Rent prices aren’t stagnating; everything indicates they will continue to rise. Although they’re already unaffordable for many, there are still some provinces where you can take a breather. In some of these regions, the price per square meter is even less than half the national average of €14.30—just €5.
To put the situation into perspective, the most expensive provinces to rent an apartment are undoubtedly the most well-known: Madrid, Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, Las Palmas, and Málaga. In the capital, the rent is €20.08 per square meter. Only 8% of apartments located in areas far from the city center or with poor public transport are available for rent for less than €1,000, forcing many to share these apartments.
The most accessible provinces for renting an apartment
According to the portal Pisos.com, Ourense leads the ranking as the cheapest province in Spain to find an apartment for rent. The price per square meter is €3.51, which means that an 80-square-meter apartment would cost around €280 per month—a price unimaginable even for a room in Madrid.
In second place are Ávila and Soria, which are on par with the price per square meter, with values between €3.7 and €3.9/m². Life there seems much quieter and is even cheaper than in the surrounding provinces. The average renter pays €300 for the same 80 m², and their proximity to Madrid makes these regions a very attractive option for those looking to live close to the capital.
Badajoz and Ciudad Real are also affordable provinces for the average earner. With a price of €4.2 per square meter, it’s possible to rent an 80 m² apartment for €400.
Provincial capitals
The real estate portal Idealista also lists the cheapest areas in Spain for rental apartments, with a special focus on the provincial capitals, where prices per square meter are generally significantly higher than in the surrounding municipalities. Zamora leads the way with a price per square meter of €6.9, followed by Ciudad Real with an average price of €7.2/m² and direct access to Madrid via the AVE (highway).
It’s also possible to find an affordable apartment in cities like Cáceres and Badajoz in Extremadura. Both cities have an average rent of €7.4/m².
