🇪🇸 Spain
Barcelona
73 neighborhoods
- Rent
- $450 - $2,500 (€398 - €2,210) a month, 2025
- Foreign residents
- 9-68 % of residents (2026)
- Sea
- yes, city beaches
- Criteria
- 28
Best neighborhoods to live in Spain
The finder covers 2 cities in Spain: Barcelona (73 neighborhoods) and Madrid (21 districts). The median apartment rent runs from $980 (€869) a month in Madrid to $1,100 (€900) in Barcelona (2024). Barcelona has the mildest winter, averaging 9.2 °C in January. Pick a city, then a goal and your criteria: the areas are ranked by how well they match.
🇪🇸 Spain
Madrid
21 districts
- Rent
- $770 - $1,400 (€688 - €1,175) a month, 2024
- Foreign residents
- 12-31 % of residents (2025)
- Sea
- no
- Criteria
- 24
City comparison
| Figure | Barcelona | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Areas in the finder | 73 neighborhoods | 21 districts |
| Residents | 1,727,873 · 2026 | 3,497,277 · 2026 |
| City area | 102 km² | 601 km² |
| Density | 16,989 residents per km² | 5,822 residents per km² |
| Apartment rent, citywide median | $1,100 (€900) a month · 2024 | $980 (€869) a month · 2024 |
| Foreign residents | 26.6 % of residents · 2026 | 20.0 % of residents · 2025 |
| Parks and woodland | 28 % of the area | 47 % of the area |
| Metro, rail and tram stops | 1.0 per 10,000 residents | 0.7 per 10,000 residents |
| Cycle lanes | 1.9 km per 10,000 residents | 1.3 km per 10,000 residents |
| Schools and nurseries | 3.9 per 10,000 residents | 5.0 per 10,000 residents |
| Cafés | 8.9 per 10,000 residents | 4.1 per 10,000 residents |
| Bars and clubs | 8.8 per 10,000 residents | 7.5 per 10,000 residents |
| Sea | yes, city beaches | no |
| January, average temperature | 9.2 °C | 6.3 °C |
| July, average daytime high | 28.0 °C | 32.1 °C |
| Days a year with 1 mm of rain or more | 53 | 59 |
| Rain a year | 588 mm | 421 mm |
Green marks the best value among the cities. Data as of October 2026.
We will help you move to Spain
We will help you choose a city and an area for your family and work, find a home, check the lease and prepare the residence permit papers.
The cost of support is on request from the manager.
Where the data comes from
- Residents, area and foreign residents: totals of the city’s areas, from the same statistics as the neighborhood finder (Barcelona - city resident register, 1 January 2026; Madrid - city district indicator panel).
- Citywide rent: median monthly rent of apartments from tax data, rental price index of the Spanish Ministry of Housing, 2024, measured the same way for every city.
- Parks, stations, cycle lanes, schools, cafés, bars: © OpenStreetMap contributors, extract of 18 October 2026, per 10,000 residents of the whole city.
- Climate: 1981-2010 normals of the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), weather stations: Barcelona - airport; Madrid - Retiro Park.
Data as of October 2026.
FAQ
Which city in Spain has the lowest rent?
$980 (€869) a month is the median apartment rent in Madrid in 2024 on the Ministry of Housing rental index, against $1,100 (€900) in Barcelona. Rent by area is in the finders for Barcelona and Madrid. A manager will send rentals with prices in any city of Spain.
Where in Spain are winters warmer?
9.2 °C is the average January temperature in Barcelona, against 6.3 °C in Madrid. Madrid is the hottest in summer, with an average July daytime high of 32.1 °C. These are 1981-2010 normals of the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
Where in Spain can I live by the sea?
9 of Barcelona’s 73 neighborhoods are within 1.5 km of a beach; Madrid has no sea. In the finder for Barcelona, turn on By the sea, within 1.5 km.
Which city in Spain has the most foreign residents?
Can Murblz help with moving to Spain?
Yes. Message a manager in the chat: the manager will help you choose the city and area, find a home, check the lease and prepare the residence permit papers. The cost of support is on request from the manager.
See also
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