Top 7 Most Expensive Cities To Live In Spain In 2025

Spain’s priciest postcodes: Where spot prices are soaring, and what you’ll salary to unrecorded there.

It’s 2025, and while Spain still offers space, sun and style, galore of its cities are becoming progressively unaffordable. Whether you’re renting a one-bed aliases buying agelong term, nan crisp emergence successful lodging costs is outpacing wages successful overmuch of nan country.

Below, we break down nan 7 astir costly cities to unrecorded successful Spain correct now. We’ve organised them by mean spot waste value per quadrate metre – and added immoderate speedy insights into what’s down nan numbers.

Where prices are rising, budgets are breaking, and buyers are rethinking location.

1. San Sebastian

It’s Marbella pinch class. Elegant, very exclusive… and eye-wateringly expensive.

San Sebastian is still Spain’s undisputed heavyweight erstwhile it comes to location prices – and it conscionable collapsed a record. In May 2025, it became nan first metropolis successful Spain to walk nan €6,000/m² milestone, now averaging €6,071/m² for sales. That’s a 252% premium complete nan nationalist average.

What’s driving this? A operation of constricted supply, precocious home request from locals, and beardown world liking successful nan Basque manner (all those Michelin stars don’t hurt).

Rentals are up too – averaging €18.7/m², which puts San Sebastian conscionable down Barcelona and Palma. For a mini city, that’s big-league pricing.

2. Madrid

The superior of costs arsenic good arsenic culture.

Madrid has agelong been a magnet for professionals and world investors. But successful 2025, nan spot marketplace has kicked into overdrive. The metropolis saw a 25% year-on-year summation successful waste prices, now sitting astatine €5,642/m² – nan second highest successful Spain.

The rental marketplace followed suit, rising 11% to €17.9/m². This is nary longer conscionable a mobility of inner-city request – prices are climbing successful surrounding neighbourhoods too, particularly successful zones well-connected by metro aliases Cercanías rail.

If you’re chasing large opportunities successful Madrid, beryllium ready to salary big too.

3. Barcelona

Catalan cool comes astatine a cost.

Barcelona now boasts nan highest rental prices successful Spain astatine €23.9/m² – a staggering figure, moreover compared to its bluish rival, San Sebastian.

Why? Several factors: booming short-term tourism, tight section lodging regulations, and beardown overseas request each harvester to put superior unit connected nan rental market.

Sales prices person risen more modestly (but still significantly) at 11% year-on-year, reaching €4,920/m². Notably, areas for illustration Gràcia and Poblenou are seeing sharper rises than nan accepted tourer centres.

4. Palma de Mallorca

Island vibes, luxury value tags.

Palma has go a top-tier lodging hotspot, pinch waste prices rocketing 18.4% successful conscionable 12 months. At €4,907/m², it’s astir connected par pinch Barcelona for spot sales, and higher than Madrid successful position of rent (€18.3/m²).

What’s fuelling nan surge? A operation of second-home buyers, distant workers relocating from bluish Europe, and constricted buildable onshore connected nan island. Palma whitethorn look for illustration paradise – but paradise isn’t cheap.

5. Bilbao

Basque boomtown pinch very solid appeal.

Bilbao whitethorn not person nan flashy fame of Madrid aliases Barcelona, but its lodging marketplace is softly surging. Sale prices are up 10%, now astatine €3,646/m², while rents climbed a gentler 5.6% to €15/m².

The city’s regeneration efforts complete nan past 2 decades – from nan Guggenheim effect to revamped infrastructure – person made it 1 of nan astir liveable cities successful Spain. And now nan lodging marketplace is catching up. The nutrient is besides top-notch, but it doesn’t cater to inexpensive tourism.

6. Malaga

Costa del Sol… and costs of soul?

Malaga isn’t conscionable celebrated pinch retirees and lads connected circuit anymore – young professionals, integer nomads, and investors are each flooding in. Sale prices jumped 15% to €3,459/m², while rents roseate astir 8% to €15.6/m².

The Costa del Sol doesn’t connection nan classy, arty, food-lover’s consciousness of different Spanish regions, but it offers an enviable lifestyle, year-round sunshine, and improving tech and recreation infrastructure. If you’re reasoning of relocating here, do it soon – earlier prices move person to Madrid levels.

7. Valencia

Once affordable, now accelerating.

Valencia has officially graduated from “underrated” to “under pressure.” With spot prices soaring 20% year-on-year, nan metropolis now sits astatine €3,067/m² for income and €15.5/m² for rents.

Neighbourhoods for illustration Ruzafa and El Carmen are seeing dense demand. The city’s increasing world profile – from Erasmus students to integer nomads – is pushing prices up fast.

Honourable mention: Seville

Historic charm, modern market.

Seville is rising – some figuratively and literally. Prices for spot income are up 14.5%, hitting €2,684/m², while rents person climbed 9.4% to €12.6/m².

Compared to Madrid and Barcelona, Seville still offers comparative value – but nan spread is narrowing. Buyers and renters alike are turning southbound for a amended deal, and nan marketplace is responding accordingly.

What it each means

In 2025, Spain’s lodging marketplace continues to be a communicative of rising prices, tight supply, and shifting demographics. While Madrid and Barcelona stay powerhouses, smaller cities are catching up fast.

For buyers, nan mobility is nary longer “Where’s cheap?” – it’s “Where’s still rising?”

For renters, nan unit is connected – particularly successful tourer hotspots wherever semipermanent lets are still losing crushed to short-term profits.

Whatever your penchant – sun, city, aliases thing successful betwixt – Spain still has thing for everyone. Just bring your wallet.

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