Cadiz is the oldest western city in the world. In fact, it was founded by the Phoenicians more than 3,000 years ago for trade purposes, as it is located at a strategic point of the Atlantic trade routes. The city, located on a small island connected to the Spanish mainland by a narrow strip of land, was once an important commercial center and the base of an impressive civil and military fleet.
The city has just over 100,000 inhabitants living together in a very small area. With a population density of 9,000 inhabitants/km², it is one of the most densely populated cities in Spain. This is due to the fact that the area of the island is only 13 km² and cannot be enlarged. Accordingly, the cost of housing is also high.
Cadiz is not particularly pretty, but in a short time you can reach the more interesting Jerez and the beautiful Seville.
The people of Cadiz are friendly, quiet, sociable and welcoming. It is easy to meet new people and make new friends. The people of Cadiz love meeting new people and they love to have fun. The city is full of students and young people who go out every night to have fun, without forgetting holidays like Carnival or Easter, when everyone, regardless of gender and age, joins this atmosphere of fun and joy.
As for the weather, Cadiz enjoys an excellent climate with more than 300 days of sunshine a year and temperatures that do not fall below 11-12°C at night, even in the coldest months. In summer they are still pleasant and hardly exceed 30/32 °C.
Cadiz is located in Andalusia and Andalusia is the poorest region in Spain, whose economy is mainly based on tourism and related industries. Recently, the Cadiz region has been rediscovered and promoted as a tourist destination, and in 2022 there were almost 280,000 tourist arrivals. This is a good thing for the city, but certainly not enough. The unemployment rate is still well above 20%.
Therefore, the only employment opportunities in the summer season are in the tourism sector. Also because the economy offers very little beyond that except a little agriculture and fishing. In addition, salaries are relatively low, but for many Spaniards this is not a problem as long as the work is quiet and leaves them time for family or friends.
So if you have good skills, I would say that Cadiz is not for you and you would be better off looking for another big Spanish city.
The only hope is that things can change, and it seems that little by little things are moving, because the number of businesses in the province of Cadiz is growing unceasingly. Ten years ago there were just over 60,000 active companies, today we have reached almost 64,000, an increase of more than 10%. So you can look optimistically into the future.
Living and working in Cadiz, pros and cons
Living in Cadiz, pros
- Friendly, open-minded and tolerant people
- Beautiful beaches nearby
- Low cost of living
- Very safe city
- Excellent weather
- Good food
- Relaxed lifestyle
Living in Cadiz, cons
- Few job opportunities
- Low salaries
- Traditionalist society
- Little cultural life
- Overcrowding, traffic and parking problems
Living and working in Cadiz, conclusion
Cadiz fully corresponds to the collective idea of Spain: a city where you do not need much money to live. The weather is great, the food and wine are good, health care and education are free, there is a high level of security and a good social system, people are hospitable, inclusive and do not judge others based on the color of their skin or religious beliefs.
The only drawback is the lack of work. And even if you do find a job, Cadiz is not the best place in the world to make money or have a career. But it all depends on what your priorities are in life.
If you are interested in work and career, I suggest you change city. On the other hand, if your priorities in life are different, you can think about it. Spain is one of the countries with the best quality of life in the world and one of the first countries in the world in terms of life expectancy (over 83 years). And that is saying something.
If you want to have all the information about how to work in Spain, I recommend you to read the article: Working in Spain
If you want to have all the information about living in Spain, you can read the article: Moving to Spain
