Finding a long-term rental on the Costa Blanca is unlikely to feel any easier as summer comes to an end.
The latest figures from Idealista show rents across the Valencian Community rose by 6.4% in the year to August. Alicante city recorded an even steeper increase of 7.3%, giving another indication of the pressure facing renters in this part of Spain.
The figures cover advertised long-term residential properties rather than existing rental contracts. They also exclude holiday and seasonal lets, making them more relevant to people looking for a permanent home.
Costa Blanca renters face a more expensive market
Idealista does not provide a separate Costa Blanca figure in this report, so the 6.4% regional increase cannot simply be applied to every coastal town. Rental markets in places such as Torrevieja, Benidorm, Calpe, Javea and Denia can behave very differently.
However, the figures do show the wider direction of travel. Rents across the Valencian Community increased faster than the Spanish average, which stood at 5.8% in August.
Alicante city also moved ahead of many of Spain’s other large rental markets. Its 7.3% annual increase compared with 5.1% in Madrid, 3.5% in Valencia and 2.8% in Malaga.
Further north, Castellon province recorded one of Spain’s sharpest increases, with advertised rents climbing 10.4% over the year.
Rental prices rise across almost all of Spain
The pressure on tenants extends far beyond the Costa Blanca. Idealista found annual rent increases in 48 of Spain’s 50 provinces, with Toledo leading the way at 12.3%.
Across the country, the average advertised rent reached €15.10 per square metre in August. Prices were 0.8% higher than three months earlier, although they fell by 0.9% compared with July.
Madrid remains the most expensive province for tenants, averaging €21.50 per square metre. The Balearic Islands follow at €20, while Malaga province stands at €18.70.
At the cheaper end of the market, Jaen averages €7 per square metre.
Valencian Community above the Spanish average
The Valencian Community’s 6.4% increase places it among the regions where rents are rising faster than the national average.
Aragon recorded Spain’s largest regional increase at 10.2%, followed by Asturias at 9.4% and Castilla-La Mancha at 8.8%. La Rioja and Castilla y Leon also recorded rises above 7%.
The Basque Country was the exception to the national trend, with rents falling by 1.6% compared with August last year.
For people searching for a home on the Costa Blanca, the latest figures offer little sign of the rental market cooling significantly. They do, however, need some context. A regional average cannot show exactly what is happening in individual resorts, towns or neighbourhoods, where prices and availability can differ substantially.
A clearer look at long-term rentals
Idealista changed the methodology behind its property price index in July 2026.
The platform now filters out seasonal and holiday rentals from its calculations. It has also strengthened the way it identifies unusual prices that could distort the results.
Idealista applied those changes retrospectively to its historical figures, allowing it to compare current prices with previous years using the same method.
For Costa Blanca residents, that distinction matters. Holiday accommodation forms a significant part of the local property market, but these latest figures aim to show what is happening specifically to conventional residential rents.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Rents across the Valencian Community rose 6.4% in the year to August.
- The increase was higher than Spain’s national average of 5.8%.
- Alicante city recorded a 7.3% annual rise.
- Idealista does not provide a separate Costa Blanca-wide figure.
- Advertised rents increased in 48 of Spain’s 50 provinces.
- Spain’s average advertised rent reached €15.10 per square metre.
- Idealista now excludes holiday and seasonal rentals from this residential price index.
