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The rising rental gap in Spain: where affordability varies wildly
Across Spain rental prices differ by over €800 a month
The Spanish rental market has become more varied and complex in recent years, especially as tougher mortgage conditions push many to rent rather than buy. But the rental landscape differs dramatically across the country, with monthly rents varying by more than €800 between Spain’s priciest and cheapest towns, making choosing where to live more crucial than ever.Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INE) shows that Pozuelo de Alarcón near Madrid tops the rent charts at €1,131 per month for an average apartment. Seven municipalities in Madrid and five in Barcelona dominate the highest rents, with prices well over €890 per month. Madrid and Barcelona themselves average €930 and €949 respectively.
Meanwhile, in more affordable regions, rents cluster a little closer together: Murcia’s town of Cieza is the cheapest and has average rents of a meagre €303 per month, while the autonomous community with the most cities among the fifteen cheapest is Andalucía. Several towns there, including Écija, Arcos de la Frontera and Cabra offer rents below €340.
Alicante presents a middle ground, with neighbourhoods like Virgen del Remedio averaging around €700 to €960 per month, depending on precise location. Although they also having more moderate figures, the average rent figures in Málaga (€703), Seville (€699), and Valencia (€684) also exceed the national average of €649.
The rental price differences only widen when looking at home purchase costs. The most expensive municipality, Sant Josep de Sa Talaia in the Balearic Islands, averages almost €970,000 per home: more than sixteen times the price of homes in affordable towns like Mieres (Asturias) or Puertollano (Ciudad Real), where prices fall below €60,000.
Mortgage rates in Spain have stabilised around 3.5% to 4% this year, but with stricter lending requirements, many are priced out of buying, particularly in high-demand cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, and across Andalucía. Renting remains the only viable option for many.
Simply put, where you live in Spain now makes a huge difference to what you will pay: whether you’re renting for €300 or €1,200 per month. As the housing market changes, affordability challenges remain at the forefront for thousands of Spaniards.
You might also be interested in: Non-EU property owners in Spain can now deduct rental expenses and receive tax rebates
Image: Tierra Mallorca/Unsplash
