The average rental price in Spain rose by 10.9% over the past 12 months, according to the latest report from property portal Idealista.
As of the end of September, the average rental cost across Spain stood at €14.5 per square metre.
Francisco Iñareta, spokesperson for idealista, said: ‘The rental market continues to tighten without control. While supply remains stagnant, demand keeps growing.
‘Landlords, faced with dozens of applicants, inevitably choose those with the most financial security: stable jobs, low-risk profiles, and steady incomes.’
He adds that this competition is leaving young people and vulnerable groups at a clear disadvantage:
‘Without serious policies to boost housing supply – and instead of blaming landlords – access to housing will remain out of reach for many.’
Capital cities with biggest increases in rent
Rental prices are up in every provincial capital compared to September 2024. The sharpest increase was in Segovia, where rents surged 19.9% in just one year.
Among major cities, the biggest increases were:
- Madrid: +11.2%
- Sevilla: +9.8%
- Valencia: +7.8%
- Alicante: +7.5%
- Bilbao: +7%
- Barcelona: +6.9%
At the lower end:
- San Sebastian: +0.4%
- Malaga: +6.1%
- Palma: +6.2%
- Huesca was the slowest growing: just +0.2%
Spain’s most expensive cities to rent
- Barcelona: €24.0/m²/month
- Madrid: €22.7/m²
- Palma: €18.4/m²
- San Sebastián: €18.2/m²
- Malaga & Valencia: €15.4/m²
At the other end:
- Ciudad Real & Lugo: €7.7/m²
- Zamora & Caceres: €7.9/m²
- Ourense & Jaen: €8.0/m²
Some 18 of 51 capitals hit all-time highs in rental prices this quarter, including Barcelona, Madrid, Palma, Alicante, and Sevilla.
At the provincial level: Only Caceres and Soria buck the trend
Cáceres (-2.4%) and Soria (-2%) were the only provinces to register lower rents than a year ago. The steepest rise was also in Segovia at +18.7%, followed by:
- Zamora: +17.7%
- Guadalajara: +15.4%
- Ourense & Palencia: +13.7%
- Madrid province: +12.2%
- Barcelona province: +8.4%
The most expensive provinces to rent in:
- Madrid: €20.9/m²
- Barcelona: €20.8/m²
- Balearic Islands: €19.2/m²
- Gipuzkoa: €16.9/m²
The cheapest:
- Jaén: €6.5/m²
- Ciudad Real: €6.9/m²
- Lugo & Badajoz: €7.2/m²
Madrid remains the most expensive region:
- Madrid: €20.9/m²
- Balearic Islands: €19.2/m²
- Catalonia: €19.1/m²
- Canary Islands: €15.0/m²
Cheapest:
- Extremadura: €7.3/m²
- Castilla-La Mancha: €8.0/m²
- Castilla y León & Murcia: €8.9/m²
