Buying a home in Spain is becoming increasingly difficult. In 2025, a worker had to devote the equivalent of 8.4 years of their full gross salary to purchase an 80-square-metre second-hand home, according to a study by Fotocasa and InfoJobs.
The figure represents a sharp deterioration in housing affordability compared with the previous year. In just 12 months, the effort required to buy a home increased by 16 months’ pay, rising from 7.1 years in 2024 to 8.4 years in 2025.
Behind this worsening lies the growing gap between wages and house prices. While advertised wages rose by 1% in 2025, the price of second-hand housing jumped by 20.5%, reaching an average of 2,879 euros per square metre.
“Spain is going through the worst housing affordability crisis in its history. Never before have citizens had to put so many years of pay towards buying a home,” says María Matos, Head of Research and spokesperson for Fotocasa.
Madrid and the Balearic Islands, the least accessible markets
