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Right before the summer, the Bank of Spain released a survey that showed that three out of four renters in Spain can’t hope to save for a deposit for a home of their own. Now, it looks as though they’re being priced out of the Region of Murcia rental markets as well.

 

Renting a home is becoming an increasingly complicated ordeal due to rapidly rising prices both nationally and regionally. Coupled with the even more difficult task of acquiring a home, the housing problem has become one of society's biggest headaches.

 

Rent prices on the Murcian coast have risen sharply in recent years, with increases of more than 70% since 2021. Renting an 80 square metre home in a coastal municipality now costs an average of €918 per month, according to data from industry insiders.

 

In the coastal municipalities of Murcia, average rental prices reached €11.47 per square metre in July. That means a modest 100 square metre property now costs more than €1,100 per month.

 

The most dramatic increases have been recorded in Mazarrón, where rents are 162% higher than four years ago. Average monthly prices there reached €18.56 per square metre in July, meaning an 80 square metre home now comes with a price tag of nearly €1,500.

 

Los Alcázares follows with an increase of 83.4%, while Águilas has seen a rise of 79.35%.

 

Other municipalities have experienced more moderate, though still significant, increases. In San Pedro del Pinatar, rents are up 46.9%, in San Javier 36.2% and in Cartagena 34.3%.

 

In real terms, an 80 square metre home will set renters back between €664 in Cartagena and €765 in San Pedro del Pinatar.

 

Despite these figures, the Region of Murcia remains one of the cheapest places in Spain to rent. At €9.68 per square metre on average, it is the fifth most affordable areas, behind La Rioja, Extremadura, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha and the autonomous city of Ceuta. The national average, by comparison, is €15.11 per square metre.

 

Year-on-year, Murcia recorded a 6.8% increase in average rental costs, the fourth lowest in Spain. The national average stood at €14.60 per square metre in July 2025, a record high compared with €10.40 the previous year.

 

Although rent hikes in Cartagena are less dramatic than in other municipalities, house prices there are a different story entirely. The average property price reached €1,488 per square metre in July, 21% more than a year earlier.

 

The most expensive areas remain those along the coast. In Los Belones, close to La Manga and Cabo de Palos, prices have risen by more than 50% to reach €2,021 per square metre. In Mar de Cristal and Islas Menores, the average stands at €1,656, a 24% increase.

 

Cartagena’s Old Town remains the most sought-after location, with average prices of €1,965 per square metre.

 

Young people are among the hardest hit by rising costs. According to the Youth Council’s Emancipation Observatory, published this week, many must spend more than 90% of their income to rent a whole property. Even renting a single room in a shared flat requires more than a third of their salary.

 

The Region of Murcia shows one of the steepest declines in youth independence across Spain. Only 14.3% of people aged 16 to 29 lived outside the family home in the first half of 2024, down more than 6% from the previous year.

 

This coincides with one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Spain and salaries that are well below the national average.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena