Living in Los Cristianos means a sunny, walkable base in Tenerife South, with a working harbour, year‑round buzz and long promenades linking the island's best beaches. Expect plenty of cafés, seafood joints and everyday services, plus a sizeable expat crowd and English widely spoken.
What is life like in Los Cristianos?
Life in Los Cristianos, the Canary Islands, runs on seaside time: mornings on the harbourfront, sandy strolls along the beach, and golden hours on the promenade. The town stays lively all year thanks to the working port, Sunday and mid‑week markets, and a steady stream of ferries to other islands.
Outdoorsy types have easy wins on the doorstep: paddleboarding inside the sheltered bay, coastal runs towards Playa de las Américas, and short hikes up Montaña Chayofita.
Food is unfussy and satisfying: papas arrugadas with red and green mojo, creamy gofio escaldado, and the sweet local coffee, a barraquito. El Cine by the harbour is the classic no‑frills fish spot, while La Pepa Food Market at the Pasarela Centre gathers tapas stands and craft stalls without the seafront markup.
Culture‑wise, the Centro Cultural de Los Cristianos hosts exhibitions and community events, and carnival season brings parades and costumes through town each winter.
Living in Los Cristianos: pros and cons
Life here is easy to settle into, with a seaside routine and plenty of practicalities within walking distance, though some resort‑style trade‑offs apply in peak months.
Some of the pros of life in Los Cristianos include:
- A warm, dry microclimate and a mostly flat, walkable centre linking Los Cristianos and Las Vistas beaches.
- Strong connectivity: frequent TITSA buses, Tenerife South Airport around 15–20 minutes away, and ferries from the port to La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro.
- Everyday convenience for expats, with English widely spoken in clinics and services, plus nearby schools such as Wingate School and Colegio Internacional Costa Adeje.
A couple of potential downsides:
- Tourist noise and higher prices near the seafront, especially around the promenade and nightlife strips by Avenida Los Playeros.
- Hillside complexes in upper Los Cristianos mean longer walks to the beach and stepped access.
Cost of living in Los Cristianos
Day‑to‑day costs in Los Cristianos are fairly gentle for a resort town. A cheap main course is around €15, a meal for two in a mid‑range spot is about €50, a beer roughly €2.80, a glass of wine €4, a cappuccino or coffee €1.60, and a loaf of fresh white bread about €1.50.
Basic utilities for an 85 m² flat come in near €80 per month if you’re sensible with AC. Public transport in the south runs on the Ten+ card, and a resident monthly pass costs €19.
As for housing, as of October 2025, property prices in Los Cristianos averaged around €4,332 per m². Rent prices averaged €20.1 per m², so an 80 m² apartment would typically cost about €1,608 per month. Next door, Playa de las Américas sits higher at roughly €6,103 per m² for homes for sale, while La Caleta up the road is closer to €7,097 per m², so Los Cristianos undercuts the priciest corners of Costa Adeje.
On balance, the cost of living in Los Cristianos is moderate for Tenerife South. Everyday spending is reasonable, though frontline rentals and newer builds push budgets.
Best places to live in Los Cristianos: where to live
If you’re living in Los Cristianos, your choice is basically between the flat seafront/core and the quieter hillside complexes just above town, with a few calmer satellite spots nearby.
Centre and seafront
Suits anyone who wants the beach, shops and cafés on the doorstep. Streets around the church square and Avenida de Suecia feel local, while the Las Vistas end skews newer.
Expect older low‑rise apartments mixed with modern blocks. It’s lively on weekends and during the winter sun season.
Upper Los Cristianos (Oasis del Sur)
Residential terraces with pools and better parking, a short ride or a 20–30 minute downhill walk to the beach.
Well‑known complexes include Paradise Park, Hollywood Mirage and The Heights. Good for larger balconies, sunsets and more space.
Palm‑Mar (coastal, Arona)
A calmer, residential feel 10 minutes south by car, with a promenade, sunset views towards La Gomera and small local supermarkets and cafés on Avenida el Palm‑Mar.
Popular with long‑term expats who prefer quieter evenings and don’t mind a rocky shoreline over sand.
Chayofa (inland village)
A few minutes uphill by car, with villas and townhouses and a slower pace. Warmer in the afternoons and very peaceful at night.
Best if you want space and don’t need to be on the promenade every day. Most residents drive here.
Los Cristianos–Las Américas border
Around El Camisón and the Las Vistas side, you get quick access to shopping and nightlife in Playa de las Américas while keeping the daytime calm of Los Cristianos.
A mix of modern apartments and serviced buildings, handy for younger residents and remote workers.
Los Cristianos vs Costa Adeje
These two neighbours share the same sunny coast but feel quite different on the ground. Los Cristianos is more lived‑in, centred on a working harbour and a flat old town. Costa Adeje is glossier, with newer promenades, designer shopping and upmarket hotels.
- Vibe and day‑to‑day
- Los Cristianos: local cafés, the church square, a year‑round community and easy walking.
- Costa Adeje: polished resort energy, beach clubs and boutiques.
- Eating out and costs
- Los Cristianos: casual tapas bars and classic fish joints by the harbour, with better value a couple of streets back from the seafront.
- Costa Adeje: smarter restaurants and beach clubs, especially in El Duque and La Caleta, where menus tend to be priced higher.
- Property and rent
- As of October 2025, property prices in Costa Adeje averaged more than in Los Cristianos, at €5,141 per m². However, rent prices were slightly cheaper, averaging €19.0 per m².
- Who tends to pick which
- Los Cristianos: walkers, retirees and long‑stayers who want a lived‑in centre, good bus links and a social expat scene.
- Costa Adeje: families eyeing newer builds and resort facilities, golfers, and anyone prioritising upscale dining and a more polished feel.
Living in Los Cristianos as an expat
Many foreigners living on Tenerife choose Los Cristianos as their home. The expat scene is sizeable and practical. English is widely spoken in clinics, property agencies and many cafés, so settling in feels straightforward, though learning Spanish helps with paperwork and a more local rhythm.
Public healthcare runs through the local centro de salud and Hospital del Sur. Private options include Hospiten Sur in neighbouring Playa de las Américas.
Families look at Wingate School and Colegio Internacional Costa Adeje, and there are additional international options further north around Santa Cruz and La Orotava.
Day to day, remote workers find solid fibre connections and plenty of laptop‑friendly cafés. Sport is a social glue, with padel clubs, diving centres, open‑water swim groups and municipal facilities across Arona. Integration tends to happen via language exchanges at the cultural centre, hiking and running groups, and volunteering with local animal charities in the south.
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