Tarragona sees Catalonia's biggest rent increase, up 21% in a year

Rental prices in Tarragona province surged by 21.31% in the year leading up to April 2026, marking the largest interannual increase in Catalonia, according to a new report from pisos.com. Despite this significant rise, Tarragona remains the most affordable province in Catalonia for renting a home.

The average rental price in Tarragona province reached €8.98 per square metre. This contrasts sharply with Barcelona province, where prices hit €18.98 per square metre, making it the third most expensive province in Spain for renters. Across Catalonia, the average rental price in April was €16.72 per square metre, positioning the region as the third most expensive autonomous community in Spain, behind Madrid and the Balearic Islands.

Tarragona City Sees Price Fluctuations

In Tarragona city, rental prices decreased by 0.73% month-on-month in April, the seventh steepest decline among Spanish capitals. However, compared to April 2025, prices in the city increased by 5.09%, making it the seventh Spanish capital with the highest annual rent increase.

Catalonia's overall average rental price increase was 6.48% year-on-year. Monthly changes across the region showed Tarragona with a modest 0.18% rise from March, the lowest among the four Catalan provinces. Girona province saw the highest monthly increase at 2.60%.

Scarcity and Regulation Concerns

Ferran Font, Director of Studies at pisos.com, stated that finding rental housing has become "a competitive, restrictive, and, in many cases, exclusive process." He attributes the main problem to a lack of available properties against growing demand, especially in urban areas and places with high residential pressure.

Font also pointed to regulatory uncertainty as a factor affecting the market. He noted that "both owners and investors operate in an environment where the rules are not always stable, which directly affects the available supply." Meanwhile, Barcelona city continues to lead as the most expensive capital in Spain for rental housing, with an average price of €30.24 per square metre.

The national average rental price in Spain was €14.64 per square metre in April, an 11.33% increase year-on-year. The report highlights the ongoing challenges in the Spanish rental market, with specific regional differences in price movements and affordability.