Valencia housing guide for exchange students.

Cabanyal is the traditional fishermen’s area, close to the beach and not far from the university campuses (especially UV / UPV Tarongers).

Students like it because:

• It’s near the beach and the universities.
• Trams and buses connect you to the center.
• Many flats are newly renovated colivings aimed at students.

One student paid ~670€/month in a renovated coliving in Cabanyal and loved the location. Another lived in El Cabanyal and said being close to the beach was the best decision, with easy access to buses and trams.

It’s a good option if you want to run by the sea, go to beach clubs, and still reach campus quickly.

Malvarrosa is the big beach area – very famous among students.

Some students love it:

• 1 minute from the beach,
• about 10 minutes from university,
• very social in spring and summer.

Others are more cautious:

• One student rated Malvarrosa as “okay” but not amazing for coliving,
• another explicitly said to avoid Malvarrosa, especially for walking home at night, as it’s “not very well frequented.”

So: Malvarrosa is great if you’re beach-obsessed and comfortable with the vibe. If you’re more into calm, central streets and late solo walks home, you might prefer another area.

These are classic student neighborhoods between the center and the universities (especially for Universitat de València and UPV).

Real experiences:

• One student in Amistat paid 450–460€/month, in a coliving between city center and university with metro and buses nearby – recommended.
• Another in Amistat at 420€/month was 10 minutes from university and very happy.
• Near Mestalla stadium, one student shared a flat with 9 other girls for 550€ all included, 15 minutes by bus from UPV and 10 minutes to the center, and found it super easy for social life.

This zone is a great compromise: close to campus, not too far from the center, and still bikeable to the beach.

Ruzafa is the trendy, “cool brunch and bars” neighborhood slightly south of the center.

A student who lived in Ruzafa + near the faculty (450–500€/month) calls Valencia “the best destination with no regrets”, and strongly recommends Ruzafa.

Why people like it:

• Lively bars, cafés, local vibes
• Super social
• Easy access to the center; still reachable to university and beach by bike/metro

If you care more about cafés, nightlife and atmosphere than living on the sand, Ruzafa is a top choice.

Several students mention Benimaclet and areas around Viveros park (one student in a residence near there, probably “Sagunt/Sagnut”).

What they say:

• Benimaclet is full of students, with good prices and local bars.
• One student in a residence (Viveros area) paid ~800€/month but loved the area and said prices remained student-friendly compared to the Old Town.
• Old Town (“Ciutat Vella”) is beautiful but more expensive and touristy.

If you want a balance of local/student vibes and easy access everywhere, this side of town is a strong match.

Living central (Plaza España, around the Old Town, near the cathedral etc.) means:

• 10–15 minutes’ walk to “everything”,
• metro stations nearby,
• beautiful streets, historic buildings, more tourists.

One student in Plaza España paid ~520€/month, had a big room and could walk 10 minutes to most places. They loved being central and said the metro card for students (~14€/month) made everything easy.

Another warns: in the Old Town, prices for food and drinks jump compared to more student areas like Benimaclet.

Patacona is another beach area just north of Malvarrosa.

Two students in the Resa Patacona residence say:

• The view and proximity to the beach are amazing.
• The residence is clean, social and friendly.
• But: the neighborhood itself feels a bit “ugly/unsafe” and far from the center, with weaker transport connections.

So Patacona residence is cool if you want a beach-front student residence and don’t mind commuting longer or depending more on buses.

From students’ comments:

• Malvarrosa: some love it, others find it sketchy at night. If you party a lot late, don’t walk home alone at 4 a.m. from the clubs.
• Oriols: one student explicitly does not recommend the neighborhood and found it too far/out of the way.
• Some students say: “I would avoid living too close to the beach long-term” if you also want central nightlife and easy access to other areas.

Overall, Valencia is described as very safe compared to many other cities – especially for going out at night – but as always, choose your area carefully and stay aware.

This is by far the most common: you rent a room and share kitchen + living room with other students.

Typical prices from real cases:

• 400–450€/month in coliving a bit further from the center (e.g. Oriols, some Ayora flats).
• 440–460€/month in Ayora, Amistat, Malvarrosa via Rooms4Valencia.
• 500–550€/month in Ayora, between university and center, or big 10-person flats close to Mestalla or UPV.
• 600–670€/month in trendy or beach-adjacent neighborhoods like Cabanyal, Malvarrosa, or nicer/newer flats.

Pros:

• Social: easy to meet people immediately.
• Often already furnished and set up (Wi-Fi, washing machine, etc.).
• International atmosphere (Erasmus from everywhere).

Cons:

• Quality varies a lot: some are super modern, others are old and humid.
• Flatshares with 8–10 people can be intense (noise, cleaning, shared fridges…).
• Your experience depends heavily on flatmates.

Popular operators & platforms students mention:

• Rooms4Valencia (very common; many good experiences in Ayora, Amistat, etc.).
• Helloroom (coliving close to UPV / UV with private bathrooms).
• Uniplaces, Idealista, HousingAnywhere for finding shared flats.

Some students rent a “normal” apartment and then choose their flatmates (friends from their home university).

This often happens through:

• Idealista
• Spotahome
• Uniplaces
• HousingAnywhere
• Facebook groups (e.g. “Logement Valencia”, “Français à Valence”, Erasmus housing groups)

Prices:

• Around 430–600€/month per person if 3–4 people sharing.
• More if it’s very central or near the beach with high standards.

Pros:

• More control over who you live with.
• Sometimes bigger spaces, living room, balcony, etc.
• Often better value if you split a 3–4 bedroom flat.

Cons:

• Harder to secure from abroad.
• Landlords may prefer long stays or locals.
• Need to read Spanish contracts.

Residences give a more “campus life” feeling with services and events.

Examples from students:

• Resa Damia Bonet (near UV campus) – gym, games room, cafeteria, parking option, residence events, lots of students, social life guaranteed.
• Resa Patacona – directly in front of the beach, beautiful view, friendly environment, but neighborhood feels ugly/unsafe and is far from center/transport.
• Livensa Living / Livensa Living Viveros – residence in Sagnut/Viveros area, pool (closed in off-season), strict on visitors but very comfortable, good for students in Benimaclet/Viveros side.

Prices:

• Usually 800–900€/month or more, depending on room type and services.

Pros:

• All-in-one package (furniture, Wi-Fi, utilities, sometimes cleaning & gym).
• Many other internationals = easy social life.
• Residence-organised events.

Cons:

• More expensive than many colivings.
• Often stricter rules (visitor limits, quiet hours).
• Less “local” feeling than a normal apartment.

Several students say:

• Don’t book just from photos.
• Ask for a video tour or visit IRL if possible.
• Be careful in Facebook groups: some ads are fake.

One student explicitly says:

Another recommends, when using apps like Idealista or HousingAnywhere, to ask for a video call or video of the flat to make sure it’s not fake.

A few red flags students faced:

• Humidity and mold: especially in older flats and poorly insulated buildings. One mentioned mold appearing in winter.
• Noise: bad sound insulation is a common Spanish problem; you may hear everything from neighbors or roommates.
• Big colivings (10 people): fun but quickly messy and tiring, especially if everyone has different lifestyles.

If you’re very sensitive to noise or air quality, ask:

• How many people live in the flat?
• Is there heating / AC?
• Any problems with mold in winter?