Real rental prices, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, from the listings we analyze every day.
Median rent
€1,500/month
€1,200 to €2,100
Price per m²
24.6€
city median
Trend
Stable
€/m² vs previous period
Listings analyzed
9,922
Idealista listings
Madrid rents at a median of 1,500€ a month for a 65 m² flat, or 24.6€ per square metre. That headline number hides most of what you need to know, because the gap between neighbourhoods is wide. Cuatro Caminos runs at 23.8€/m² and Goya at 30.0€/m², a difference of more than a quarter on every square metre you rent.
The second gap is size, and it catches newcomers out. In the old centre, Lavapiés and La Latina have a median flat of around 50 m². The monthly rent looks manageable because the flat is small, which is exactly why their price per square metre is among the highest in the city. Step outside the Centro district, into Chamberí, Tetuán or Moncloa, and the median flat is 75 m² for a monthly rent that is not much higher. If you want space, you will not find it in the postcard streets.
One feature of this market will surprise anyone arriving from northern Europe: agencies run it. Depending on the neighbourhood, private landlords post between 3% and 11% of listings. There is nowhere in Madrid where dealing directly with an owner is the norm, so expect a formal process with an intermediary. Then add speed. Well-priced flats in the neighbourhoods below are gone in hours rather than weeks, and if you check the portals once a day you will consistently arrive after someone else.
Every figure on these pages comes from Idealista listings, 9,922 of them across the city, and from no other source. We use a single source on purpose: prices from different portals are not comparable, and blending them produces averages that mean nothing. Our history is measured in months, not years, so we describe the market as it stands today and never claim an annual trend.
| Neighbourhood | Median rent | €/m² | €/m² trend | With a lift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sol | €2,050 | 28.9€ | ↑ 10.5% | 61% |
| Goya | €2,000 | 30.0€ | Stable | 91% |
| Gaztambide | €1,800 | 24.6€ | Stable | 92% |
| Argüelles | €1,800 | 24.3€ | ↑ 3.5% | 82% |
| Chueca | €1,780 | 28.8€ | ↓ 11.3% | 70% |
| Trafalgar | €1,700 | 27.7€ | Stable | 74% |
| Malasaña | €1,600 | 26.7€ | Stable | 61% |
| Cuatro Caminos | €1,600 | 23.8€ | ↓ 5.0% | 73% |
| La Latina | €1,540 | 29.5€ | ↑ 3.6% | 72% |
| Lavapiés | €1,500 | 27.4€ | ↑ 5.0% | 53% |
Sorted by median rent. The trend compares price per square metre across two 28-day periods, so it does not move simply because larger flats happened to be posted that week. Where a sample is too small to be reliable, we do not publish one.
A price well below the local median is the most common red flag in Madrid rental scams. In a tight market, sustainable bargains do not exist.
The same data, calculated the same way, in the other cities we cover.
The flat is one step of nine, and it is the one that moves fastest. It helps to know what has to come before it and what depends on it: the NIE you need in order to sign, the empadronamiento you do the week you get the keys, the social security number, the residence card and your first tax return. We put the whole path in the order it actually happens.
The median rent in Madrid is €1,500 a month, roughly 25€/m². Most flats let for between €1,200 and €2,100 a month, but the gap between areas is wide: from €1,500 in Lavapiés to €2,050 in Sol.
Of the 10 areas we analyze, Sol is the most expensive, with a median of €2,050 a month (28.9€/m²). The most affordable is Lavapiés, at €1,500 a month (27.4€/m²).
From the rental listings we analyze every day in Madrid. This page uses 9922 Idealista listings published over the last few months. We calculate every figure from a single source on purpose: prices from different portals are not comparable, and mixing them would distort the medians. Our history runs to months, not years, so we always describe the market as it is right now.