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The saving from buying a home outside Barcelona shrinks every year
Buying a flat outside Barcelona no longer guarantees the savings it did a few years ago. The price of second-hand housing remains lower in the province than in the capital, but the gap is narrowing because prices are rising much faster outside the city.
In the city of Barcelona, the price per square metre has risen by 7.1% in the last year. In the rest of the province, by contrast, the increase reaches 13.2%, almost double. For those considering moving to nearby municipalities to pay less, the margin is beginning to narrow.
The trend is also apparent across Catalunya. Second-hand housing has become 14.2% more expensive, an increase that doubles the pace of Barcelona city and confirms that housing pressure is no longer concentrated only inside the city.
Barcelona remains much more expensive. The square metre reaches €5,243 in the capital, compared with an average of €3,300 in the province. The difference is still significant, but it carries a little less weight every year for those comparing prices before buying.
Today, buying a home outside Barcelona represents a saving of 37.1% per square metre compared with the city. The problem is that this advantage is shrinking very quickly: property inflation cuts the gap by around €64 per square metre each year.
For a 100-square-metre flat, that amounts to €6,400 less difference in just twelve months. The figure helps explain why many families seeking a way out in the outskirts now encounter higher prices, more competition and less room to negotiate.
Compared with other large cities, Barcelona shows a more moderate rise. The national average stands at 16.9%, and capitals such as Valencia and Bilbao record increases above 10%. Even so, the problem for Barcelona buyers lies in the metropolitan area: rising prices have spread outwards.
The decision is no longer simply about leaving Barcelona and taking on more travel. Now it is necessary to calculate whether the saving offsets transport, daily time, available services and a rise in prices that is also transforming the province's municipalities.