Are you on the Costa Blanca and looking for a long-term rental? You may face more competition in Alcoy and Elche than in Alicante city.
New figures from Idealista show that both cities rank above Alicante for pressure on available rental properties.
Alcoy sits at number 20 in the national ranking, while Elche takes 24th place. Alicante comes in at number 37 and Benidorm completes the Costa Blanca representation in the top 50 at number 50.
The figures come from Idealista’s analysis of Spain’s rental market during the second quarter of 2026.
But the ranking does not tell us where rents cost the most. It measures something equally important for anyone hunting for a home: how much competition there is for the properties available.
Alcoy has the highest rental pressure locally
Alcoy ranks 20th in Spain, putting it 17 places above Alicante city.
Elche ranks 24th, 13 places ahead of Alicante.
That might seem surprising. Alicante has a much larger population than Alcoy, but population alone does not determine how difficult it is to find a rental.
Idealista compares demand with the number of properties available.
A smaller city with relatively few homes on the rental market can therefore have greater pressure than a larger city with more people looking.
For renters, that means looking outside Alicante city will not necessarily make finding a home easier.
What does rental pressure actually mean?
The ranking measures competition rather than rental prices.
If a town has plenty of people looking for homes but very few available properties, rental pressure rises.
That is important because a high position in this particular ranking does not automatically mean a town has Spain’s highest rents.
Instead, it indicates that renters face greater competition for the homes that do become available.
Anyone who has spotted a promising rental online only to find half the Costa Blanca apparently got there first will understand the problem.
Benidorm also makes Spain’s top 50
Benidorm takes 50th place in the national ranking.
Idealista had more than 300 rental listings for Benidorm during the quarter covered by the report.
Even with that number of advertised properties, the balance between supply and demand still put the resort among Spain’s 50 most competitive rental markets.
With Alcoy, Elche, Alicante and Benidorm all appearing in the top 50, the figures show that rental pressure stretches across very different parts of the Costa Blanca and surrounding area.
It affects major cities, inland communities and busy coastal resorts rather than one particular type of location.
It is not just a Costa Blanca problem
The same pattern appears elsewhere in Spain.
Terrassa tops the national ranking, followed by L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Sabadell.
Idealista also found several examples of municipalities facing greater rental pressure than nearby major cities.
In the Madrid region, for example, Alcobendas and San Sebastián de los Reyes rank above Madrid city.
The figures suggest that renters who look beyond the obvious big cities can still face considerable competition.
Fewer rentals and more people looking
Idealista says rental supply has fallen in several areas where authorities have declared housing markets under pressure.
At the same time, demand has continued to grow.
That combination creates more competition whenever a suitable property comes onto the market.
For renters, particularly those searching within a fixed budget, a shortage of available homes can make the process longer and more frustrating.
The Costa Blanca figures show that this problem does not stop at Alicante city limits.
What does this mean if you are looking for a home?
The ranking gives renters another factor to consider when deciding where to live.
Moving the search from Alicante to Elche or Alcoy does not automatically mean you will face less competition.
The figures also underline the importance of distinguishing between rental prices and rental pressure.
A location may have cheaper properties but still prove difficult to search because many people compete for a limited number of homes.
For anyone planning a long-term move to the Costa Blanca, widening the search area can still provide more options. Just do not assume that heading inland means you will have the rental market to yourself.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Alcoy ranks 20th in Spain for rental demand pressure.
- Elche ranks 24th and Alicante city ranks 37th.
- Benidorm takes 50th place in the national ranking.
- Idealista’s figures cover the second quarter of 2026.
- The ranking measures competition for available rentals, not rental prices.
- Alcoy and Elche both have greater rental pressure than Alicante city.
- Four municipalities in Alicante province appear in Spain’s top 50.
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