Spain's cheapest cities to rent in – and their top attractions

BEFORE committing to buying a permanent home in Spain, many movers prefer to rent for a specific length of time to get a feel for life in their new country; this is also likely to be the go-to option for anyone planning to live in Spain for a finite period, such as for work, or just to experience a new culture and language for a while.

Buying a property in Spain as a long-term investment, and renting it out as a main home, is another way of creating a solid tie with the western Mediterranean country, and potentially providing a pied à terre that can be used as an eventual retirement retreat.

How much you might have to pay each month as a tenant, or how much you can expect to charge, are fairly crucial initial considerations before your journey even begins. Of course, you may already have a very set idea as to where in Spain you want to focus on – in which case, you can check out typical prices by area in our Property to Rent section. 

Always bear in mind that rent prices in Spain tend to be more dynamic and market-sensitive than the cost of buying, and that both of these can vary considerably – not just by area, but in the same area. Renting or buying a home in one street may be far more expensive than in another street barely 100 metres away, or might be cheaper in the next town along the road.

Average city rental prices

To gain an idea of average rental prices, figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) shows us that in provincial capital cities across the board, the approximate cost to a tenant is around €9.77 per square metre of property.

Based upon a house or flat of 90 square metres – which would typically have around three bedrooms in the case of the latter, or two if it was a villa – this means a national average monthly rent of €879 if you're in a city.

Naturally, provincial capitals are not the end of the story – or even the whole of the beginning of the story. Very few are close to a beach, most are at the higher end of the price range for their province as a whole, and their main market is among the workforce, particularly those in jobs that do not permit remote working.

But the cost of rent in a capital gives a starting point when working out the cost elsewhere in the province.

The most expensive cities to rent in

Unsurprisingly, the two biggest metropolitan areas in the country are where the highest rent is paid, although not in order of size. Barcelona, the second-largest city in Spain, attracts a typical price of €1,800 per month for a 90-square-metre house or flat, being 104.7% more than the national average. 

Meanwhile, the largest city in Spain – and its capital – Madrid would see tenants paying around €1,620 for the same type of property, or 84.3% more than the national average.

The cheapest cities to rent in

With an approximate figure of €540 a month for a 90-square-metre property, the provincial capital cities with the lowest rent include two in the far north-western region of Galicia, one in Aragón, one in Extremadura, one in Castilla y León and one in Castilla-La Mancha.

In fact, only one of these cities – Lugo – is in a province with a coast, showing that you may have to pay a little more if you want to rent a home that's not too far to drive to the beach.

Lugo is in Galicia, along with Ourense, another 'cheap capital', but in a land-locked province just above Portugal.

Also close to the Portuguese border are Zamora (Castilla y León) and Cáceres (Extremadura).

Ciudad Real is to the south of Madrid – not quite close enough for commuting, but near enough for a day trip by train – and Teruel, the second-smallest provincial capital in Spain (around 35,000 inhabitants), is around an hour and a half by motorway from the larger, coastal city of Valencia and to the beach town of Sagunto.

Why would you rent in Lugo?

This northern Galicia city, home to just under 100,000 people, is a popular day-trip destination for those living elsewhere in the province, keen to see its Roman boundary wall and stunning, sandstone-coloured cathedral.

Just outside of Lugo city, the vast, verdant Miño Park nature reserve is a visitor magnet, with its rolling emerald hills and its rainbow of autumn colours in the latter months of the year.

Lugo as a province is most popular for its coast, however. Galicia's world-famous Rias, or river deltas, can be explored from here, with organised trips in boats easy to find; also, the seaside town of Ribadeo is not to be missed. Its blue-flagged As Catedrais beach, practically the province's standard postcard picture, is internationally famous for its rock formations which resemble the arches and vaults of a cathedral – hence the name.

In total, Lugo province has 18 blue-flagged beaches, in eight different towns, and Galicia is the region with the second-highest number of blue flags in Spain.

Why would you rent in Ourense?

Known nationally for its thermal waters, this inland city of around 105,000 inhabitants is perfect for year-round bathing, despite being a considerable distance from the coast. Even when the thermometer drops below zero – and, in fact, especially then – taking a dip in the steaming natural springs in the heart of the urban hub is sheer bliss, and usually free of charge.

Visitors often follow the so-called Paseo Termal, or 'Thermal Walk' – four kilometres of lush gardens along the edge of the river, where you can take a warm soak at any time of year, and feel as though you were right out in the countryside. 

The route leads on to the O Tinteiro natural spring, known for its skin-healing waters and a viewing platform much loved by birdwatchers, then eventually to Muiño da Vega, with four natural pools and splendid sunsets – and plenty of parking nearby.

Natural thermal swimming pools can be found close by in the Burga da Canedo and Outariz areas of the city, and the latter has a spa complex with circuits and treatments at highly-competitive prices.

Why would you rent in Zamora?

Northern, land-locked parts of Spain are likely to become key summer holiday hotspots in future years – their milder, less-humid climate in the warmest months of the year offer a much-needed respite from the sweaty, sticky heatwaves on the coasts and in the more southerly areas of the mainland. Indeed, as much of Spain beyond the coastline is at an altitude, cooler weather can be found in July and August, especially overnight, without searching too hard.

Castilla y León, a vast high plain in centre-northern Spain, has some of the coldest winters, but this also means it's a more bearable place to be in high summer – and Zamora gives you a taste of city life without the overwhelming sensation of being, literally, one in a million. Its total population is only around 65,000.

Described as the Romanesque capital of Spain, Zamora's architecture is a hybrid of Mediaeval and Roman, Arab and prehistoric – although its second 'golden age', between the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, means this small city is a Mecca for fans of Modernist architecture. This is the era of Barcelona genius Antoni Gaudí, and some of the key design ideas of the time are based upon nature – influenced by the shapes of leaves, trees, and water. 

Museums, churches, bridges, theatres, stately homes, palaces, plazas, convents, castles, and more – replete with history, curious legends, unusual and elaborate decorative schemes and designs, spanning both banks of the river Duero (which you can take a late-night cruise along) offer some genuinely breathtaking urban scenery. 

Imagine passing all this on your daily walk to the supermarket.

Why would you rent in Cáceres?

One good reason to rent a home in this far-western city of just under 100,000 residents is that the entire municipality is a UNESCO heritage site. Another good reason is that it's right on the doorstep of three huge nature reserves – the Ambroz Valley, the Jerte Valley, and the Monfragüe National Park.

Outside the city itself, the town of Trujillo is widely held to be the most beautiful in western Spain, and despite the nearest seaside being in a different country (on the Costa da Caparica near Lisbon, Portugal), Extremadura has plenty of beaches – and the highest percentage of blue flags of any other region in Spain, beating even those with a coast. Inland beaches are more prolific in the neighbouring Extremadura province of Badajoz, but Cáceres has several of its own, including the newly blue-flagged Cancho del Fresno beach in Cañamero.

Quaint, cobbled streets and picture-postcard houses in its historic quarter, Mediaeval and Baroque architecture, palaces, mansions, and Gothic arches make Cáceres city a visual delight, but oceans of wide-open countryside on the doorstep make it a popular base for rural tourism, too.

Why would you rent in Ciudad Real?

Fans of literature and legend flock to the province of Ciudad Real to take a selfie next to one of its numerous Don Quijote-style windmills; in fact, one of the three towns that prides itself on being at the dead centre of mainland Spain (nobody has yet been able to agree), Alcázar de San Juan, has one of these trademark white mills right in the railway station. 

It's also one of the more unusual provinces in Spain, in terms of natural phenomena. The Campo de Calatrava is home to at least a dozen dormant volcanoes – the most recent eruption was 1.75 million years ago – and six geysers, all discovered in the last 23 years. In practice, their reddish-coloured water and tepid temperatures mean they do not qualify for this description the way the ones in Iceland and Yellowstone Park do, but they're all active and, clay-like tone aside, do not look any different to the real thing.

Ciudad Real city is just next door to the vast Cabañeros National Park, and the metropolitan area itself is oozing with highly-accessible history: The Alarcos Archaeological Park, with its Mediaeval castle and fortifications, visitor centre and prehistoric settlement, and the Quijote Museum in homage to the central character of Miguel de Cervantes' epic adventure novel – still the best-selling in the Spanish language and the most famous work of the author who died on the same date as William Shakespeare – are among the top two attractions that draw in day-trippers. 

Visitors with a little longer than 24 hours on their hands also make a beeline for the Mystery Time Escape Room, and to the Puerta de Toledo – an apparently randomly-placed sandstone arch in the middle of a square, but which is in fact a chunk of the original city wall built by King Alfonso X.

Why would you rent in Teruel?

More like a small or medium-sized town than a city, Teruel is close enough by good roads to Spain's third-biggest metropolitan area, Valencia, for an extended day trip, but not sufficiently near it for commuting. As a result, this southern Aragón capital sits in one of Spain's most rural provinces: Around 80% of villages have fewer than 200 inhabitants.

The province is home to the municipality with the coldest summers in the country – Griegos, which barely reaches 20ºC in July and August, and where nights during these months sometimes even drop to freezing, making it a sought-after respite from the intense heat. 

Teruel's villages, quaint, crumbling and Mediaeval, give you the sense of travelling back in time – some even have working donkeys, and one short visit is enough for you to be remembered by the locals forever.

A warm, close-knit community where outsiders never feel as though they are once they've been there more than a couple of minutes, Teruel is often thought of as a rural pocket of peace and quiet, but however idyllic these may be, we know they can get boring at times. That's not the case with Teruel, though: Adults and children alike can never get enough of the Dinópolis dinosaur theme park, which came about after numerous discoveries of remains of these prehistoric giants across the Teruel mountains.

In winter, boredom is almost a luxury. The ski resorts of Javalambre and Valdelinares, managed by Aramón – which, additionally, runs those in the Pyrénéen stations of Cerler and Formigal-Panticosa – are open daily until 17.00 and are comparatively among the cheapest. As an example, two nights in a hotel with three days' lift pass and full equipment hire can come in at under €250, with prices barely having risen in years, and frequent deals and offers published, making skiing and snowboarding affordable regular hobbies for anyone living near enough to the slopes.

Teruel city is known nationwide for its stunning Mudéjar architecture – a style created almost by accident, among the Arab population who managed to stay in Spain following the Inquisition in the late 15^th century. Newly marginalised as a community and much poorer than during the centuries in which they were the dominant ethnic, they could not afford high-quality building materials, and had to make do with mud-bricks and wood. The result would go on to become some of the most intricate and beautiful structural designs in the country.

The main Mudéjar masterpiece is Teruel cathedral, which is a regular tourist magnet due to its connection to one of the country's most tragic and well-established legends: That of the Lovers of Teruel. 

Spain's answer to Romeo and Juliet, Isabel and Diego were destined never to be together in life, but never to love anyone else – although they were finally reunited for eternity after their heart-wrenching early demise. They are buried side by side in the cathedral, with marble statues of them sitting atop their tombs; visitors will notice that, although they appear to be holding hands, Isabel's and Diego's fingers are not quite touching – signifying how close they came to being husband and wife, but never quite close enough.