Sharing a shared apartment (WG) is often the only way for many people, especially young people, to afford a roof over their heads. Demand for rooms for rent in Spain increased by an average of 8% last year, according to Idealista data. Supply also increased, but to a lesser extent. At the same time, prices continued to rise. A recent report from the real estate portal shows that the average cost of renting a room in a shared apartment is now €420 per month. In major cities like Barcelona and Madrid, prices are even higher.
In the first quarter of 2025, the number of interested parties for each room coming onto the market increased in most provincial capitals. The largest increases in competition among potential tenants were recorded in Albacete, Córdoba, and Seville, where the number of applications doubled compared to the first three months of 2024. San Sebastián, Bilbao, and Alicante also saw significant increases, with demand increasing by over 30% within a year. Madrid recorded a more moderate increase of 10%, while the situation in Barcelona remained relatively stable.
However, a dozen cities remained unaffected by this overall increase in interest in renting shared rooms. In cities such as Pamplona, Málaga, Valencia, Logroño, A Coruña, Cuenca, and Ciudad Real, demand fell between 24% and 8%. Renting rooms often remains a niche market, with half of the total supply concentrated in just five cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville—the four major cities—and Granada, a university city.
The increased interest in shared accommodations was accompanied by an increased supply of rooms for rent last year. According to Idealista, 7% more rooms were advertised in the first three months of 2025 than in the same period in 2024, although this is still far below the 22% increase seen the previous year. In 33 provincial capitals, including Barcelona, Málaga, and Valencia, there are now more rooms available than a year ago. In Barcelona, the increase was only 2%, while in the capital of the Costa del Sol and Valencia, the supply increased by 22% and 34%, respectively, within a year. In Madrid and Seville, however, it decreased by 5% and 24%, respectively.
Despite the increased supply across the country, prices have increased. Renting a room in a shared flat is, on average, 5% more expensive than a year ago. Barcelona remains the city with the highest rental prices, with the average room price reaching €600 per month, an increase of 9% compared to the beginning of 2024. Madrid, Palma, and San Sebastián follow, with average prices of €560, €500, and €487, respectively, which have increased by 7%, 14%, and 19% over the past year.
Among the major cities, Valencia is the only one where the cost of shared accommodation has remained stable—the average price is around €400. In Seville, however, prices have fallen by 4%, bringing the average rent for a room there to €360. The Andalusian capital, along with Albacete, is the only city to experience a decrease, while the number of cities where prices have remained stable is ten. Jaén, Zamora, and Cáceres are the cities where renting a room is cheapest, with average costs of less than €250 per month.
