In recent years, Barcelona has become one of the most expensive cities to live in Spain. In fact, it is the Spanish city with the most expensive rent in general, with an average of 1,087 euros per month, surpassing even the minimum interprofessional wage.
This increase in prices has led many citizens to look for alternatives and consider moving to municipalities near the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.
The constant increase in the price of housing in Barcelona has led to record prices for shared room rentals, making Barcelona the city with the most expensive room rentals in Spain.
According to the six-monthly ranking published by Idealista, the outskirts of Barcelona have become one of the most sought-after areas to live in.
Municipalities near Barcelona: Where are people moving to?
Among the municipalities near Barcelona that have become especially attractive to home seekers, Santa Coloma de Gramenet stands out, leading the list with an average rental price of 842 euros per month.
This locality is closely followed by Hospitalet de Llobregat, which enjoys an excellent connection with Barcelona and an average rental price of 965 euros per month. Also in the top positions of the ranking are Cornellà de Llobregat and Badalona, with average rental prices of 933 and 1,147 euros per month, respectively.
Curiously, the city of Barcelona itself has fallen to 15th place in the list of the most sought-after areas to live in. This is largely due to the prohibitive cost of rent in the city, which exceeds the minimum wage.
Barcelona is closely followed by cities such as Terrassa, Sabadell, Sant Cugat del Vallès and Castelldefels, which are also popular destinations for those looking for more affordable living but still want to stay close to Barcelona.
What is the reason for the high demand?
This is partly due to the lack of supply in the Catalan capital and the high demand it faces.
To address this situation, the Catalan employers’ association Foment advocates public-private collaboration to increase the stock of affordable housing, the implementation of tax incentives to rent unoccupied housing and the improvement of legal security in cases of squatting or non-payment.
The residential market in Barcelona, both rental and ownership, has become a topic of public debate, especially for young people. The difficulty of buying a home has put pressure on the rental market, which is why Foment is proposing the introduction of public guarantees for young people.
The Barcelona City Council seeks to develop strategies in response to the critical situation of the residential market.
