Spanish families allocate an average of 39% of their net income to rent, according to Idealista, compared to the 29% required for buying a home. In Palma, the effort reaches 45% and in the province of Málaga, it hits 58%.
Rent has become the most burdensome expense for Spanish households. Families allocate an average of 39% of their monthly net income to rent payments, according to the study published by Idealista this month with data from the second quarter of 2026, collected by euribor.com.es. This figure exceeds by ten points the effort required for home purchase, which stands at 29% of income.
The threshold that financial institutions consider reasonable to avoid compromising a household's stability is 30%. Rent exceeds this by an average of nine points and surpasses it in several provinces. In Palma, the effort reaches 45% and in the province of Málaga, it reaches 58%, according to the report.
By capitals, Málaga stands at 40%, Valencia at 39%, Madrid and Alicante at 38%, Barcelona and Segovia at 34%, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria at 31%. At the opposite end, Ciudad Real and Teruel record an effort of 19%.
The Bank of Spain has warned of a structural housing deficit that could reach one million units by 2028. Analysts from Funcas attribute the root of the problem to a lack of supply: Spain has been building less new housing than it needs to accommodate the creation of households for over a decade.
“2027 could bring an unprecedented housing access crisis if the current trajectory is not corrected”
This was warned by Sergio Gutiérrez, deputy and spokesperson on housing matters. The data from Idealista confirms that the trend has not slowed down in the second quarter of 2026.
The most affected group is young people seeking independence. When someone moving out for the first time must allocate nearly four out of every ten euros they earn to rent, decisions like starting a family or relocating for better job opportunities become conditional or postponed. The phenomenon also impacts established families who see their savings capacity reduced month by month and who, in provinces like Málaga, resort to family assistance, are forced to share housing, or move to the outskirts.
The deterioration has not been sudden. Over the past twelve months, various sector reports have documented double-digit price increases in mid-sized cities that were previously considered affordable refuges compared to Madrid or Barcelona.
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