio, Orihuela Costa or on the Mar Menor.
3. Buying costs: almost the same
A new home bought from a developer carries VAT (IVA) at 10% across mainland Spain. Stamp duty (AJD) is regional: Andalucía charges 1.2%, the Valencian region 1.4% (cut from 1.5% on 1 June 2026 under Law 5/2025 of 30 May) and the Region of Murcia 1.5%, which applies to the Mar Menor homes. Notary, Land Registry and an independent lawyer add roughly 2%.
Worked example, a €350,000 home: IVA €35,000 on either coast, plus about €7,000 for notary, registry and lawyer.
Costa del Sol: AJD at 1.2% is €4,200. Total about €396,200.
Costa Blanca (Alicante province): AJD at 1.4% is €4,900. Total about €396,900.
Mar Menor (Murcia): AJD at 1.5% is €5,250. Total about €397,250.
The stamp duty gap is €700; the price per square metre matters far more. See the full cost of buying a new-build in Spain.
4. Getting there from the UK
Both coasts have a major airport with the UK as its biggest market: Málaga-Costa del Sol handled 26.8 million passengers in 2025, Spain's fourth-busiest, and Alicante-Elche 19.95 million, fifth. In July 2026 alone, 734,000 passengers flew between Alicante and UK airports. Fuengirola and Mijas are 20 to 25 minutes from Málaga airport, Marbella around 45 and Estepona about 50. Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa and Ciudad Quesada are 30 to 45 minutes from Alicante airport, and the Mar Menor also has Murcia airport close by.
5. Climate: Alicante is drier
Equally warm, not equally dry. AEMET's 1981 to 2010 normals give Alicante an annual mean of 18.3°C, 311 mm of rain, 37.5 rain days and 2,851 hours of sunshine; Málaga airport records 18.5°C, 534 mm, 42.3 rain days and 2,905 hours. The gap is concentrated in winter: Málaga averages 100 mm in December and 69 mm in January, Alicante 25 mm and 23 mm.
6. Landscape and character
The Costa del Sol is a mountain coast: developments climb the hills behind Marbella and Estepona for the sea views, and the Estepona and Benahavís golf valleys are full of apartments. Marbella adds Puerto Banús, international schools and prestige. The southern Costa Blanca is flat and open, built around the salt lakes of Torrevieja and La Mata, long beaches and dozens of golf courses; the villas with private pools are inland at Ciudad Quesada, Las Colinas and La Finca. The Mar Menor is a calm, shallow lagoon suited to families; the northern coast around Finestrat is steeper and more Spanish in feel.
7. Letting
Both regions require a holiday let to be registered in the regional tourist register before it is advertised, and both have tightened up. Andalucía's Decree 31/2024 (in force since 22 February 2024) lets councils cap tourist homes by building or zone; Málaga city has used it to stop new registrations in 43 neighbourhoods. The Valencian region's Decree-law 9/2024 (in force since 8 August 2024) limits registrations to five years before renewal and gives councils the same capping power. Check the exact address and building before you buy to let. Tax is identical: a UK-resident owner pays non-resident income tax at 24% on gross rent, against 19% net for EU and EEA residents; confirm your position with a tax adviser.
8. Who each coast suits, and a decision list
The Costa del Sol suits buyers who want an apartment in a known international resort, a short transfer or the Marbella address, and will pay more per square metre for it. The Costa Blanca suits buyers who want a villa with a pool for the price of a Costa del Sol apartment, a dry winter and a large English-speaking community, and are happy with a flatter landscape.
Budget under €300,000: the Costa Blanca gives you two or three bedrooms; the Costa del Sol a one- or two-bedroom apartment, mostly in Mijas.
A villa with a pool under €600,000: Costa Blanca, almost certainly.
Spending January and February there: the Costa Blanca is drier.
What to do next
Browse every new-build we list on the Costa del Sol and on the Costa Blanca, and run any home through the cost and yield calculator. Whichever coast, get your NIE early, appoint an independent lawyer, and read our guide to stage payments and bank guarantees before paying a deposit off plan. Spain's Golden Visa closed on 3 April 2025, so without residency the 90 days in any 180 Schengen limit applies on either coast. This guide reflects the position on 13 October 2026 and is not tax or legal advice.