According to a study by Grupo ST, the average price of new-build housing in Spain rose by 9.7% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, and by 4.9% compared with the previous six-month period.
By June, it reached 3,458 euros per square metre, setting a record for the fifth consecutive half-year. Forecasts indicate that by the end of 2026, new-build housing prices will increase by 9.3% year-on-year, which would mean some stabilisation in the pace of growth compared with current levels.
Madrid, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia exceeded the national average
By autonomous community, Madrid (+11.8%), the Balearic Islands (+10.6%) and Catalonia (+10.5%) were the only regions to exceed the national average in annual change and record the strongest price growth.
At the opposite end were Melilla (+1.6%), Ceuta (+3.8%) and Asturias (+4.3%) – the only autonomous communities and cities where price growth did not exceed 5%. In the remaining autonomous communities, growth ranged from 5.1% in Castilla-La Mancha to 9.3% in the Valencian Community.
The most expensive provincial capitals
Among provincial capitals, Barcelona retained the highest average price in the country – 6,310 euros/m². The Catalan capital was followed by Madrid (5,471 euros/m²) and San Sebastián (5,047 euros/m²), with the latter exceeding the 5,000 euros/m² threshold for the first time.
The lowest prices were recorded in Ciudad Real (1,416 euros/m²), Cáceres (1,440 euros/m²) and Ávila (1,465 euros/m²).
Buying a new-build home requires almost eight years of full salary
The report also analyses the housing purchase effort index, which reflects the time a person would need to save their entire salary in order to buy a standard new-build home in Spain.
According to this indicator, at the end of the second quarter of 2026, buying a new-build home would require total income equivalent to 7.8 years of work.
The Balearic Islands continued to show the highest housing effort level in the country: 20.2 years of full salary, with annual growth of 4.2%. The archipelago was followed by Madrid (10.7 years), Catalonia and the Canary Islands (8.3 years each) – the only autonomous communities that exceeded the national average.
The affordability index remains below the equilibrium threshold
On the other hand, the affordability index, which measures the relationship between the average housing price and the acceptable level of debt required to purchase it, fell by 1.2% compared with the previous quarter and by 4.6% year-on-year, reaching 83 points.
As a result, the indicator remained below the equilibrium threshold, set at 100 points.
At present, only in eight autonomous communities can a person with an average salary buy a standard home without exceeding the recommended level of debt. These are Extremadura (138 points), La Rioja (129), Murcia (124), Castilla-La Mancha (123), Aragon (118), Castilla y León (118), Asturias (114) and Navarre (105).
The lowest affordability indicators in the country are found in the Balearic Islands (32), Madrid (59), Catalonia (77) and the Canary Islands (80).
Confidence in the real estate sector remains above the equilibrium level
The real estate sector confidence index stood at 58 points in the second quarter of 2026, showing a quarterly decline of 1.3%.
However, in annual terms the indicator remained positive, increasing by 0.6%. In addition, this index stayed above the equilibrium threshold of 50 points for the eighth consecutive quarter, a trend that has continued since June 2024.
The highest figure was recorded in Murcia – 62, and the lowest in Extremadura – 53.7. All autonomous communities nevertheless remained above the equilibrium threshold.
Construction costs also reached a record high
Finally, the national average cost of constructing new residential properties reached 1,451 euros per m², representing an increase of 3.99% compared with the previous quarter and 11.22% compared with the same period in 2025.
This figure is also a new all-time record and confirms the continued rise in construction costs in recent quarters.
Class “A” energy efficiency is becoming the norm
As for energy efficiency, the report notes that class “A” has already become the norm for new residential construction.
Projects launched in the first half of 2026 showed an average emissions level of 2.98 kilograms of CO2 per square metre per year and non-renewable primary energy consumption of 16.87 kilowatt-hours per square metre per year.
These indicators are 18.1% and 11.2% lower than in the previous six-month period.
Against the backdrop of rising prices and construction costs, the choice of location, project quality and energy efficiency of the property are becoming especially important for buyers. The Alegria Premium catalogue includes apartments in Spain, villas in Spain, as well as new-build properties in key cities, including Valencia.
