A surge in mass tourism, the daily arrival of new digital nomads, the influx of local and international workers drawn by big companies setting up in key urban hubs, and property owners exploiting legal loopholes may be the real reasons behind Spain’s skyrocketing rental prices.
A study released last week, endorsed by the popular local rental platforms Idealista and Pisos.com, confirmed that Barcelona is the most expensive city in Spain to rent a room.
According to the data, living in the Catalan capital in a shared apartment will set you back between €595-€623 per month—utilities not included.
The bad news hit locals and foreigners like a ton of bricks—well, not really.
In fact, Catalan people have been protesting against mass tourism for months, blaming it for driving up rents by as much as 68% over the last 10 years, according to official data.
While both portals show slight differences in their data, they agree that Madrid and San Sebastian are tied as the second most expensive cities in Spain. Rooms in any of these cities will cost you €550 and €547, respectively.
Meanwhile, Palma de Mallorca took the fourth spot. Closing the list is Girona (also in Catalonia), where renting a room will cost you €474.80 monthly on average.
Last week, major cities like Barcelona and Madrid were filled with demonstrators protesting for the same reason. New protests are expected this week in Barcelona, Alicante, and Valencia.
It’s not just these cities—Spaniards in the Canary Islands, Malaga, and the Basque Country are also fed up with the rising prices, which has kept many of them from cutting the apron strings. Unable to afford their own place, they’re forced to live with their parents well into their 30s.
The report also reveals that the availability of rooms across Spain increased by 20% year-on-year during the third quarter, while prices rose 5%, reaching an average of €400 per month, according to Idealista.
But it’s not the same in all cities. In Barcelona, for instance, rentals increased by 11% during the same period.
In response, both local and national governments have announced strict regulations to stop short-term rentals, which are widely blamed for driving up prices.
On Monday, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez announced new regulations to “put an end to fraud” and “curb short-term rentals.”
“I want to announce that we are distributing €200 million in ‘youth rental vouchers’ and introducing new legislation to end fraud in tourist and seasonal rentals,” said Sánchez in Barcelona on Monday.
Meanwhile, Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni has announced a plan to ban all tourist apartments—over 10,000 of them—by November 2028, in an effort to tackle the city’s housing crisis.