Buying a home in Spain now requires dedicating an average of 35.7% of the household's disposable income to the payment of the first annual installment of the mortgage, according to the latest report from Tinsa by Accumin. The effort has increased from 34% in the previous quarter and exceeds the 35% that the study itself uses as a reference for a reasonable level in 19 capitals.
The pressure is especially high in the most expensive markets. San Sebastián, Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, and the Balearic Islands exceed 50% effort, while the map prepared by Accumin shows very wide differences between territories when it comes to facing the purchase of an average home.
The problem is not explained solely by the mortgage payment. The price of finished housing grew by 15.2% year-on-year between April and June, while the available supply continues to not respond to the existing volume of demand.
More than 5,000 euros a month to buy in San Sebastián
The differences between cities allow measuring to what extent access to property depends on the place of residence. For an average home of 100 square meters and a mortgage equivalent to 80% of its value, Accumin calculates that a family unit needs about 5,074 net euros per month in San Sebastián to keep the payment within 35% of their income.
Madrid ranks second, with 4,574 net euros per month, followed by Barcelona, where 4,485 euros are needed. In total, 14 of the 60 cities analyzed require more than 2,500 net euros per month to face the purchase under the conditions used in the study.
At the opposite end are some inland markets. Zamora presents the lowest necessary income, with 1,279 net euros per month, followed by Lugo, with 1,322 euros, Ciudad Real, with 1,323, and Palencia, with 1,339. The calculation does not include the prior savings necessary to cover the down payment or the taxes and other acquisition costs.
The recent evolution of prices adds pressure to the buyer. The Valencian Community recorded the largest regional increase in the second quarter, at 20.7% year-on-year, while Castilla-La Mancha, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, and Murcia reached 18.1%. Madrid rose by 15.5% and Barcelona by 8.9%.
Access is particularly complicated for young people
The official statistics reflect the consequences of this gap between prices and incomes. The National Institute of Statistics indicates that 44.3% of people aged between 26 and 34 lived with their parents in 2025. Of them, 47.3% indicated that they could not afford to buy or rent a home as the main reason for continuing to live in the family home.
The problem affects both renting and ownership. Among these young people, 34.6% specifically stated that they could not afford to rent a home and 12.7% that they could not access buying. Another 13% claimed that they remained with their parents while saving to buy or rent.
The difficulty also arises when households try to change homes. The INE estimates that 7.6% of the population aged 16 or older searched for housing during 2025 without changing residence. Almost seven out of ten people in that group cited excessive prices as the main reason for not completing the move.
The Bank of Spain points to a growing gap
The data from the Bank of Spain shows that the accumulated effort to access housing also presents strong territorial differences. In 2024, non-owner households needed in Spain the equivalent of 6.8 years of average net income to acquire a home, a figure that rose to 9.7 years in Madrid and 9 years in Barcelona.
The agency also points out that the effort is particularly high in large cities and their urban areas, where a significant part of economic activity is concentrated. The combination of high prices and job concentration makes it difficult for households to move to cheaper markets without incurring additional costs.
The evolution of prices has also widened the gap with incomes. The Bank of Spain notes that, since 1980, the real disposable income of Spanish households has grown less than the real prices of housing, a divergence that helps explain the deterioration of residential accessibility.
Brussels calls for more housing and fewer obstacles
The European Commission has incorporated housing as a specific area of analysis in the European Semester of 2026 and calls on States to take measures to increase supply, expedite permits, and improve affordability. Brussels considers that the mismatch between supply and demand constitutes one of the main problems of the European residential market.
In the Spanish case, the Commission also identifies a persistent lack of affordable and social housing and points out that residential prices have continued to rise strongly. Its analysis estimates that housing prices in Spain showed in 2025 an overvaluation close to 18% according to its methodology, although it warns of significant territorial differences.
The Commission itself is preparing for 2027 a simplification package aimed at reducing costs and administrative delays that hinder the construction of housing. The European objective is to accelerate the creation of supply in areas where demand clearly exceeds the available capacity.