Barcelona has options for every budget. There are many different areas in the city where you can find your new home. Besides this, prices of permanent housing has stabilised due to regulations of those prices via the rent reference index.
Today’s blog article will tell you all about the cheapest and most expensive rental areas in Barcelona. We compare the same flat, but then in different parts of the city, just to show you how much prices can vary.
Table of Contents
Comparing the cheapest and most expensive parts of Barcelona
If you are wondering how to compare two flats at just a glance, then you might want to know about the rent reference index online tool introduced by the Agència de l’Habitatge de Catalunya.
This tool developed by the Generalitat de Catalunya shows you the indexed rent, but also the higher and lower prices for apartments in that same area.
We will use this online tool to compare a theoretical apartment with the same characteristics to show you the differences in rental zones in Barcelona.
We will take a look at:
- ✅ Apartments with 75 m² of usuable space
- ✅ Centrally located in the neighbourhood
- ✅ The apartment will be in good condition
We will not take into consideration:
- ➖ A certain floor
- ➖ A certain year of construction
- ➖ Energy certificate
- ➖ Elevator/lift, parking or whether the apartment is furnished
| 📌 Note: all prices mentioned are from 17 December 2021, so for that reason they can vary when time passes. Also keep in mind that these are the prices for long-term rentals and not for short-term rental apartments. Be aware that prices shown are what the index refers to, therefore higher prices can only be asked when the apartment meets certain requirements or higher standards. |
Related article: The 10 Districts in Barcelona That Make Up The City
What are the cheapest rental zones of Barcelona?
Barcelona is divided in 10 districts and this is where all Barcelonians live. There is the Zona Alta, which is well-known, the neighbourhoods more in the middle of the city, and then the areas that are furthest from the city centre, where you will find some of Barcelona’s cheapest rental zones.
Affordable apartments in Nou Barris
We will start with the cheapest parts of Barcelona where the average rent is lowest. Two of the most affordable districts in the city are Nou Barris and Sant Marti. They are, however, very different from each other, and that is why we are only selecting neighbourhoods.
An apartment located in the centre of the neighbourhood of Porta.
We can see that the indexed price is: 12.56 €/m², with a maximum of 14.43 €/m² and a minimum of 10.56 €/m².
Are you looking for a rental in Porta? ShBarcelona has both long-term and short-term apartments in its portfolio.
Cheap flats in Sant Martí
Another neighbourhood that is known for cheaper living is Besos i El Maresme, which is in the larger district of Sant Marti. If we compare prices we can see the following:
The indicated price in this index is much cheaper than the previous one: 10,01 €/m², with a maximum of 11.48 €/m² and a minimum of 7.34 €/m².
Are you looking for a cheap place to rent? You can try finding a rental in Besos i Maresme.
Cheap apartments in Bon Pastor
Another great option for cheaper living in Barcelona is the neighbourhood of Bon Pastor, which is located in the district of Sant Andreu. This is the result of our experiment:
The price marked by the reference index is even cheaper: 10.50 €/m². However, it comes with a maximum of 12.36 €/m² and a minimum of 7.50 €/m².
Find your next rental in Bon Pastor.
Most expensive areas in Barcelona to live in
The more upscale areas of Barcelona, on the other hand, cannot be afforded by just anyone. There are two specific districts, that are also known as Barcelona’s Zona Alta, and they are Les Corts and Sarria – Sant-Gervasi.
High-priced apartments in Pedralbes
Okay, so we will have another look at the tool and start with the neighbourhood of Pedralbes (in the Les Corts district).
We can see that the reference index show a price of 17,08 €/m²and it can even go as high as 20,76 €/m².
Discover your next rental home in Pedralbes. Apartments are fully furnished and ready to move into.
More expensive places in La Bonanova
The second neighbourhood that we will take a closer look at is Sant-Gervasi – La Bonanova.
Tenants living in La Bonanova will pay 1.47 € less for their square meters than in Pedralbes, as the price is 15,61 €/m². Cheapest in that area is 11,35 €/m², and the maximum is 18,21 €/m².
Search for a rental in La Bonanova with ShBarcelona
Areas with average rental prices in Barcelona
As always, not everything is black and white, and neither are the rental prices in Barcelona. There are also good ‘in-between’ options to rent an apartment.
Reasonably-priced apartments in El Clot
El Clot is a residential zone and you will find yourself living in a neighbourhood with many long-time residents, an abundant social life and many shops. The rent reference index shows the following numbers:
The fixed price indicated by the Generalitat de Catalunya is: 12,64 €/m², with a minimum of 10,24 €/m² and a maximum of 14,84 €/m².
If syou are thinking of moving to the district of Sant Marti, then look no further and find your next rental in El Clot with us.
Fairly-priced flats in Sant Antoni
Another great living zone, although there is much demand, is the neighbourhood of Sant Antoni in the district of Eixample. The rent reference index shows a price of: 13,96 €/m², with a minimal price of 10,85 €/m² and a maximum price of 16,82 €/m².
Are you moving to Barcelona? In that case, check out if renting an apartment in Sant Antoni suits your needs and wishes.
Apartments with average rent in La Dreta de l’Eixample
And last but not least, our experiment brings us to another neighbourhood with an average price for rental apartments: La Dreta de l’Eixample.
The Generalitat de Catalunya has regulated prices in this part of Barcelona with a reference index of: 14,32 €/m², with a minimum of 10,13 €/m² and a maximum of 17,10 €/m².
Our portfolio also contains rentals in La Dreta de l’Eixample.
Conclusion: What is Barcelona’s cheapest rental zone? And the most expensive?
Now that we have gathered all the information, we have collected the data in the table with benchmark below:
| Area | Rent index | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Bon Pastor | 10,50 €/m² | 587,5 € |
| Besos i El Maresme | 10,01 €/m² | 750,8 € |
| Porta | 12,56 €/m² | 942,0 € |
| El Clot | 12,64 €/m² | 948,0 € |
| Sant Antoni | 13,96 €/m² | 1.047,0 € |
| La Dreta de l’Eixample | 14,32 €/m² | 1.074,0 € |
| Sant Gervasi – La Bonanova | 15,61 €/m² | 1.170,8 € |
| Pedralbes | 17,08 €/m² | 1.281,0 € |
ShBarcelona is an expert in finding the right apartment for specific tenants. We are a professional real estate agency that can help your with the whole process from A to Z with finding your next rental home in Barcelona.
To summarise our experiment, we can conclude that the cheapest rental area in Barcelona is Bon Pastor and the most expensive zone to live in is Pedralbes.
Which area in Barcelona would you like to live in?
Share your preference or tips!
My husband and I currently live in the uk. We are both retired in our 70s and would love to do a short term rental to try out and then purchase a home. We would like to be close to a beach near Barcelona and live in an average to lower rental area with easy access to the city. We are both still physically active and love nature, hikes and people.
Hello Esther,
Please contact our office directly if you need assistance with finding a short term rental. We are happy to help.
Best regards,
Daniella