People ask me what a flat costs in Madrid and expect a single number. There is no single number. Salamanca costs three times what Villaverde costs, in the same city, on the same metro line.
So here are real prices by district, with the source and the date, and what they mean for an actual flat.
The short version
- The average asking price in Madrid is 6,576 euros per square metre (June 2026, Idealista).
- That is roughly 360,000 euros for a 55 m2 flat and 526,000 for an 80 m2 flat, on average.
- The range is enormous: from about 3,254 in Villaverde to 10,964 in Salamanca.
- Add around 10 per cent on top for taxes and fees.
- The cheaper districts are rising fastest. Villaverde is up 23.5 per cent in a year.
Prices by district
Asking prices per square metre, June 2026. I have converted them into two typical flat sizes so you can see what your budget actually reaches.
| District | Per m2 | 55 m2 | 80 m2 | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salamanca | 10,964 | ~603,000 | ~877,000 | -0.5% |
| Chamberí | 9,247 | ~509,000 | ~740,000 | +5.1% |
| Retiro | 8,488 | ~467,000 | ~679,000 | +2.2% |
| Chamartín | 8,301 | ~457,000 | ~664,000 | +9.5% |
| Centro | 7,772 | ~427,000 | ~622,000 | +3.8% |
| Madrid average | 6,576 | ~362,000 | ~526,000 | +3.9% |
| Arganzuela | 6,383 | ~351,000 | ~511,000 | +10.6% |
| Moncloa | 6,349 | ~349,000 | ~508,000 | +7.9% |
| Tetuán | 6,245 | ~343,000 | ~500,000 | +11.6% |
| Fuencarral | 5,622 | ~309,000 | ~450,000 | +10.9% |
| Hortaleza (Sanchinarro) | 5,586 | ~307,000 | ~447,000 | +10.3% |
| Ciudad Lineal | 5,319 | ~293,000 | ~426,000 | +12.0% |
| Barajas | 5,052 | ~278,000 | ~404,000 | +16.0% |
| Moratalaz | 4,556 | ~251,000 | ~364,000 | +15.7% |
| San Blas | 4,137 | ~228,000 | ~331,000 | +9.3% |
| Vicálvaro | 4,050 | ~223,000 | ~324,000 | +14.7% |
| Latina | 3,999 | ~220,000 | ~320,000 | +7.5% |
| Villa de Vallecas | 3,852 | ~212,000 | ~308,000 | +13.8% |
| Carabanchel | 3,829 | ~211,000 | ~306,000 | +13.9% |
| Usera | 3,613 | ~199,000 | ~289,000 | +17.0% |
| Puente de Vallecas | 3,411 | ~188,000 | ~273,000 | +16.6% |
| Villaverde | 3,254 | ~179,000 | ~260,000 | +23.5% |
Source: Idealista price index, city of Madrid, June 2026. These are asking prices. What actually gets signed is usually a little lower, though in the fastest districts good flats go at or above asking.
What the last column is telling you
Look at the year on year column, because it is the most interesting part of the table.
The expensive districts have stopped moving. Salamanca is slightly down, Retiro up 2.2 per cent, Centro up 3.8. They are close to their ceiling.
The cheaper districts are rising hard. Villaverde 23.5 per cent, Usera 17, Puente de Vallecas 16.6, Barajas 16. Buyers priced out of the centre are moving outwards, and prices are following them.
That does not automatically mean you should buy in Villaverde. It means that if you are buying to live, the cheaper districts are getting less cheap every quarter, and if you are buying partly as an investment, the growth is not where the prestige is.
The 10 per cent nobody budgets for
The asking price is not what leaves your account. On a resale home in Madrid, expect roughly:
| Cost | Roughly |
|---|---|
| Transfer tax (ITP), resale | 6 per cent of the price |
| VAT plus stamp duty, new build | 10 per cent plus 0.75 per cent instead |
| Notary and land registry | Often around 1 per cent |
| Independent lawyer | About 1 per cent |
| Valuation, if you take a mortgage | A few hundred euros |
| Total to add | Around 10 per cent |
So a 400,000 euro flat really costs you about 440,000. Madrid has one of the lower transfer tax rates in Spain, which helps, and there are reductions for some buyers, so confirm the current figures with your lawyer.
What actually decides the price, beyond the district
- Lift or no lift. In an old building this can move the price by a lot, and it decides who can buy it from you later.
- Floor and light. An interior ground floor and a bright fifth floor in the same block are different products.
- Condition. A flat that needs full renovation trades well below the district average, and reforming in Madrid is neither cheap nor fast.
- Energy certificate. Increasingly relevant for resale, and it tells you what heating will cost you.
- Community fees and pending derramas. A cheap flat in a building with a 40,000 euro facade project approved is not cheap.
Outside the city
If your budget does not reach where you want to be, the north and the Henares corridor change the maths completely, exactly as they do with rentals. Alcobendas, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Alcalá de Henares and Torrejón give you considerably more space per euro, with a train or metro into the centre. It is the same trade you make with renting: twenty five minutes for a lot of money.
Questions I get asked a lot
Is now a good time to buy in Madrid?
I am not going to pretend I can time the market, and be careful with anyone who says they can. What the data shows is that prices are still rising, faster in the cheaper districts than in the expensive ones. If you are buying a home to live in for years, timing matters far less than buying the right property at a fair price.
Can I negotiate?
On a flat that has been listed for months, needs work, or is priced above its street, yes. On a well priced flat in a district rising 15 per cent a year, you will be competing, not negotiating.
Are these prices per built metre or usable metre?
Spanish listings normally quote built metres, which include a share of common areas. Usable space is less. Always ask for both.
What deposit do I need?
If you are a non resident, banks typically lend 60 to 70 per cent, so plan for 30 to 40 per cent of the price plus the 10 per cent of costs.
You might also want to read
The Madrid Buying Guide
Everything I explain to my own buyers: the real timeline, the money in full, the legal checks and the red flags. In one place you can keep.
- The honest timeline
- The 10 per cent on top
- Price cheat sheet by district
- Documents you need
- The process step by step
- The legal checks that matter
- Viewing checklist and red flags
- Useful Spanish phrases
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Want to know what your budget really buys?
Tell me your budget and what matters to you, and I will tell you honestly which districts are realistic and which are not. Then I do the search, view on your behalf and negotiate for you. I am paid by you, never by the seller.
Talk to me on WhatsAppOr book a free 30 minute callPrice data: Idealista price index for the city of Madrid, June 2026. Figures for specific flat sizes are calculated from that index and are indicative, not valuations. Tax rates and reductions change: confirm with a lawyer or tax adviser before committing.