The other Spain, where €500 a month rents you a big flat

Think renting in Spain is all €2,000-a-month shoeboxes in Madrid, Barcelona or Marbella? Not necessarily.

Spain is not just the expensive cities and coasts. Rent prices in some areas of Spain are so high that they feel like 2005.

Of course, we are here.

Linares has the lowest rent for a flat to be rented in Spain

According to the latest report from popular real estate website IdealistLinares in the province Jaen is now the cheapest rental town in Spain.

How much? Try €5.60 per square metre. That means you could rent a decent 100-square-metre apartment for just €560 a month. It’s cheaper than the average price of a Barcelona room.

For context, in Barcelona and Madrid, the same flat would cost more than €2000. That’s a whopping €1,500+ price gap, depending on where you sign your rental contract.

Joining Linares on the podium are…

What other Spanish cities are offering big energy for rent?

The top 3 is completed by Puertollano (Ciudad Real), where you pay €5.70 per square metre, and Don Benito (Badajoz), where the cost of rent is €5.90.

These towns are followed by a handful of others where rent still sits comfortably under €7/square metre, like Valdepeñas (Ciudad Real), Almendralejo (Badajoz), and Ponferrada (Leon).

Compare that to the national average of €14.60/square metre and it’s clear: there’s a two-speed rental market in Spain. There are two types of renters in Spain: those who want to live in the big cities and along the coast, and those who will trade their beach clubs and rooftops bars for a more affordable lifestyle.

Where can you still get a good deal on rent in Spain?

The low-rent leaderboard is dominated by regions like Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha. Some towns in Valencia and Galicia also feature on the list. You can find:

• Ontinyent (Valencia) – €6.4/square metre
• Lucena (Cordoba) – €6.5/square metre
• Ferrol (A Coruña) – €7.5/square metre
• Ronda (Malaga) – €7.4/square metre (yes, Ronda!)

Tortosa, in Catalonia, is even 64% cheaper than regional average. This is incredible when you consider the cost of other products and services.

Why is the rent so low in these places, you ask?

Some of the reasons include: smaller populations and fewer employment opportunities. In some cases, there is also a decline in demand.

They may not be international hotspots, but they could be perfect for those who are remote-working or retired. Or, if you just want to get away from the chaos of the city.

But there is one catch.

Remember that this list is only for towns where the rental market is large enough to be reliable statistically. That means some tiny villages – which might be even cheaper – aren’t on the list. There are still some. Somewhere.

Rent in real towns is less expensive than the weekly grocery bill at home

In summary, Spain still offers towns where you could rent an entire apartment for less than the price of groceries in London. They’re real, and no, it’s not a fantasy. They are real and livable. This could be the key to enjoying Spain while not burning through all your savings.

Here’s a quick question.

Would you move to Linares, Don Benito, Lucena or other places like these for €500 a month? Tell us in the comments.

Read here more articles about life in Spain.