Barcelona is the most expensive city of Spain to rent a room

Barcelona was the most expensive city in Spain to rent a room in during the last quarter of 2024, according to real estate platform Idealista. 

With an average room rental price of €620, the cost to share a flat in Barcelona is €210 above the Spanish average of €410. 

Prices increased by 17% compared to the same period in 2023 even though the housing supply increased by 12%.

With higher housing prices, the demand for rooms in shared flats has increased in Barcelona, creating a 49% surge in room rental prices since 2021. 

Residents in neighborhoods like Gràcia complain that flats that used to be available for €700 for the entire apartment have now been converted into 'co-living' spaces, with prices as high as €900 for a room of only 10m². 

After Barcelona, the highest prices were seen in Madrid (€565), Palma de Mallorca (€500) and San Sebastían in the Basque Country (€487). 

In the rest of the Catalan cities, prices remained stable with an average of €400 for Girona, €350 for Tarragona, and €300 in Lleida.   

At the Spanish level, the housing stock of rooms in shared apartments increased by 22%, with an average price increase of 2%, according to Idealista. 

Decreases in prices in Spain were only noticed in three cities: Seville, Granada and Teruel.