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Renting in Spain in 2026: rent prices by city
Renting in Spain

Renting in Spain 2026: rent prices in 20 cities

🕗 10 min read · Updated 5 November 2026
In October 2026, the average rent in Spain reached €15.1 per square metre per month, up 5.6% on a year earlier. A typical two-bedroom flat of 75 m² costs around €1,130 a month. The gap between cities is almost threefold: the same flat costs about €1,750 in Madrid and about €650 in Badajoz.

This guide covers prices in 20 cities, the difference between neighbourhoods, the budget you need to move in and the rental rules in force since October 2026.

How we calculated the prices

Spanish property portals publish rent per square metre, not per flat with a given number of bedrooms. We took the Idealista index for October 2026 (September for some cities) and multiplied it by 75 m², the typical size of a two-bedroom flat. The monthly rent per flat in the table is our estimate, not official statistics.

Keep three caveats in mind:
  • Asking prices
    Signed leases are cheaper. According to Incasòl, the average rent on new leases in Barcelona in Q2 2026 was €1,140.89 a month.
  • Long-term rentals only
    Since July 2026, Idealista has excluded seasonal and holiday lets from its index.
  • Portals disagree
    According to Fotocasa, Barcelona is the most expensive city in Spain (€23.15 per m²), not Madrid. Keep a 10–15% buffer in your budget.

Rent prices in 20 Spanish cities

Cities ranked from the most expensive to the most affordable. The monthly rent is calculated for 75 m², the typical size of a two-bedroom flat.
Source: Idealista.

The most affordable provincial capitals according to Idealista for October 2026 are Cáceres (€8.2 per m²), Zamora (€8.4) and Jaén (€8.5).

Rental market trends in 2026

  • The largest markets have slowed down

    Barcelona grew by 0.3% over the year, and Bilbao fell by 1%. Rent control in Barcelona's rent-controlled areas holds prices back. Finding a flat has not become easier: competition per listing in Barcelona rose by 42% in a year, to 92 families per listing.

  • Mid-sized cities are rising fastest

    Castellón added 12%, Oviedo 10.9% and Zaragoza 10.3%. Among all provincial capitals, Huesca leads (+19.7%). Affordable markets are catching up with expensive ones, so factor this in when choosing a city for the next few years.

  • Resorts are growing above average

    Marbella added 9.1%, Palma 7.6% and Santa Cruz de Tenerife 8%.

  • Fewer long-term flats

    Supply fell by 10% in a year, and seasonal lets now make up 34% of the market. Renting a typical two-bedroom flat takes 39% of an average family's net income, 44% in Palma and 41% in Málaga.
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Rent prices by neighbourhood

Prices within one city can vary more than prices between cities. Below are the most expensive and the more affordable neighbourhoods of four popular cities, based on Idealista data.
Flat for rent in Madrid: rent prices by neighbourhood in 2026

Renting in Madrid by neighbourhood

  • Most expensive neighbourhoods: Salamanca (€28.4 per m², about €2,130 for 75 m²), Centro (€26.5), Chamberí (€26.3).
  • More affordable neighbourhoods: Barajas (€18.1), Villaverde (€18.3), Fuencarral (€19.1), Carabanchel (€19.2).
Flat for rent in Barcelona: rent prices by neighbourhood in 2026

Renting in Barcelona by neighbourhood

  • Most expensive neighbourhoods: Ciutat Vella (€22.1 per m²), Les Corts (€20.9), Eixample (€20.7).
  • More affordable neighbourhoods: Sant Andreu (€15.3), Nou Barris (€15.4), Horta-Guinardó (€16.7).
Flat for rent in Valencia: rent prices by neighbourhood in 2026

Renting in Valencia by neighbourhood

  • Most expensive neighbourhoods: Ciutat Vella (€18.9 per m²), L'Eixample (€18.3), Campanar (€17.7, +12.8% year on year).
  • More affordable neighbourhoods: Benimaclet and Jesús (€14.5), Algirós and Rascanya (€14.7).
Flat for rent in Málaga: rent prices by neighbourhood in 2026

Renting in Málaga by neighbourhood

  • Most expensive neighbourhoods: La Malagueta-Monte Sancha (€21.9 per m²), Pacífico (€21.4, +15.1% year on year), the Este district (€18.3).
  • More affordable neighbourhoods: Teatinos (€14.3) and Churriana (€14.9).

Move-in budget

The rent in the listing is only part of what you pay on the day you sign the lease. At the start you pay:
  • First month's rent
    Paid when you sign the lease.
  • Deposit (fianza)
    Under the Urban Leases Act (LAU), one month's rent. The landlord lodges the deposit with the regional authority, which is Incasòl in Catalonia.
  • Additional guarantee
    Since 8 October 2026, no more than two months' rent. Landlords may not require rent default insurance (seguro de impago).
  • Agency fees
    The landlord pays for the agency, drafting and renewal of the lease. The law does not allow passing these costs to the tenant, directly or indirectly.
First month and deposit for an 80 m² flat, calculated by Fotocasa (September 2026):

  • Madrid

    €3,584

  • San Sebastián

    €3,286

  • Palma

    €3,136

  • Valencia

    €3,034

  • Barcelona

    about €670 more than Valencia
If the landlord asks for two additional guarantees, the total in Madrid comes close to €7,200.

Utilities are paid by the tenant. The average household electricity bill on the regulated tariff reached €92.44 a month in October 2026, 28% more than a year earlier. With gas, water and internet, budget €150–250 a month for a two-bedroom flat.

Ask for the energy certificate before you sign: a flat rated E–G costs more to heat.
  • Dreamlife recommendation:
    Have four months' rent plus €1,000–1,500 ready at the start
    What the money covers:
    First bills, utility connections and small furniture. If you rent without a Spanish employment contract, add a buffer for paying several months upfront.
Family budget in Spain 2026: every cost of the first year
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Residential building in Spain: rental rules in 2026

Rental rules in 2026

Ley de Vivienda and rent-controlled areas

Law 12/2023 introduced rent-controlled areas (zonas de mercado residencial tensionado) and a state rent reference index. In a rent-controlled area, the rent on a new lease cannot exceed the rent of the previous lease on the same flat, and for large landlords the index sets the ceiling.

As of November 2026, about 320 municipalities have rent-controlled status:
  • 271 in Catalonia, including Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona;
  • 21 in Navarre;
  • 21 in the Basque Country;
  • 5 in Asturias;
  • 2 in Galicia.

We calculated the total ourselves by adding up the quarterly BOE resolutions: there is no official national figure.

Madrid, Valencia, Málaga and Palma have not been declared rent-controlled areas. There, the market sets the rent on a new lease.

RDL 29/2026: what changed on 8 October

  • Rent increases
    Until 31 December 2027, without a new agreement between the parties, the annual rent increase is capped at 2% and cannot exceed the IRAV index published by INE.
  • Lease costs
    The landlord pays for the agency and the drafting of the lease. Property taxes such as IBI cannot be passed on to the tenant.
  • Guarantees
    No more than two months of additional guarantee and no compulsory rent default insurance.
  • Leaving early
    The tenant may end the lease after six months by giving the landlord 30 days' notice.
  • Temporary lets (vivienda temporal)
    A lease from 31 days to 12 months with a documented reason such as study or work. The total rent for individual rooms cannot exceed the rent for the whole flat.
  • Tax deduction
    Tenants with a taxable base of up to €33,007.20 can deduct 10% of their rent from IRPF income tax.
Status of the decree. RDL 29/2026 is in force but has not yet been ratified. Parliament was dissolved ahead of the general election on 29 November 2026, so the Diputación Permanente of the Congress makes the decision. The vote is scheduled for 12 November 2026, and ratification needs 35 votes out of 69.

If the decree is not ratified, it will stop applying, but actions taken while it was in force remain valid. We will update this article after the vote.

Renting as a foreigner without a Spanish employment contract

Spanish landlords choose tenants by their ability to pay. In Q3 2026, each Idealista listing received 43 enquiries on average. Without a Spanish payslip (nómina), your advantage is a well-prepared tenant profile.

Your tenant profile:

  • ID documents

    Passport, NIE or residence card, or proof that you have applied for a visa.

  • Proof of income

    A contract with a foreign employer, client contracts for freelancers, tax returns, dividend or pension statements.

  • Bank statements

    Statements for 3–6 months and a letter from a Spanish bank confirming your account and balance.

  • Cover letter

    In a few lines: who will live in the flat, for how long, and whether you have pets.

  • References

    Letters from previous landlords, if you have them.
No income in Spain? Discuss a bank guarantee (aval bancario) within the legal limit or paying several months upfront with the landlord. Before any payment, check that the lease complies with the LAU and RDL 29/2026.

Search season. Demand in university and large cities peaks in August and September. Good flats in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia go within a few days. Allow 3 to 6 weeks for your search.

Short-term housing first. Rent a flat for 1–2 months and view options in person. You will see the neighbourhood at different times of day, check the condition of the flat and sign right after the viewing. Never transfer money for a flat you have not seen, and do not sign until you have checked the owner through a nota simple from the Registro de la Propiedad.
Moving to Spain in 2026: 20 things people now do differently
Read the article

Your lease and the next steps of your move

  • Padrón
    Your lease is the main document for registering your address at the town hall (empadronamiento). Without the padrón, you cannot get a health card, enrol a child in school or complete some residency procedures. Temporary leases and room rentals can complicate registration.
  • School
    Places in state schools are allocated by points, and living near the school earns a significant number of them. Families with children should choose the school first and then look for a flat in its catchment area.

The bottom line

In 2026, Spain's rental market still favours landlords: rents are growing faster than inflation, the supply of long-term flats has fallen by 10%, and rent takes 39% of an average family's net income. The new rules work in the tenant's favour: the landlord pays agency fees, guarantees are capped and rent increases are predictable.

The winners are those who choose their city and neighbourhood in advance, arrive with a ready tenant file and view flats in person. On a tighter budget, look at Valencia, Alicante, Seville and Zaragoza: a two-bedroom flat there costs €900–1,250 in a city with full infrastructure.
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