The rental market doesn't forgive the wrong choice.
of landlords fear non-payment
· Idealista · Fotocasa · CaixaBank · Banco de España · CJE
The pressure on Spanish renters
Renters spending over 40% of income on housing
1 in 3 renters in Spain is financially over-stretched. The EU average is 20.3%.
What renting costs by city — Spain
Two independent sources confirm prices keep climbing.
Asking rent per m²: Madrid €22.7 (Idealista) and €21.17 (Fotocasa); Barcelona/Cataluña €23.8 (Idealista) and €19.38 (Fotocasa); Baleares €18.53 (Fotocasa); National average €14.7 (Idealista) and €14.46 (Fotocasa).
Asking rent per m². Barcelona bar shows Cataluña region (Fotocasa). Baleares: Fotocasa only.
The trend behind the numbers
of under-30s' salary needed to rent solo — Spain
Consejo de la Juventud de España · 2025
Young people can't afford to leave home
Not because they don't want to — the numbers simply don't add up.
The rental market is pricing an entire generation out of independent living. Landlords face a shrinking pool of financially capable tenants — which makes verifying the ones who can pay even more critical.
What renting costs in Portugal
New rental contracts in Lisbon cost twice the national average — and the gap is widening.
- €15.22/m²— Lisbon (new contracts)
- €7.21/m²— National average
Covers new rental contracts only. Existing contracts not included.
of landlords distrust potential tenants
Fotocasa Research · 2025
Nearly half of landlords are worried
- Rents rising faster than incomes means more financially stretched renters
- High demand means landlords must decide faster, with less time to verify
- Document-based checks miss the real picture — bank data doesn't
Up 8 points in one year. The tools most landlords use — payslips, documents, gut feel — can't keep up with a market this tight.
See how Abitamo verifies renters →Frequently asked questions
How much does the average rent cost in Spain in 2026?
The average rent in Spain is €1,184/month according to the Observatorio del Alquiler (2025). In per-m² terms, Idealista recorded €14.7/m² (December 2025) and Fotocasa recorded €14.46/m² (February 2026). New rental contracts are rising at 15% year-on-year, and rents have increased by 30% since 2019 (CaixaBank Research).
How much does rent cost in Madrid and Barcelona in 2026?
Madrid asking rents average €22.7/m² (Idealista, December 2025) and €21.17/m² (Fotocasa, February 2026). Barcelona reaches €23.8/m² (Idealista, December 2025), the highest of any major Spanish city. Both cities sit roughly 50–60% above the national average.
How much has rent risen in Spain since 2019?
According to CaixaBank Research, rents on new contracts have risen 30% cumulatively since 2019. Year-on-year, new contract prices grew 15% in late 2025. The official asking-price index from Idealista recorded 8.5% annual growth in December 2025.
What is the gross rental yield in Spain in 2026?
The gross rental yield in Spain reached 7.02% in December 2025, according to the Banco de España — a new record high, up approximately 1 percentage point versus 2024. This reflects rent growth outpacing house price growth in most markets.
What percentage of their salary do young people spend on rent in Spain?
Young people under 30 need 92.3% of their salary to afford solo renting in Spain, according to the Consejo de la Juventud de España (2025). As a result, the youth emancipation rate fell to 15.2% in the second half of 2025 — a historic low. Only 1 in 7 young Spaniards lives independently of the parental home.
Where this data comes from
Every number on this page is extracted from public institutional sources and refreshed every 2 months.