Looking for a rental in Spain can mean competing in places where overseas searches form a sizeable part of the market. The latest idealista/data figures put the heaviest concentration along the Mediterranean coast and on the islands, particularly in Alicante province, the Balearic Islands and Málaga.
For anyone researching renting in Spain as a foreigner, the data shows where international house-hunters are most visible in online rental searches.
These figures measure the proportion of rental searches coming from outside Spain. They do not show local rents, the number of homes available or how quickly a property can be secured, but they do show where foreign house-hunters make up a significant part of the online rental market.
- Alicante, the Balearics and Málaga draw the biggest overseas share
- Towns where overseas searchers account for half or more of rental demand
- The Canary Islands have several high-demand rental hotspots
- Alicante and València lead Spain’s provincial capitals
- The pattern also reaches smaller coastal and inland locations
Alicante, the Balearics and Málaga draw the biggest overseas share
The three leading provinces attract international searches from a different mix of countries. Dutch searchers rank first in Alicante, German demand heads the Balearic Islands ranking, and the United Kingdom is the largest overseas market in Málaga.
Province | Share of rental demand from abroad | Leading nationalities |
|---|---|---|
Alicante | 26% | Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom |
Balearic Islands | 26% | Germany, United Kingdom, Italy |
Málaga | 24% | United Kingdom, United States, Germany |
Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 19% | Germany, Italy, United Kingdom |
València | 18% | United States, Germany, France |
Almería | 17% | Germany, United Kingdom, France |
Las Palmas | 17% | Germany, Italy, United Kingdom |
Girona | 15% | France, Germany, United Kingdom |
Barcelona | 14% | France, United States, Italy |
Granada | 13% | United States, Germany, France |
Cádiz | 13% | Germany, United States, United Kingdom |
Beyond the three leading provinces, international interest remains concentrated around the Mediterranean coast and the Canary Islands, while València also ranks near the top.
German searchers lead in both Canary Islands provinces, US-based searchers rank first in València, and Portuguese demand is the largest foreign group in Jaén and Badajoz.
Towns where overseas searchers account for half or more of rental demand
The sharpest concentration appears in a small group of coastal and island municipalities, where searches from outside Spain make up at least half of total rental demand.
Municipality | Province | Share of rental demand from abroad | Leading nationalities |
|---|---|---|---|
Andratx | Balearic Islands | 60% | Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland |
Alicante | 53% | Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom | |
Alicante | 52% | Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom | |
Calvià | Balearic Islands | 52% | Germany, Austria, Switzerland |
Almería* | 50% | United States, United Kingdom, Sweden | |
Mogán | Las Palmas | 50% | Norway, Germany, Italy |
*Nerja is listed under Almería in the source data.
The locations cluster around Mallorca, the Alicante coast and the Canary Islands, with a mix of northern European, British, American and Swiss interest appearing in the data.
The Canary Islands have several high-demand rental hotspots
The Canary Islands contain several municipalities where international rental searches form a large share of total demand, extending beyond the two provinces’ overall results. The pattern is visible on both Gran Canaria and Tenerife, rather than being limited to one location.
The leading overseas groups differ across the islands. German searchers appear repeatedly, while Swedish, Dutch, Italian and British demand also features in the municipal data.
Municipality | Province | Share of rental demand from abroad | Leading nationalities |
|---|---|---|---|
San Bartolomé de Tirajana | Las Palmas | 48% | Germany, Sweden, Netherlands |
Arona | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 47% | Italy, United Kingdom, Germany |
Adeje | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 45% | Germany, United Kingdom, Italy |
Alicante and València lead Spain’s provincial capitals
The cities with the highest international share of rental searches are mainly on the Mediterranean coast, in the Balearic Islands and in southern Spain. Alicante and València top the capital-city ranking, while Palma, Málaga and Barcelona also show a substantial overseas presence in their rental search data.
Provincial capital | Share of rental demand from abroad | Leading nationalities |
|---|---|---|
Alicante | 25% | United States, Germany, Brazil |
València | 24% | United States, Italy, Germany |
Palma | 20% | Germany, Argentina, Italy |
Málaga | 20% | United States, Germany, France |
Barcelona | 18% | France, Italy, United States |
Girona | 15% | United States, United Kingdom, France |
Cádiz | 15% | United States, Germany, Italy |
Tarragona | 14% | Brazil, United States, Germany |
Almería | 13% | United States, France, Portugal |
Granada | 13% | United States, Italy, France |
Badajoz | 11% | Portugal, Brazil, United States |
Castellón de la Plana | 11% | United States, Argentina, France |
Madrid | 11% | United States, France, Italy |
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | 10% | Germany, Italy, United States |
San Sebastián | 10% | United States, France, Germany |
The mix of nationalities varies by city. US-based searchers appear among the three leading groups in most of the capitals listed, while German, Italian, French and British interest is particularly visible in Mediterranean and island locations.
The pattern also reaches smaller coastal and inland locations
International rental interest is not confined to the biggest cities, Mallorca or the Canary Islands. Several smaller municipalities along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts see overseas searchers account for a notable share of local rental demand.
Municipality | Province | Share of rental demand from abroad | Leading nationalities |
|---|---|---|---|
Ayamonte | Huelva | 45% | Portugal, Germany, Brazil |
Almuñécar | Granada | 45% | United States, Germany, Netherlands |
Salobreña | Granada | 43% | United States, Germany, Netherlands |
Mojácar | Almería | 38% | United Kingdom, France, Germany |
Vera | Almería | 37% | Netherlands, Germany, France |
Oliva | València | 33% | Germany, Netherlands, United States |
Cartagena | Murcia | 31% | United Kingdom, Germany, United States |
Peñíscola | Castellón | 30% | France, Germany, Netherlands |
Sitges | Barcelona | 30% | United States, United Kingdom, Germany |
The nationalities at the top of the search data vary across these places. US-based searchers lead in Almuñécar and Salobreña, British demand heads the rankings in Mojácar and Cartagena, Portuguese searchers rank first in Ayamonte, and French demand leads in Peñíscola.
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