What homes cost to buy by region and city in Spain

Key rules

• Price gap: Big-city and coastal provinces cost roughly 2.5 to 4 times more per square metre than inland provinces.
• Real prices: Deed-based notary and registry data show what buyers actually paid; appraisal values and listings do not.
• Asking prices: Listing prices usually run about 5% to 15% above recorded sale prices.
• Trend: Prices rose roughly 11% to 13% nationally in 2025, and nearly every region went up.

These figures are approximate 2025 provincial averages; check current deed-based prices for your target area with the notary and property-registry statistics and the national statistics institute.

The short answer

Prices per square metre vary by a factor of roughly 2.5 to 4 across Spain. Madrid, Barcelona, the Balearics, Málaga and the Basque coast are the expensive end. Inland provinces are far cheaper. Prices rose strongly through 2025 in almost every region.

Price per square metre by place

These are provincial averages from official appraisal values, as they stood in 2025. Use them to compare places, not to budget for one specific home.

• Spain overall: roughly €1,800 to €1,900/m².
• Balearics: roughly €2,800 to €3,200/m².
• San Sebastián: roughly €5,000 to €5,500/m², the most expensive in Spain outside some Balearic areas. The wider Gipuzkoa province is cheaper than the city.
• Madrid province: roughly €2,700 to €3,000/m².
• Málaga province: roughly €2,300 to €2,700/m².
• Barcelona province: roughly €2,300 to €2,600/m².
• Interior and rural provinces such as Ávila, Zamora, Cuenca, Jaén, Teruel and Palencia: roughly €800 to €1,500/m².

A province is not one market. A coastal town or a provincial capital can cost much more than the province average, and a village much less. Check the street-level picture before you fall for a headline figure.

Which figure to trust

Appraisal values come from bank valuations. They are not what buyers actually paid. Prices recorded in notary and property-registry data come from signed deeds, so they show real sale prices. They are the best guide to what people pay, though they arrive with a delay. In the hottest markets, actual prices are higher than the appraisal averages above.

Listing prices on property portals are asking prices. They usually run about 5% to 15% above recorded sale prices, because buyers negotiate. The gap tends to be smaller in hot markets and larger in slow, rural ones. Use listings to see what is available and use deed-based data to judge whether an asking price is fair.

The national statistics institute also publishes a housing price index. It tracks change over time well, but it is less useful for comparing individual cities.

Where prices are heading

The national housing price index showed annual rises of roughly 11% to 13% during 2025. Second-hand homes rose slightly faster than new ones. The biggest increases were in Madrid, Andalucía (especially Málaga), the Balearics and Valencia. Check the latest quarter before you decide, because the trend can change quickly.

How to compare places

1. Pick two or three target areas and note their provincial averages above.
2. Look up recent deed-based prices for the city or district you like.
3. Compare those with current listings. If asking prices are far above recorded prices, expect to negotiate.
4. If you are also weighing renting first, see the side-by-side table below.

Rents follow a similar pattern. The housing ministry's rent figures put Barcelona and Madrid at about €13 to €15/m² a month, and much of the interior under €6/m².

Rents and purchase prices by city side by side

Big cities and the coast cost two to three times more than the interior, both to rent and to buy. The figures below are 2025 approximations. Prices in 2026 are probably higher.

How to read the table

• Rents are asking rents. They come from advertised listings, not signed contracts. What you actually pay can be lower, especially if you negotiate.
• Prices are appraisal values. They are for whole provinces, not cities. In the hottest markets, the prices people actually pay at the notary are higher.
• City and province figures do not match exactly. A province price is not the price in its capital. Compare the two columns only as a rough guide to cost levels.
• The official rent figures are older. The government's rental reference system uses 2022 tax data. It puts Barcelona and Madrid at roughly €13–15 per m² a month. It puts Málaga, Palma and San Sebastián at roughly €11–13, and Valencia at €8–10. Much of the interior is under €6. Listing rents are higher because they are newer and are asking prices.

To check current figures, look at listings for the exact neighbourhood you want. Prices can differ a lot between districts of the same city.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the price I see in listings higher than the official figure?

Listing prices are what sellers ask, and buyers usually negotiate, so recorded sale prices come out lower. In tight markets the gap can be large: asking prices can run 10–30% above official figures built from declared deals.

Which official figure should I trust for what people actually pay?

Notary and property registry statistics are the ones to trust, because they come from signed deeds. They arrive with a delay. Appraisal values from the Ministry of Transport are valuations, not sale prices, so they can sit below real prices in hot markets.

How much cheaper is the Spanish interior than the big cities and coasts?

The interior is much cheaper, at roughly a third of big-city and coastal prices. In 2025, cheaper interior provinces such as Ciudad Real, Jaén, Cuenca, Zamora, Teruel and Palencia were around €700–1,000/m². Resale prices in inland provinces such as Ávila, Zamora, Cuenca, Jaén, Teruel and Palencia run about €800–1,500/m². Madrid, Barcelona, the Balearics, Málaga and Gipuzkoa are about €2,300–3,200/m². Averages hide big differences inside each province.

Are prices still rising?

Yes, prices rose strongly through 2025, with annual national increases of about 11–13% in the national housing price index. Madrid, Andalucía (especially Málaga), the Balearics and Valencia saw the largest rises.