This data comes from the study “Relationship between salaries and rental housing in 2025,” compiled from information from InfoJobs and Fotocasa. The analysis cross-references average salaries from job postings with average rental housing prices from the Fotocasa Real Estate Index.
In Madrid, rents closed 2025 with an annual decrease of 1.4%, standing at 20.33 euros per square meter per month in December. Despite this slight reduction, the pressure on Madrid households remained at historic highs.
With an average gross annual salary of 27,680 euros (2,307 euros gross per month in twelve payments), Madrileños needed to dedicate 71% of their income to renting an 80-square-meter type of dwelling. This percentage remains stable compared to the previous year and represents the highest level recorded in the region since 2019.
The Community of Madrid surpasses other major Spanish regions such as Catalonia (70%) and the Balearic Islands (64%), topping the national ranking for salary effort to access rental housing.
“"Allocating 50% of one's salary to housing payments represents a situation of genuine housing emergency, as it is 20 points above what is recommended by official control bodies."
At the regional level, money allocated to rent increased in 14 autonomous communities, remained stable in Navarra and Madrid, and only decreased in Aragon. The study details that, after Madrid, Catalonia (70%), the Balearic Islands (64%), the Basque Country (58%), the Canary Islands (56%), and the Valencian Community (48%) significantly exceed the recommended threshold of 30% for sustainable housing access.
A second group of communities is around 41%-43% of gross salary, while other regions like Galicia, Aragon, Castile and León, Region of Murcia, La Rioja, Castile-La Mancha, and Extremadura show lower salary effort, although in several cases it remains concerning.
The study highlights that rental market tension remains particularly intense in large metropolitan areas and regions with higher demand pressure. In Madrid, the combination of high prices, salaries not growing at the same pace as housing costs, and a scarcity of affordable supply keeps housing access as one of the main economic problems.
