Rent price in Barcelona
Barcelona · Catalunya
Estimated rent · IPVA 2023
Net income
19.5k€
per capita/yr
Unemployment
7.2%
SEPE
Population
1732k
residents
According to INE IPVA data, estimated rent in Barcelona is €884/month in 2023 — +3.1% year-on-year. Back in 2020 it was €831/month, a 6.4% increase over 4 years. Provincial average (Barcelona): €876/month.
Real market price · INCASÒL 2025
1135€/month
Average of rental contracts signed in 2025. Source: INCASÒL, Departament de Territori, Generalitat de Catalunya.
Full guide: living in Barcelona
Monthly budget, required salary and mortgage estimate
Idealista
Rental flats in Barcelona →
External link to Idealista. UrbanStatsLab may earn a commission.
National market context
National rank
#78
out of 748 municipalities
vs Catalunya
+80€
region avg: €804
Trend vs Spain
+0.8%
avg: 2.3%
Trend vs region
+0.8%
region avg: €2.3
Barcelona ranks 78 out of 748 municipalities in the INE rent price index. It is 10% above the Catalunya average (€804/month).
Rent price evolution
Estimated monthly rent in Barcelona (€/month). Source: INE IPVA.
Real rent evolution
Signed contracts · INCASÒL
Average price of rental contracts signed in Barcelona (€/month). Source: INCASÒL, Generalitat de Catalunya.
INE and INCASÒL data are not directly comparable. INE enables Spain-wide comparison with a homogeneous methodology; INCASÒL reflects real contracts signed in Catalonia.
Income and housing effort
Net income per capita
19.527€
per year · INE Atlas
Average household income
47.361€
per year
Rent-to-income ratio
54.3%
of per capita income
Average gross salary
31.730€
per year · Catalunya
Rent-to-salary ratio
33.4%
of annual gross salary
The national average effort is 55.4% of per capita income. Barcelona is 1 points below that average.
Source: INE Atlas of Household Income Distribution · INE Survey of Wage Structure (op.140). Gross salary is the Catalunya average.
Registered unemployment
Estimated unemployment rate
7.2%
of estimated active population
Registered unemployed
62,793
people
Annual change
+0.1%
vs same month previous year
Source: SEPE (Spanish Public Employment Service)
How much do you need to earn to live in Barcelona?
With rent at €884/month, the recommended salary (30% rule) is €55,000 gross/year.
Recommended salary
55,000€
gross / year
Rent
884€
/ month
Real avg income
19,527€
net / year
Enter your gross annual salary to see what rent in Barcelona means for your budget.
What would a mortgage cost in Barcelona?
For a €175,000 property (estimated from current rent), the monthly payment would be €701 over 25 years at 3.5%. You need €52,500 for the down payment and costs (20% + 10%). Based on average incomes in Barcelona, saving that amount would take around 3.7 years.
What does it cost to live in Barcelona?
Rent is €884/month. With average food, transport and utilities, the estimated cost of living is €1,654/month. Adjust each category to your situation.
Estimated expenses based on national averages. Adjust to your lifestyle.
Climate
Monthly max & min temperature (°C) · 2015–2024 normals
Source: Open-Meteo · ERA5 reanalysis (ECMWF)
Rent index evolution
| Year | INE IPVA Index | Estimated rent |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 120.582 | 884€ |
| 2022 | 116.997 | 858€ |
| 2021 | 113.714 | 834€ |
| 2020 | 113.338 | 831€ |
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rent in Barcelona?
The estimated rent in Barcelona is €884/month in 2023, according to the INE Housing Rental Price Index (IPVA).
Have rents gone up or down in Barcelona?
Rent in Barcelona has risen by 3.1% compared to the previous year, per the INE IPVA index.
Is Barcelona expensive to rent compared to the national average?
Yes, rent in Barcelona (€884/month) is 36% above the national average (€648/month).
How much do you need to earn to live in Barcelona?
Applying the 30% rule (rent should not exceed 30% of net income), you need approximately €35000 net per year to live in Barcelona with a rent of €884/month.
What would a mortgage cost in Barcelona?
For an estimated property price of €175,000 in Barcelona (based on current rent of €884/month), the monthly mortgage payment would be €701 over 25 years at 3.5% APR. Down payment and purchase costs amount to approximately €52,500 (20% down + ~10% costs).
Barcelona province
View all municipalities and compare prices
Other municipalities in Barcelona
Municipalities with similar rent
Municipalities in Spain with a similar rent to Barcelona (±10%)
More affordable options in Catalunya
Municipalities in Catalunya with lower rent than Barcelona
Want to compare Barcelona with another municipality?
Rent, income, population and more, side by side.
Official source
Instituto Nacional de Estadística
Organismo estadístico oficial del Estado español
www.ine.es View source →Methodology
Data comes from the Housing Rental Price Index (IPVA) published by Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE), with base 100 in 2015. The estimated rent is calculated by applying the index to the median reference price for the province in 2015.
Source: INE IPVA base 2015=100 · INE code: 08019