Key facts
- Buying a home in Spain now requires 8.4 years of full gross salary, up from 7.1 years in 2024.
- House prices in Spain increased by 20.5% in 2025, while wages rose by only 1%.
- The Balearic Islands and Madrid are the least accessible markets, requiring 15.1 and 15 years of salary, respectively.
- Madrid saw the largest deterioration in housing affordability in 2025, with the time needed to buy a home increasing by 34 months.
- Only 17 out of 50 Spanish provinces allow a home purchase with less than five years of gross salary.
Buying a home in Spain has become increasingly unaffordable, with the average worker needing to dedicate 8.4 years of their gross salary in 2025, a significant increase from 7.1 years in 2024. This deterioration in housing affordability is attributed to a stark divergence between wages, which rose by a mere 1% in 2025, and second-hand housing prices, which surged by 20.5% to an average of 2,879 euros per square metre.
The study by Fotocasa and InfoJobs highlights severe regional disparities. The Balearic Islands present the most challenging market, requiring 15.1 years of salary to purchase a home, followed closely by Madrid at 15 years. Madrid experienced the most significant worsening of affordability in 2025, with the time needed to buy increasing by 34 months compared with the previous year. Regions like the Canary Islands and Basque Country also exceed ten years of salary, while Catalonia approaches that threshold at 9.4 years. In contrast, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura require around four years of gross pay. Only 17 provinces nationwide permit a home purchase with less than five years' pay.