Cost of living · Palma
What does it cost to live in Palma?
Palma is an island capital, by the sea, with a mild winter. It is lovely, but it is not cheap. Rent is your main cost, and it comes as two numbers. The official registered rent is about €795 a month. It is based on older leases, so it sits below today's prices. A one-bedroom advertised now asks about €1,309. Plan with the higher one. Here is what Palma really costs.
Updated February 2026 · our reading of official public data · Domior Discover
Your monthly budget
What you'll spend each month
These costs come every month. Rent is the big one. The rest changes far less than people think.
A single professional
renting alone, working locally
≈ €1,720
Per month
- Rent — one-bed outside the centre
- €955
- Food and groceries
- €290
- Transport — monthly pass
- €37
- Power, water, internet and mobile
- €140
- Going out and everything else
- €300
A couple
two incomes, wanting to be central
≈ €2,305
Per month
- Rent — one-bed in the centre
- €1,309
- Food and groceries for two
- €470
- Transport — two passes
- €74
- Power, water, internet and mobile
- €170
- Going out and everything else
- €280
A family
two adults and children, space over postcode
≈ €3,160
Per month
- Rent — three-bed outside the centre
- €1,616
- Food and groceries for a family
- €680
- Transport
- €94
- Power, water, internet and mobile
- €210
- Kids, going out and the rest
- €560
The big one
Rent decides your budget
Rent is the number that moves. The rest barely changes.
Rent is your biggest cost, and the one you control most. Where you live changes it more than anything else. So we start there.
Renting
What different rents get you
These are what flats ask for today. Each is one flat type, at today's advertised price.
€955
A one-bed outside the centre
Working neighbourhoods like Pere Garau or Son Gotleu. Cheaper, still close by bus.
Outside the centre
€1,309
A one-bed in the centre
In the old town or Santa Catalina, near the port. You can walk everywhere, with the sea close.
In the centre
€1,616
A three-bed outside the centre
Family space in areas like Son Cladera or the edge of town. More room, without the old-town price.
Outside the centre
€2,069
A three-bed in the centre
A family-sized flat in the old town or Santa Catalina. This is about the most you would expect to pay.
In the centre
The rent range
What rent costs, low to high
This is the official government rent per square metre. Cheaper areas cost less per metre; central areas cost more.
The affordable end
≈ €7.66 / m²
The cheapest areas of the city, per square metre.
The typical middle
≈ €9.77 / m²
A typical area, per square metre.
The top end
≈ €12.34 / m²
The most expensive areas, per square metre.
Personal help
Which parts of Palma fit my budget and the life I want?
Dom finds the areas that match your money and the way you want to live.
Request early accessDom is your AI companion for moving to Spain. Launching soon.
Day to day
What things cost day to day
Here is what everyday things cost in Palma. These are market estimates, meant as a guide.
€2.88
Cappuccino
€4.23
A beer out (½ litre)
€16.50
Menú del día
€12
A fast-food meal
€60
Dinner for two
€41.34
A week's groceries
€1.04
Bread
€1.19
Milk
€3.08
Eggs
€0.61
Bottled water
€2.00
A single bus or metro ticket
€37
Monthly transport pass
€20.83
Mobile plan, per month
€38
Home internet, per month
€55.71
Gym, per month
€9
Cinema ticket
Good to know
What surprises people
Central rents run close to Barcelona's.
Palma looks like a mid-size town. But it rents like a big city. A central one-bed asks about €1,309, close to Barcelona. Pay here is not close to Barcelona. So on an island, rent eats more of your salary than on the mainland.
Getting around
Do you need a car? No.
€37
A monthly pass for the city buses and metro.
€2.00
A single ride on the bus or metro.
Moving in
What you pay before you move in
The monthly budget is the easy part. Moving in costs more at once.
First month's rent, up front
€1,309
Based on a one-bed in the centre at today's advertised rate.
Deposit (fianza) — one month
€1,309
Official. Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos. One month's rent, held and returned.
Additional guarantee — up to two months
up to €2,618
Official. Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos. A landlord may ask for up to two more months.
The agency fee
€0
Since the 2023 housing law the landlord pays the agency fee. You pay nothing.
Worst case, before you have keys
€5,236
First month plus deposit plus the full two-month guarantee, at €1,309 a month.
Or somewhere else?
Palma, Barcelona or Valencia?
Palma
- A one-bed in the centre
- €1,309
- A three-bed in the centre
- €2,069
Island life, but big-city rents on a smaller wage.
Barcelona
- A one-bed in the centre
- €1,452
- A three-bed in the centre
- €2,314
Similar rents, far more city and far more jobs.
Valencia
- A one-bed in the centre
- €1,256
- A three-bed in the centre
- €1,974
Coast and city, for a lot less than Palma.
Common questions
Good questions
Is Palma expensive?
- Yes, for its size. A one-bed in the centre asks about €1,309 a month, close to Barcelona. Wages are lower, though.
How much is rent in Palma?
- About €1,309 a month for a one-bed in the centre. That is today's asking price — plan around it. Further out, about €955.
Why is Palma so expensive?
- It is an island. Homes are limited, and many go to holiday lets. That pushes long-term rents up.
What do you pay before you move in?
- Take a flat advertised at €1,309. You pay the first month, one month deposit, and up to two months more. Worst case, about €5,236.
In short
An island premium
The island is the cost. Rents run high for the size. Weigh them against the wage before you move.
Personal help
Which parts of Palma fit my budget and the life I want?
Dom finds the areas that match your money and the way you want to live.
Request early accessDom is your AI companion for moving to Spain. Launching soon.
Sources & provenance
- Zyla — Spain Cost of Living APITier 3 · ES · Retrieved Jul 30, 2026
- Domior Geographic IntelligenceTier 3 · ES-IB · Retrieved Sep 1, 2025 – Jul 30, 2026
- BOE — Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos / Ley 12/2023Tier 1 · ES · Retrieved Jul 30, 2026