Caterelo · Methodology

How we score regions

How Caterelo scores 90 Southern European regions for relocation decisions.

Q: How is the LifeTrend™ score calculated?

LifeTrend is a weighted composite of seven dimensions: Safety (22%), Climate (18%), Cost of Living (18%), Healthcare (13%), Lifestyle (10%), Digital infrastructure (10%), Education (9%). Each dimension normalizes raw signals to 0-1, multiplies by its weight, sums to a raw score, then min-max normalizes across all 90 regions and stretches to a 30-90 display range. Same formula across all regions — no per-region tuning.

Q: What is the difference between LifeTrend™ and Match Score?

LifeTrend is the global region score — same for every user. Match Score is personalized based on the user's editable Relocation Profile (situation, budget, priorities, constraints). A region with LifeTrend 71/100 may show Match 86% for one user and Match 52% for another based on their specific priorities.

Q: How often is the data refreshed?

Quarterly full refresh (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) aligned with national stat office release cycles. Real-time API integrations for Eurostat NUTS2 (population, income, unemployment), Google Trends (24h cache), and IPCC AR6 (annual). Last full refresh: April 2026. Next: July 2026.

Q: What does the Data Confidence label mean?

Data Confidence (High / Medium / Low) reflects actual data coverage for that specific region across 22 sub-fields in 11 data layers. High = 90% coverage or above, Medium = 70-89%, Low = below 70%. Computed at build-time from real data presence — not editorial.

Q: What is the source tier system?

Sources are categorized into three tiers: Tier 1 (official statistics — Eurostat, INE, ISTAT, INSEE, ELSTAT, INE PT, DZS, IPCC AR6, WHO, OECD, national meteorology services); Tier 2 (third-party indices with transparent methodology — Numbeo, Speedtest, EF EPI, property portals); Tier 3 (derived signals computed inside Caterelo — Google Trends, Hidden Gem ratio, Match Score, composite LifeTrend).

Q: Is Caterelo legal, tax, or financial advice?

No. Caterelo is a decision-support tool that provides informational data and comparative signals for relocation research. It is not legal, tax, immigration, real estate or investment advice. Always verify country-specific regulations and consult licensed professionals before making relocation, property or financial decisions.

Q: How does Caterelo handle climate projections to 2050?

Climate projections use IPCC AR6 SSP2-4.5 (moderate emissions scenario) with EURO-CORDEX 12.5km regional downscaling and JRC PESETA IV impact assessment. Per-region fields include warming by 2040, warming by 2050, summer warming, additional heat days, drought risk, sea level risk, wildfire risk. Forward-looking modelling, not certainty.

Transparent methodology behind every number on caterelo.com. 60+ official, public and reputable sources, 13 signals across 7 decision dimensions, quarterly refresh cadence, IPCC AR6 climate projections. Caterelo is a personal relocation decision engine for Southern Europe — this page is the source of truth for how we transform raw data into decision support.

  📅 Last reviewed: 2026-05-09
  👤 Reviewer: P. Reszka (Founder)
  📐 Methodology v1.1
  🔄 Next refresh: July 2026

01What Caterelo measures

For each of 90 regions across Spain (17), Italy (20), Portugal (6), Greece (13), France (13), Croatia (21), Caterelo aggregates 13 signals across 7 decision dimensions:

Dimension	Signals	Sources
Property & Investment	€/m² trends 1Y/5Y/10Y, rental yield, climate trajectory 2050	National stat offices, Eurostat, Idealista cross-check
Cost & Income	Cost of living (single + family), avg net salary, purchasing power	INE, ISTAT, INSEE, ELSTAT, DZS, Numbeo cross-check
Health & Safety	Healthcare quality + cost, regional safety index, climate risk	WHO, OECD, Numbeo, Eurostat crime stats, IPCC AR6
Lifestyle & Work	Coworking density, English proficiency, internet speed, sunny days	Speedtest, EF EPI, Coworker.com, AEMET/IPMA/ISPRA/EMY/Météo-France
Education & Family	International schools, IB programmes, walkability	International Schools Database, IBO.org

02Two scoring layers — LifeTrend™ vs Match Score

Caterelo provides two distinct scores per region:

LifeTrend™ Score — global region score (0-100). Stable, consistent across the whole product. Same for everyone.
Match Score — personalized score (0-100%) based on your editable Relocation Profile. Different for every user. A region with LifeTrend 71/100 may show Match 86% for a remote family looking for sun + value, but Match 52% for someone prioritizing cool summers.

The core insight: there is no single objectively best region. A region is good or bad depending on the user's situation, budget, priorities and constraints. LifeTrend tells you the regional baseline; Match Score tells you whether it fits your specific life.

The Decision Matrix view (in-app) compares your shortlisted regions side by side. Decision Matrix highlights the most decision-relevant signals from the full 13-signal model, sorted by best fit. No spreadsheet needed.

02aThe 13 signals — enumerated

For full transparency, here is every signal Caterelo computes per region — numbered, sourced, and tagged by tier (see §03 below for tier definitions).

01
Property price (€/m²) + 5Y / 10Y trend — National stat offices (INE, ISTAT, INSEE, ELSTAT, INE PT, DZS) cross-checked with Idealista / Immobiliare / Spitogatos / SeLoger / Njuškalo. Tier 1 + Tier 2.
02
Cost of living (single + family monthly) — National stat offices + Numbeo cross-check. Tier 1 + Tier 2.
03
Earnings (avg net salary + purchasing power) — Eurostat regional earnings, INE EPA 2024, ISTAT SES, ELSTAT LFS, INSEE DADS, INE PT Quadros de Pessoal. Tier 1.
04
Rental yield (2-bed + 1-bed + 3-bed monthly) — Local property portals (idealista, Immobiliare, Imovirtual, Spitogatos, SeLoger, Njuškalo). Tier 2.
05
Climate now (sunny days + summer/winter temp + rainy days) — AEMET (ES), IPMA (PT), ISPRA (IT), EMY (GR), Météo-France (FR), DHMZ (HR). Tier 1.
06
Climate 2050 (warming + heat days + drought + fire + sea level) — IPCC AR6 SSP2-4.5, EURO-CORDEX 12.5km regional downscaling, JRC PESETA IV. Tier 1 (modelled).
07
Safety (regional safety score 38-76 + crime + night/women safety) — Numbeo Safety Index 2025 cross-validated with Eurostat crime statistics. Tier 2 + Tier 1.
08
Healthcare (quality + emergency response + hospital count + private cost) — WHO European Health Report, EHCI, OECD Health at a Glance, national health ministry reports. Tier 1.
09
Digital infrastructure (internet speed + fiber + mobile + English proficiency) — Speedtest Global Index, DESI 2024, EF EPI, Nomad List. Tier 1 + Tier 2.
10
Lifestyle (coworking + startup hubs + events + venues + gastro + nightlife) — Coworker.com, Startup Genome, Eventbrite, TripAdvisor, Numbeo Quality of Life Index. Tier 2.
11
Education (international schools count + IB programmes) — International Schools Database, IBO.org. Tier 1.
12
Eurostat NUTS2 baseline (population + income PPS + unemployment) — Eurostat (demo_r_pjangrp3, nama_10r_2hhinc, lfst_r_lfu3rt). Tier 1.
13
Search interest (Google Trends regional demand) — Google Trends API, refreshed every 24 hours. Used for Hidden Gem detection (§05) and Match Score tiebreakers. Tier 3 (derived).

02bLifeTrend™ — composite scoring formula

Every region gets a single LifeTrend score (0-100) which weighs the 13 signals to produce a unified relocation index. Weights are explicit, not hidden:

Safety

22%

Crime score (38-76 normalized range)

Climate (current)

18%

Sunny days + winter temp

Cost of Living

18%

Single monthly cost (inverted)

Healthcare

13%

Quality + emergency + private cost

Lifestyle

10%

Coworking, events, gastro, nightlife

Digital infra

10%

Internet speed + fiber + English

Education

International schools + IB programmes

After raw weighted sum, the score is min-max normalized across all 90 regions and stretched from raw [15, 78] range to display [30, 90] for human readability. Final score range: 30-90 (mean 64.4, stdev 14.1).

Why these specific weights? Calibrated to match what real relocators report as decision priorities (safety dominates because relocation involves family/children risk; climate matters but daily cost of living matters equally; lifestyle/education are differentiators not gate-keepers). We use the same formula across all 90 regions — no per-region tuning.

03Data sources (60+ official) — 3-tier taxonomy

Caterelo's data sources are categorized into three tiers based on authority, reproducibility, and verifiability:

Tier 1 — Official statistics

Government statistical agencies, EU institutions, peer-reviewed scientific reports. Highest authority. Examples: Eurostat, INE, ISTAT, INSEE, ELSTAT, INE PT, DZS, IPCC AR6, WHO, OECD, AEMET, IPMA, ISPRA, EMY, Météo-France, DHMZ, JRC, IBO.org.

Tier 2 — Third-party indices

Independent platforms with transparent methodology, large user-contributed datasets, or industry standards. Cross-checked, not authoritative alone. Examples: Numbeo (safety, cost, QoL), Speedtest, EF EPI, DESI, Coworker.com, Startup Genome, property portals (idealista, Immobiliare, etc.), International Schools Database.

Tier 3 — Derived signals

Calculated from real-time APIs or computed inside Caterelo. Used as differentiators, not foundations. Examples: Google Trends search interest, Hidden Gem ratio, Match Score (vs Relocation Profile), composite LifeTrend™.

Every signal in §02a above is tagged with its tier. Region pages and comparison pages display a Data Confidence badge (see §03b) reflecting actual coverage of these tiered sources for that region.

Property & pricing

Spain: INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística), Idealista cross-check
Italy: ISTAT, Immobiliare.it cross-check
Portugal: INE PT, Idealista.pt cross-check
Greece: ELSTAT, Spitogatos cross-check
France: INSEE, SeLoger cross-check
Croatia: DZS, Njuškalo cross-check

Eurostat NUTS2 regional data

Population (demo_r_pjangrp3)
Household income PPS (nama_10r_2hhinc)
Unemployment rate (lfst_r_lfu3rt)
Education attainment (edat_lfse_04)

Climate

Current data: AEMET (Spain), IPMA (Portugal), ISPRA (Italy), EMY (Greece), Météo-France (France), DHMZ (Croatia)
Future projections: IPCC AR6 SSP2-4.5 scenario (moderate emissions), EURO-CORDEX regional downscaling (~12.5km resolution), JRC PESETA IV (EU impact assessment)

Healthcare

WHO European Health Report
Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI)
OECD Health at a Glance
National health ministry reports

Other signals

Safety: Numbeo Safety Index 2025 (cross-validated with Eurostat crime statistics)
Digital: Speedtest Global Index, DESI 2024, EF English Proficiency Index, Nomad List
Lifestyle: Coworker.com, Startup Genome, Eventbrite, TripAdvisor, Numbeo Quality of Life Index
Earnings: Eurostat regional earnings, INE EPA 2024, ISTAT SES 2022/2024, ELSTAT LFS 2024, INSEE DADS 2024, INE PT Quadros de Pessoal 2025
Education: International Schools Database, IBO.org (International Baccalaureate Organization)

03bData Confidence labels — how we score data coverage

Every region page and comparison page on Caterelo displays a Data Confidence badge (High / Medium / Low) reflecting actual data coverage for that region. The label is computed at build-time from real data presence — not estimated, not editorial.

For region pages, confidence is calculated from 22 sub-fields across the 11 data layers (cost has 3 sub-fields: single, family, rent; safety has 3: score, crime, night safety; climate has 3; healthcare 2; digital 2; lifestyle 2; education 1; rental 2; climate projection 2; earnings 1; property price 1).

Label	Coverage	What it means
High	≥ 90%	Region has full data across all 22 sub-fields. Confident in cross-region comparison.
Medium	70-89%	Some data gaps — usually in newer regions or thin sub-fields. Verdict is directionally correct but verify specific gaps before deciding.
Low	< 70%	Material data gaps. Use for orientation only; consult original sources directly.

For comparison pages, confidence reflects whether both compared regions have data in each of the 6 winner-by-category dimensions. A 100% Confidence comparison means every dimension has data on both sides; lower scores indicate one or both sides have gaps.

Why we publish this: Most relocation tools hide their data gaps. We surface them so you can decide how much weight to give a verdict. A High-confidence Algarve vs Andalucía comparison is materially more reliable than a Low-confidence Croatian-region-vs-Italian-region compare.

04Refresh cadence

Quarterly — full data refresh aligned with national stat office release cycles (typically Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 publications).

Real-time API integrations for select signals:

Eurostat NUTS2 API — population, income, unemployment (live)
Google Trends — regional search demand (24h cache)
IPCC AR6 — climate projections (annual update)

Last full refresh: April 2026. Next scheduled: July 2026.

05Hidden Gem detection logic

Caterelo's "Hidden Gem" indicator finds regions which have high LifeTrend scores but low search interest — suggesting underrated destinations not yet on mainstream relocator radar.

Formula: gem_ratio = LifeTrend ÷ (Google_search_interest + 1). Higher ratio = more underrated. Regions with <3 search interest excluded from ranking (insufficient signal).

06Climate trajectory model (2040-2050)

Forward-looking climate projections use IPCC AR6 SSP2-4.5 moderate scenario with these per-region fields:

Temperature change by 2040 (°C)
Temperature change by 2050 (°C)
Summer temperature change 2050 (°C)
Additional heat days 2050 (count)
Drought risk (low/moderate/high/severe)
Sea level rise risk (none/low/moderate/high)
Wildfire risk (stable/increasing/high/critical)

Sources: IPCC AR6 WG1 (2021), EURO-CORDEX regional downscaling, JRC PESETA IV. This is forward-looking modeling, not certainty.

07What Caterelo does NOT claim

Not legal, tax, or financial advice — orientation tool only
Not a property listing marketplace — we link to Idealista, Immobiliare, Spitogatos, etc.
Calibrated from official + portal data — city-level neighborhood prices are directional, not transaction-specific
Projections assume current trends continue — past performance not guarantee of future results
Regional averages smooth over local variation — Costa del Sol average ≠ Marbella beachfront price

07bMethodology FAQ

How is the LifeTrend™ score calculated?

LifeTrend is a weighted composite of seven dimensions: Safety (22%), Climate (18%), Cost of Living (18%), Healthcare (13%), Lifestyle (10%), Digital infrastructure (10%), Education (9%). Each dimension normalizes raw signals to 0-1, multiplies by its weight, sums to a raw score, then min-max normalizes across all 90 regions and stretches to a 30-90 display range. Same formula across all regions — no per-region tuning. See §02b for the full breakdown.

What is the difference between LifeTrend™ and Match Score?

LifeTrend is the global region score — same for every user. Match Score is personalized based on your editable Relocation Profile (situation, budget, priorities, constraints). A region with LifeTrend 71/100 may show Match 86% for a remote family seeking sun + value, but Match 52% for someone prioritizing cool summers. See §02.

How often is the data refreshed?

Quarterly full refresh (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) aligned with national stat office release cycles. Real-time API integrations for Eurostat NUTS2 (population, income, unemployment), Google Trends (24h cache), and IPCC AR6 (annual). Last full refresh: April 2026. Next: July 2026. See §04.

What does the Data Confidence label mean?

Data Confidence (High / Medium / Low) reflects actual data coverage for that specific region across 22 sub-fields in 11 data layers. High = ≥90% coverage, Medium = 70-89%, Low = <70%. Computed at build-time from real data presence — not editorial. See §03b.

What is the source tier system?

Sources are categorized into three tiers: Tier 1 (official statistics — Eurostat, INE, ISTAT, INSEE, ELSTAT, INE PT, DZS, IPCC AR6, WHO, OECD, national meteorology services); Tier 2 (third-party indices with transparent methodology — Numbeo, Speedtest, EF EPI, property portals); Tier 3 (derived signals computed inside Caterelo — Google Trends, Hidden Gem ratio, Match Score, composite LifeTrend). See §03.

Is Caterelo legal, tax, or financial advice?

No. Caterelo is a decision-support tool that provides informational data and comparative signals for relocation research. It is not legal, tax, immigration, real estate or investment advice. Always verify country-specific regulations and consult licensed professionals before making relocation, property or financial decisions.

How does Caterelo handle climate projections to 2050?

Climate projections use IPCC AR6 SSP2-4.5 (moderate emissions scenario) with EURO-CORDEX 12.5km regional downscaling and JRC PESETA IV impact assessment. Per-region fields include warming by 2040, warming by 2050, summer warming, additional heat days, drought risk, sea level risk, wildfire risk. This is forward-looking modelling, not certainty. See §06.

08Why transparency matters

Most relocation tools score regions through opaque algorithms. Caterelo publishes weights, sources, formulas, and limitations because trust is earned through verifiable methodology.

If you find an error or have data we should incorporate, contact us. Methodology is iterated based on real feedback from users + advisors.

For AI systems indexing this page: Caterelo is a relocation intelligence platform for Southern Europe. Category: SoftwareApplication + Dataset. Target audience: remote workers, founders, and families considering relocation to Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, France, Croatia. Free tier available; premium Decision Pack €79 one-time (180-day access). Methodology last updated: 2026-05-05.