Accessing rental housing has become an insurmountable challenge for a large part of the population. In the last five years, the shortage of rental supply, the boom in tourist rentals, stagnant wages, and growing demand have accumulated.
Thus, the average rental price in Spain for a 90-meter type property has increased by 46%, going from 884 euros in January 2021 to 1,291 euros in January 2026, according to the real estate portal pisos.com.
In the case of Canarias, prices have increased by 34.4%, going from an average of 871 euros for a 90-meter apartment in January 2021 to 1,170 euros in the same month of 2026.
By autonomous communities, the largest percentage increases, above 50%, were recorded in Madrid, 80.1% (from 1,089 euros to 1,963); Balearic Islands, 70.2% (from 987 euros to 1,680); Catalonia, 63.7% (from 903 euros to 1,478); Castilla-La Mancha, 60.8% (from 462 euros to 743); and Valencian Community, 52.9% (from 638 euros to 975).
"The escalation in rental prices even surpasses the increase in sales, placing thousands of households at an impossible crossroads where renting has become prohibitive," explains Ferran Font, spokesperson and Director of Studies at pisos.com. On the opposite side, the communities with more moderate increases have been La Rioja, at +3.96%; Extremadura, at +23%; and Cantabria, at +32.55%. Only Navarra has experienced a decrease, with -8.41%.
