How Much Does It Cost to Rent in Barcelona in 2026?
Barcelona's rental market keeps climbing. The latest official figures from INCASOL (Q2 2025) put the city-wide average at €16.56 per square meter per month — 3.6% higher than a year earlier.
So what does that actually look like on the ground, and where are things headed going into 2026?
Four years of rising rents
Since the post-pandemic low of €13.10/m² in 2021, rents across Barcelona have gone up 26.4% in four years:
| Year (Q2) | City Average (€/m²) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | €13.10 | — |
| 2022 | €14.14 | +7.9% |
| 2023 | €15.92 | +12.6% |
| 2024 | €15.98 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | €16.56 | +3.6% |
The pace has slowed down a lot since the sharp 2022–2023 jump, but the direction hasn't changed. Rents are still going up.
In practical terms, a typical 60m² apartment in Barcelona now costs around €994/month — just shy of €1,000.
How each district compares
The city average hides a lot of variation. Here's how each of Barcelona's 10 districts moved from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025:
| District | Q2 2024 | Q2 2025 | Change | ~60m² Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarrià-Sant Gervasi | €18.01 | €19.18 | +6.5% | €1,151 |
| Ciutat Vella | €16.25 | €17.90 | +10.2% | €1,074 |
| Gràcia | €17.58 | €17.52 | -0.4% | €1,051 |
| Les Corts | €17.26 | €17.18 | -0.5% | €1,031 |
| Eixample | €16.53 | €16.62 | +0.5% | €997 |
| Sants-Montjuïc | €15.43 | €16.56 | +7.3% | €994 |
| Sant Martí | €16.33 | €16.33 | +0.0% | €980 |
| Horta-Guinardó | €14.28 | €14.76 | +3.4% | €885 |
| Sant Andreu | €13.90 | €14.46 | +4.0% | €868 |
| Nou Barris | €12.95 | €13.48 | +4.1% | €809 |
What stands out
The biggest surprise is Ciutat Vella — up 10.2% in a single year. Demand for the old town keeps pushing prices higher, and the Barceloneta neighborhood alone hit €22.39/m².
Sants-Montjuïc jumped 7.3%, which is notable because this district was considered affordable not long ago. It's catching up fast.
Meanwhile, Gràcia and Les Corts barely moved. These are two of Barcelona's most desirable districts, and the near-zero change suggests they may have hit a ceiling — or that the rent cap is doing its job there.
At the other end, Nou Barris is still the cheapest district at €13.48/m² (about €809/month for a 60m² flat), though prices there also went up 4.1%.
The most expensive and cheapest neighborhoods
The gap across Barcelona neighborhoods is striking — the priciest ones cost nearly 3 times as much as the cheapest:
Top 5 most expensive (Q2 2025)
| Neighborhood | District | €/m² | ~60m² Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagonal Mar | Sant Martí | €22.89 | €1,373 |
| Vila Olímpica | Sant Martí | €22.69 | €1,361 |
| La Barceloneta | Ciutat Vella | €22.39 | €1,343 |
| Sarrià | Sarrià-Sant Gervasi | €21.28 | €1,277 |
| Les Tres Torres | Sarrià-Sant Gervasi | €20.11 | €1,207 |
Top 5 most affordable (Q2 2025)
| Neighborhood | District | €/m² | ~60m² Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baró de Viver | Sant Andreu | €8.05 | €483 |
| Ciutat Meridiana | Nou Barris | €9.30 | €558 |
| Canyelles | Nou Barris | €9.87 | €592 |
| Marina del Prat Vermell | Sants-Montjuïc | €10.78 | €647 |
| La Trinitat Nova | Nou Barris | €11.33 | €680 |
Baró de Viver at €483/month for 60m² is less than half the city average. If you're on a tight budget, the northern districts — Nou Barris and Sant Andreu — still offer much lower rents, though they're creeping up too.
Looking ahead to 2026
A few things worth watching this year:
The expanded rent cap — Since January 2026, Catalonia's rent control law also covers seasonal contracts and room rentals. That closes a loophole a lot of landlords had been using, and it could slow things down in some segments.
Tourist apartments are going away — Barcelona plans to eliminate all 10,000 short-term rental licenses by November 2028. As those units gradually come back to the long-term market, especially in Ciutat Vella and Sant Martí, it should take some pressure off supply.
The city keeps attracting people — International workers, students, digital nomads — Barcelona isn't getting any less popular. The population is growing and housing supply hasn't caught up.
Putting it all together, rents will probably keep rising in 2026, but at a moderate pace — think 2–5% rather than the double-digit jumps of 2022–2023. The cheaper districts (Nou Barris, Sant Andreu, Horta-Guinardó) will likely see the biggest percentage increases as people priced out of the center look further out.
How does your rent compare?
If you're curious where your rent falls relative to your neighborhood:
- Compare your rent — check if you're paying above or below average
- Find affordable neighborhoods — plug in your budget and apartment size
- Average rent by district — the full price table for all 10 districts
All figures come from INCASOL, the Generalitat de Catalunya's official housing data.