Living in Lanzarote as an Expat: The Volcanic Island with a Big Expat Community

Lanzarote sits in the Atlantic, 125 kilometres off the African coast — easternmost of the Canary Islands and one of the most visually arresting places in Europe. The landscape is the product of violent volcanic eruptions in the eighteenth century: black lava fields, collapsed craters, mountains the colour of rust and ochre. No trees in the usual sense. No rivers. Rainfall measured in dozens of millimetres a year.

It should feel hostile. Instead, it feels extraordinary. And that is largely because of one man: César Manrique, the Lanzarote-born artist and architect who dedicated his life to ensuring the island's development happened in harmony with its landscape rather than against it. His influence is everywhere — in the law that bans neon signs and buildings over two storeys, in the whitewashed villages with their green or blue painted woodwork, in the art centres built into volcanic caves. Lanzarote is the only place in Spain that feels designed.

For expats, especially British expats, Lanzarote has another draw entirely: an established, decades-old community of English speakers who have made their lives here. Not a temporary tourist crowd, but people who own property, run businesses, raise children and grandchildren, and intend to die on the island. That kind of rootedness changes the texture of daily life in ways that matter.

What Makes Lanzarote Different

Most tourist islands in Spain — Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Mallorca — have made peace with an aesthetic that prioritises volume over integrity. Lanzarote has not. The Manrique laws are legally enforced, not just aspirational. You will not find a neon strip in Puerto del Carmen. You will not find a twenty-storey hotel blocking the coast. What you will find is a coherent visual environment: whitewash, volcanic stone, wooden shutters in green or blue, and everywhere the black of the lava against the blue of the Atlantic.

This matters more than it sounds when you are thinking about where to live. A place that looks right to the eye — that has a consistent, thoughtful aesthetic — is a place you do not tire of in the way you tire of somewhere visually chaotic. Lanzarote has that. It is an island you can look at every day and still see.

The Areas of Lanzarote: Where Expats Actually Live

Puerto del Carmen

The main tourist and expat centre. Puerto del Carmen stretches along the southern coast and contains the bulk of the island's English-speaking community — English pubs, English-run estate agents, English dentists and doctors, English conversation groups and social clubs. The seafront promenade (the Avenida de las Playas) runs along a series of sandy beaches. It is busy, social, and well-served.

The trade-off is that Puerto del Carmen exists primarily as a resort. In high season it can feel overwhelmed by package tourism. Long-term residents tend to live in the residential areas behind the main strip, where streets are quieter and the community is more genuinely settled. For those who want the ease of an English-speaking support network and direct beach access, this is the natural choice.

Costa Teguise

The northern resort of Costa Teguise has a more mixed character than Puerto del Carmen — a blend of Spanish families, German and Dutch holidaymakers, and British long-term residents. It is somewhat calmer and more European in feel. There are good restaurants, a lovely beach (Playa de Las Cucharas), and a slightly more active cycling and water sports scene. Long-term expats who want community without the full resort atmosphere often choose this end of the island.

Playa Blanca

The southernmost resort is the newest and quietest. Playa Blanca has a gentler pace than Puerto del Carmen and a more affluent, less package-holiday feel. The beaches (Playa Dorada and the nearby Papagayo beaches) are exceptional. The expat community is smaller but growing. Suited to those who want calm, cleanliness, and good-quality restaurants without the social density of Puerto del Carmen.

Tías

The municipality that contains Puerto del Carmen extends inland to the town of Tías, which is a different experience entirely — a working Spanish agricultural town rather than a resort. Long-term residents who want residential life rather than tourist life often move up here. Cheaper rents, Spanish neighbours, local markets, and a short drive down to the coast. A good choice for people who want to actually live in Lanzarote rather than occupy the expat bubble.

Arrecife (the capital)

The island's capital is a working port city — functional, unglamorous, and authentically Spanish. Most expats do not choose to live in Arrecife, but it is where the major administrative offices, the main hospital, and a lot of the island's practical infrastructure is located. Worth knowing, even if you base yourself elsewhere.

Cost of Living in Lanzarote

Lanzarote is meaningfully cheaper than the Spanish mainland cities, and significantly cheaper than the UK or northern Europe. The Canary Islands operate under a separate tax regime — IGIC at 7% rather than mainland Spain's 21% VAT — which feeds through into everyday costs.

Rent

• One-bedroom apartment, Puerto del Carmen or Costa Teguise: €650–€900 per month
• One-bedroom apartment, Playa Blanca or inland: €550–€750 per month
• Two-bedroom apartment with sea views, Puerto del Carmen: €900–€1,300 per month

Note: short-term holiday rental platforms have reduced long-term rental supply in some areas, pushing rents up slightly. Booking through local estate agents rather than platforms gives better rates and more stability.

Monthly budget for a single person

• Rent (one-bedroom): €650–€850
• Groceries: €200–€280
• Utilities (electricity, water, internet): €110–€150
• Private health insurance (varies by age): €80–€200
• Dining out, leisure: €250–€400
• Car costs (insurance, fuel, maintenance): €150–€250
• Total: approximately €1,450–€2,150 per month

Property purchase is also relatively affordable by European standards. Two-bedroom apartments in Puerto del Carmen typically sell for €180,000–€280,000. Properties with sea views command a premium, but compared to the Costa del Sol or Mallorca, values remain accessible.

Climate: What to Actually Expect

The climate figures are attractive and largely accurate: temperatures between 18°C and 26°C year-round, over 300 days of sunshine, virtually no rain. But the full picture includes something the tourism brochures understate: the wind.

The Canary Islands are swept by the Alisio trade winds, and Lanzarote — flat, exposed, and close to the African coast — receives more than most. In summer and autumn, persistent north-easterly winds can blow for days at a stretch, strong enough to make outdoor café terraces uncomfortable and beaches gritty. Some people are energised by this. Some people find it draining, particularly in winter when the winds are cold by island standards (though rarely below 15°C).

Be honest with yourself about your wind tolerance before committing. Spend a week in October or November rather than February when the weather is more forgiving. If the wind bothers you after a week, it will bother you after a year.

Getting Around

You need a car. Lanzarote has public buses (Arrecife Buses) connecting the main towns, but services are infrequent and the island's layout — spread across a large volcanic plateau — makes them impractical for daily life. Most expats own a car from the outset. Running costs are reasonable: fuel is cheaper than on the mainland and insurance costs less than in the UK.

The island is small enough that driving from Puerto del Carmen to the northern tip takes about 45 minutes. There are no motorways to speak of, but roads are generally in good condition. Cycling is popular, especially in the flatter southern areas, but the wind is a significant factor.

Healthcare

The main public hospital is Hospital Doctor José Molina Orosa, located in Arrecife. It handles emergencies and complex cases and is generally well-regarded. There are also health centres (centros de salud) in the main tourist areas. The public system is available to registered residents.

Most British expats use a combination of private health insurance and selective use of private clinics for routine care. Private healthcare in Lanzarote is significantly cheaper than in the UK and of good quality. A comprehensive private health insurance policy typically costs €80–€180 per month depending on age and coverage level.

For those on a Non-Lucrative Visa, private health insurance is a visa requirement — it is not optional.

The British Expat Community

There is no useful pretending that this is not part of why many people choose Lanzarote. The British community here is large, well-established, and self-sustaining in ways that can be enormously helpful when you first arrive. English-speaking estate agents, English-speaking solicitors and gestores (administrative specialists), English-language medical practices, English social clubs, English supermarkets carrying Marmite and proper tea. The infrastructure of expat British life is built into the island.

Whether this appeals or appalls depends on you. Some people want that support structure precisely because the process of moving abroad is genuinely complicated, and dealing with bureaucracy in a language you do not fully speak is genuinely hard. Others prefer less of it and more genuine integration into Spanish life. Both are legitimate. Lanzarote offers the former very effectively; it offers the latter somewhat less so, though it is certainly achievable if you make the effort to go beyond the Puerto del Carmen bubble.

The Canary Islands Advantage

Beyond the lifestyle factors, Lanzarote — as part of the Canary Islands — offers genuine financial advantages over mainland Spain:

• IGIC at 7%: The Canarian indirect tax is 7%, compared to mainland VAT of 21%. This affects almost every purchase you make.
• ZEC (Zona Especial Canaria): A special economic zone with a 4% corporate tax rate for qualifying businesses. Relevant if you are running a business, not just living.
• No wealth tax: Unlike some mainland regions, the Canary Islands do not levy the annual Patrimonio (wealth tax) on most residents.
• Lower property transfer tax: IGTP at 6.5% rather than mainland rates of 8–10%.

Visa Requirements

Non-EU citizens wishing to live in Lanzarote long-term need a Spanish residence visa. The two most common routes are:

• Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV): For retirees and those with passive income (pensions, investments, savings). Requires proof of approximately €2,400 per month for a single applicant and private health insurance with no co-payments.
• Digital Nomad Visa (DNV): For remote workers employed outside Spain or running location-independent businesses. Requires proof of remote work income above approximately €2,300 per month.

Both visas are applied for through your Spanish consulate before you move. Both are valid throughout Spain, including the Canary Islands. Working with experienced specialists significantly improves your chances of a clean, first-time approval.