Destinations / Spain / Madrid
Madrid, Spain
Data grade A: official records Updated Oct 2026
The capital: Spain’s deepest job and rental market, inland climate.
On this page: What it buys · Where to look · All-in costs · Visas · Healthcare · Properties
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
asking price per m2
about 4,800 euros/m2 (approx)
gross rental yield
4% approx
population
about 3.4 million
sunshine
about 2,800 h/year
nearest airport
Madrid-Barajas (MAD), 20 min
Madrid is the liquidity play: Spain’s deepest rental demand, strongest job market and most resilient prices. There is no beach, but there is everything else, and the capital premium has kept widening. For investors it is the market you can always exit; for movers it is big-city Europe with Spanish hours.
What your money buys here
Typical buys at each band, drawn from current local asking prices. Use the price per square metre in the bar above as your anchor: multiply it by the size you need and you will spot an overpriced listing in seconds. Figures are approximate, lean to the cautious side, and get refreshed as our data passes land.
$200k
A studio or 1-bed outside the M-30 ring
$350k
An updated 2-bed in Tetuan, Carabanchel or Puente de Vallecas
$500k
A 2-bed inside the M-30, close to the center’s edge
Getafe, Alcala de Henares and El Escorial: the commuter rail ring opens real value within 30 minutes of the centre. Going one town over usually buys a size or quality upgrade on the same budget, and these smaller markets are where patient buyers find the mispriced gems. Fewer listings means more waiting, so set the alert and be ready to travel when the right one appears.
A true intercontinental gateway: nonstop flights to North and South America, the Gulf and Asia, plus every European city several times a day. High-speed rail links the rest of Spain in hours.
Where to look
1. Lavapies and the center: dense, international, never quiet
2. Chamberi and Salamanca: the classic premium districts
3. Tetuan: the value corridor creeping upmarket
All-in cost at $350k
Property price: $350,000
Transfer tax (ITP, resale, varies by region): 6 to 11%
Notary and registry: roughly 1,500 to 2,500 euros
Independent lawyer (recommended): roughly 1% of price
Rule of thumb: budget 10 to 13% on top (about $385,000 to $395,000 all-in)
Figures approximate; exact rate depends on region and property. New builds pay IVA instead of ITP.
Visas for a US passport
Digital nomad visa: Yes. Remote income requirement (roughly 2,800 euros/month), family can join, path to long-term residency.
Non-lucrative visa: Yes, for savings or passive income. No work in Spain.
Buy-to-reside: No. Spain’s golden visa ended in 2025.
90-day rule: Without a visa, 90 days in any 180 in Schengen.
Healthcare and insurance
Public system access once resident and registered with the padron. Private insurance (required for most visas) typically runs 150 to 300 euros/month for a family of four. English-speaking GPs are common on the coasts.
Schools and family
Free public schooling for residents; places assigned after padron registration. International schools cluster on the coasts and in the big cities, typically 6,000 to 15,000 euros/year.
Serious about Madrid?
Talk it through with a relocation and buying advisor. Visas, timing and the buying process, in one call.
Sources: Idealista price reports, official sale records (Registradores, notaries), regional tax tables, Spanish government visa pages. Figures marked approx are indicative and verified in our monthly data pass. Guidance, not legal or financial advice.