Spain’s rental market is stretching beyond the biggest city centres. As asking rents continue to rise, more demand is concentrating in towns outside provincial capitals, where rents are often lower but competition for available homes can be stronger.
idealista/data’s analysis for the second quarter of 2026 found that, in 27 of the 50 provinces analysed, at least one municipality had greater relative demand pressure on available rental homes than the provincial capital.
The shift comes as rents across Spain rose by 5.8% year on year in August 2026, with the national average remaining above €15 per m² per month.
Rental demand is moving outside provincial capitals
The figures point to a rental market in which lower advertised prices outside major cities are attracting substantial interest.
Across the 27 provinces where another municipality overtook the capital in relative demand, many of those locations had cheaper average rents than the provincial capital.
That does not necessarily mean the rental search is easier outside the city. The figures measure relative demand pressure on the rental homes available in each location, and several lower-priced towns recorded more pressure than their nearby capital.
Major markets including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Palma, Alicante and Seville all recorded annual rent rises in August, but none of those provincial capitals led their province in relative rental demand.
Renting near Madrid and Barcelona
Getafe sees greater relative demand than Madrid
Getafe recorded greater relative rental demand pressure than Madrid, while its average rent was lower.
- Average asking rents stood at €15.2 per m² per month in Getafe at the end of August 2026, compared with €23.3 per m² in Madrid.
Cornellà de Llobregat overtakes Barcelona
In Barcelona province, Cornellà de Llobregat had greater relative demand pressure than Barcelona.
- Average rents were €15.6 per m² per month in Cornellà de Llobregat, compared with €20.2 per m² in Barcelona.
Lower-priced towns with higher rental demand pressure
The same pattern appeared in a range of other provinces, including coastal areas, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.
Province | Municipality with greatest relative demand | Average rent | Provincial capital | Average rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Valencia | Aldaia | €10.8 per m² | Valencia | €16.3 per m² |
Alicante | Alcoy | €8.4 per m² | Alicante | €13.9 per m² |
Murcia | Alcantarilla | €8 per m² | Murcia | €9.9 per m² |
Balearic Islands | Inca | €12.9 per m² | Palma | €19.3 per m² |
Málaga | Vélez-Málaga | €11.2 per m² | Málaga | €16.5 per m² |
Las Palmas | Santa Lucía de Tirajana | €11.3 per m² | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | €14.6 per m² |
Santa Cruz de Tenerife | San Cristóbal de La Laguna | €12.8 per m² | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | €14.1 per m² |
Seville | Camas | €11.2 per m² | Seville | €13.5 per m² |
Biscay | Barakaldo | €14.7 per m² | Bilbao | €15.7 per m² |
Long-term rental supply edges down while seasonal listings rise
The backdrop is a rental supply market that changed little overall for long-term homes, while seasonal rental stock increased.
- idealista’s second-quarter figures showed that long-term rental supply declined by 0.2% year on year.
- At the same time, seasonal rental supply rose by 13% and accounted for 29% of all available rental homes in Spain.
Several capitals recorded sharper falls in permanent rental supply:
- San Sebastián: -42%
- Bilbao: -27%
- Vitoria-Gasteiz: -14%
- Barcelona: -11%
- Alicante: -7%
- Valencia: -3%
Other capitals recorded higher available rental supply over the year, including Girona, up 55%; Cáceres, up 22%; Málaga, up 13%; Palma, up 8%; and Madrid, up 4%.
Where provincial capitals remain the most in-demand rental locations
Provincial capitals still had the greatest relative rental demand pressure in 22 provinces. These included:
San Sebastián, where the average rent was €18.1 per m² per month, as well as Segovia at €13.2 per m², Girona at €12.9 per m², and Vitoria-Gasteiz and Zaragoza at €12.3 per m².
Other capitals identified as their province’s most in-demand rental location included:
- Guadalajara: €12 per m²
- Pamplona: €11.6 per m²
- Huelva: €10.8 per m²
- Salamanca: €10.6 per m²
- A Coruña: €10.2 per m²
- Logroño: €10.2 per m²
In some cases, the provincial capital was the most demanded municipality because no other town in the province had enough rental listings to be included in the analysis. The threshold was between 75 and 100 adverts during the quarter studied.
Spain’s 2026 rental data shows that cheaper towns around major capitals are attracting strong interest, rather than acting as a release valve for demand.
Source: idealista/data, “Capital o periferia: así se desplaza la presión de la demanda sobre la oferta de alquiler”, published 15 September 2026.
