PROPERTY SEARCH
Cartagena house prices hit new records as buying delays cost more each day
Several neighbourhoods are now at all-time highs, with supply shortages continuing to push prices up
House prices in Cartagena are continuing their steady climb, with several neighbourhoods now sitting at record levels and no sign of the market easing. The latest figures underline a growing concern for buyers: waiting even a few months can mean paying significantly more for the same property.According to the most recent Idealista report, the average price of a home across the municipality of Cartagena now stands at €1,609 per square metre. That figure is 22% higher than in December 2024, highlighting just how quickly prices are rising in this part of the Region of Murcia.
This sharp increase mirrors the wider national trend, where demand continues to outstrip supply and prices have been pushing upwards month after month. Recently, data showed Spain’s housing market entering 2026 with no signs of cooling, as strong demand and limited supply continued to drive prices higher across the country.
In Cartagena itself, the picture becomes even more striking when broken down by area. In the city centre, Alameda and Ciudad Jardín are both at all-time highs in the Idealista data series for December 2025. Alameda now averages €1,815 per square metre, up 9.8% over the year, while Ciudad Jardín has seen a much steeper rise of 28.4%, reaching €1,840 per square metre. The Old Town has already moved beyond the €2,000 per square metre mark.
Outside the centre, some of the most dramatic increases have been recorded in coastal and outlying areas. In Los Belones, prices have surged by 49% to €2,274 per square metre. Nearby Los Nietos has also seen a notable jump, with prices rising by 40% to €1,332 per square metre.
For Idealista spokesperson Francisco Iñareta, these figures come as no surprise. He points to a long-standing shortage of homes as the root cause. “After the 2008 crisis, we haven’t been able to recover our production capacity; what we’re still dealing with is a huge housing deficit,” he says. He notes that the Bank of Spain estimates this shortfall at around 700,000 homes, a gap that continues to widen as “almost twice as many households are being created as new homes are being built.”
Iñareta argues that a shift in public policy is urgently needed. “We need to see cranes back in the urban landscape of many Spanish cities and put an end to the criminalisation of construction,” he says, calling for regulatory tools such as the Land Law to be used to speed up the creation of new homes.
He also stresses that quantity alone is not enough. “Society is not the same as it was 30 years ago. New homes must adapt to new needs and be affordable,” he says. He also points to a shortage of skilled workers, warning that without people to build them, new homes will remain in short supply.
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