Comprar casa en Palma ya supone un esfuerzo mensual mayor que en Madrid o Barcelona

The article, authored by Cristina Suárez Suero for the Spanish newspaper El Debate, examines the stark housing affordability challenges faced by residents of Palma, the capital of the Balearic Islands. It draws on recent data from the property portal Idealista for the fourth quarter of 2025, highlighting how both renting and buying a home in Palma require a significantly larger share of household income than in most other Spanish cities.

Nationally, rental costs consume about 38 % of a household’s net income, up from 36 % in the third quarter of 2025. In the Balearic Islands this figure rises to 46 %, making the region one of the most pressured housing markets in Spain. Only Málaga exceeds this level, with a rental effort of 52 %.

In Palma, a typical family must allocate 43 % of its net earnings to rent a two‑bedroom dwelling, placing the city second only to Barcelona (46 %) in terms of rental share. This places Palma among a group of twelve Spanish capitals where the rental cost surpasses the 30 % threshold recommended by housing experts.

Buying a home is even more demanding. Idealista’s figures show that mortgage payments in Palma require 46 % of household income, the highest proportion in the country. By comparison, Madrid’s purchase effort stands at 33 % and Barcelona’s at 30 %. Palma and Málaga share the top national rank for purchase effort, both at 46 %.

Beyond the capital, the Balearic Islands rank jointly with Málaga for the highest purchase effort among Spanish provinces (46 %). Other provinces trail behind: Santa Cruz de Tenerife (36 %), Alicante (31 %) and the Community of Madrid (27 %). In contrast, cities such as Ciudad Real and Jaén exhibit markedly lower pressures, with rental efforts of 18 % and 19 % respectively, and purchase efforts around 10‑11 %.

The data underscore a severe affordability gap that challenges sustainable housing policies. High income‑to‑housing cost ratios can limit household savings, reduce investment in energy‑efficient home upgrades, and increase reliance on rental markets that may lack long‑term sustainability incentives. Policymakers aiming to promote sustainable housing across Europe must consider such regional disparities, as the Balearic Islands exemplify an extreme case where both renting and buying strain household budgets far beyond national averages.

• National rental effort: 38 % of net income (up from 36 %).
• Balearic Islands rental effort: 46 % (Málaga 52 %).
• Palma rental effort: 43 % (Barcelona 46 %).
• Palma purchase effort: 46 % (Madrid 33 %, Barcelona 30 %).
• Provincial purchase effort leaders: Palma & Málaga 46 %; Santa Cruz de Tenerife 36 %; Alicante 31 %; Community of Madrid 27 %.
• Low‑pressure examples: Ciudad Real rental 18 %, purchase 10 %; Jaén rental 19 %, purchase 11 %. These figures provide a factual foundation for a pan‑European audience interested in the challenges of delivering affordable and sustainable housing in high‑pressure markets like Palma.