Malaga is the sixth most expensive place in Spain to share a flat at 463 euros per month

The price to rent a room in the province has shot up 50% in the past five years, according to new data. Sharing a flat in Malaga city now averages 463 euros per month, above the national average of 445 euros, according to a study by real estate agency, Fotocasa.

"The average salary in Spain is 2,100 euros per month according to Social Security gives. If we take into account that the recommendation is not to spend more than 30% of the salary on housing, the vast majority of applicants cannot afford to rent a whole house, since that is around 900 euros," said María Matos, director of studies and spokesperson for Fotocasa. "The consistent rise in the price of rent in recent years has surpassed all-time highs, which is forcing applicants to look at share housing as a housing solution. It is the only way that most young people can afford to pay rent," she added.

The Canary Islands is the Spanish region most affected by the increase in renting rooms this year, with a 28.6% rise, next is the Basque Country (12.2%), then Catalonia (9.6%), Valencia (8.1%), Madrid (5.8%), Andalucía (3.4%), Aragon (2%) and Castilla-La Mancha (0.4%). Meanwhile, the year-on-year price fell in Asturias with a 3.2% drop, Murcia (3.3%), Galicia (4.7%) and Castilla y León (4.7%).

The most expensive cities

According to the study, the most expensive city to share a home is Barcelona at an average of 590 euros per month. The rest of the cities analysed above 400 euros per month are Bilbao (536), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (534), Madrid (522), Pamplona (504), Malaga (463), Villaviciosa de Odón (450 euros) and Getafe (446).

The cheapest cities to rent a room are Alcoy (206 euros per month), Jaén (240), Elche (249), Castellón de la Plana (261), Salamanca (263), Valladolid (275), Oviedo (283), Córdoba (289), Murcia (305), Granada (332), Alcalá de Henares (332), Burjassot (354), Zaragoza (362), Alicante (377), Seville (381) and Valencia (383).