On the latest official figures, a home on the Costa del Sol costs roughly half as much again per square metre as one on the Costa Blanca. Homes registered in Málaga province over the twelve months to September 2026 averaged €3,329 per m², against €2,266 in Alicante province. The Costa Blanca is cheaper to buy into, but its transfer tax on resale homes is higher: 9% against 7%. The Costa del Sol has the bigger airport and city, and Málaga city has frozen new tourist flats. Which coast suits you depends on your budget, whether you plan to rent out, and how much of the year you will spend there.
Below, each difference is checked against the official source, with the period it covers.
Prices: what homes actually sell for
The most reliable price comparison comes from the Spanish Land Registry. Its Estadística Registral Inmobiliaria for the third quarter of 2026, published in November 2026, gives the average price of homes registered after a sale. These are transaction prices, not the asking prices you see on property portals, which usually run higher.
| Average registered price | Málaga province (Costa del Sol) | Alicante province (Costa Blanca) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months to Q3 2026 | €3,329/m² (+11.7%) | €2,266/m² (+12.2%) |
| Q3 2026, all homes | €3,400/m² | €2,403/m² |
| Q3 2026, new build | €3,618/m² | €3,221/m² |
| Q3 2026, resale | €3,294/m² | €2,217/m² |
The percentages compare with the same twelve months a year earlier. Nationally, the registry put the average at €2,512/m² in the third quarter, 9.3% more than a year earlier.
Three things to keep in mind when you read these figures:
- They are province averages. They include inland towns and older flats, so a sea-view apartment in Marbella, Estepona, Jávea or Altea will sit well above them. Treat them as a comparison between the two coasts, not as a price for any single home.
- New build narrows the gap. On the Costa Blanca, new homes cost much more than resale homes. On the Costa del Sol the gap between the two is smaller.
- The cities follow the provinces. Over the same twelve months, the city of Málaga averaged €3,451/m² and the city of Alicante €2,291/m².
Example, for illustration only: a 90 m² resale flat at the provincial twelve-month average would cost about €299,600 in Málaga province and about €203,900 in Alicante province. Real homes vary widely around these averages.
Who buys there
Both coasts are among the most international housing markets in Spain. In the twelve months to the third quarter of 2026, foreign buyers made 45.07% of all home purchases in Alicante province, the highest share of any Spanish province, and 35.19% in Málaga province, according to the same registry report. In the third quarter alone the shares were 46.46% and 38.83%. We looked at the national picture in foreign buyers' record share in Spain.
The Costa Blanca is also the larger market by volume. Over the twelve months to September 2026, the registry counted 50,242 home sales in Alicante province (6.5% fewer than a year earlier) and 35,249 in Málaga province (3.5% fewer). Nationally, Dutch buyers made 5.83% of foreign purchases in the third quarter, behind British and Moroccan buyers.
What this means for you: a large resale market with many foreign owners gives you plenty of choice. It also means local prices depend partly on demand from abroad, which can change with exchange rates, interest rates and the economy in buyers' home countries.
Purchase tax: 7% against 9% on resale homes
Purchase tax is set by the region. The Costa del Sol lies in Andalucía, the Costa Blanca in the Valencian Community.
| Tax on purchase | Costa del Sol (Andalucía) | Costa Blanca (Valencia) |
|---|---|---|
| Resale home (ITP) | 7% | 9%, or 11% if the value is over €1 million |
| New build from a developer | 10% VAT + 1.2% AJD | 10% VAT + 1.4% AJD |
The Andalusian rates are on the Junta de Andalucía tax page. The Valencian rates apply to purchases from 1 June 2026 under articles 33 and 34 of regional Law 5/2025. Above €1 million, the 11% rate applies to the whole value, not only to the part above the threshold. A later Valencian law, Law 5/2026, sets a reduced AJD rate of 0.1% for the deed of a main home, which rarely applies to a holiday or investment purchase.
One change is pending. Andalucía's draft budget for 2027, approved by the regional government on 30 October 2026, cuts the general resale rate from 7% to 6.75% from 2027 (Junta de Andalucía). It still has to pass the regional parliament, so do not count on it until it is law.
Example, for illustration only: on a €300,000 resale home, transfer tax is €21,000 on the Costa del Sol and €27,000 on the Costa Blanca. On a €1.1 million villa it is €77,000 against €121,000.
Tax is charged on the price in the deed or, if higher, on the official reference value (valor de referencia). Both regions have lower rates for main homes and specific groups of buyers, but a non-resident buying a holiday home usually pays the general rate. Notary, registry and lawyer's fees come on top; our guide to costs on top of the asking price adds them up, and the yearly taxes are in Spanish property taxes for investors.
Renting to tourists: check the town, not the coast
If rental income matters to you, this is the difference to check most carefully, because the rules have tightened on both coasts and are decided town by town.
Everywhere in Spain. Since 3 April 2025, an owner who wants to start tourist rentals in a flat in a building with a community of owners needs that community's express approval, by three fifths of the owners holding three fifths of the shares (Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, articles 7.3 and 17.12). The community can also limit or ban the activity by the same majority.
Costa del Sol. A 2025 Andalusian decree-law lets town halls suspend new tourist flats. Málaga city did so in August 2025, for a maximum of three years (Ayuntamiento de Málaga), and in July 2026 it extended the limit to other tourist accommodation in residential zones, again for up to three years (Ayuntamiento de Málaga). Marbella, Estepona, Fuengirola and the other coastal towns set their own rules.
Costa Blanca. Since 8 August 2024, a tourist home in the Valencian Community can only enter the regional tourism register with a favourable municipal report confirming that tourist use is allowed under the town plan, as quoted in this BOE resolution. In practice, each town hall now decides where tourist rental is possible.
The practical consequence is the same on both coasts. Do not assume a home can be rented to tourists because the seller or a neighbour does it. Ask your lawyer to confirm the licence, whether it transfers to you, the town's current rules and the community's position, and make that a condition before you sign the reservation contract. Long-term rental is not affected by these tourist rules, but it is taxed and regulated differently.
Getting there and living there
Both coasts are served by large airports with frequent flights to Northern Europe. In 2025, Málaga-Costa del Sol airport handled 26.76 million passengers and Alicante-Elche 19.95 million, according to Aena. Both were records.
The character differs:
- Costa del Sol runs west from Málaga through Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola and Marbella to Estepona and Manilva, with mountains close behind the coast. Málaga is a sizeable city with year-round services and employment, which matters if you plan to live there rather than visit.
- Costa Blanca stretches from Dénia and Jávea in the north, through Altea and Benidorm, to Alicante, Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa in the south. The north is hillier and greener; the south is flatter, with many newer developments.
Visit outside high season before you decide. A town that is lively in August can be very quiet in February, and the reverse is true for places with a large year-round population.
The trade-offs side by side
- Budget per square metre: lower on the Costa Blanca, on registry figures about a third below the Costa del Sol.
- Purchase tax on resale: lower on the Costa del Sol (7%, possibly 6.75% from 2027) than on the Costa Blanca (9%, or 11% above €1 million).
- Tourist rental: possible on both coasts but restricted town by town; Málaga city has frozen new tourist flats.
- Year-round living: both have a big airport; Málaga offers a larger city economy.
- Market risk: both depend heavily on foreign buyers, the Costa Blanca most of all.
None of this makes one coast the better buy. A higher tax can be outweighed by a lower price, and vice versa; what counts is the specific home, its legal status and your plans for it.
In short
- The Costa del Sol costs more per m², the Costa Blanca charges more transfer tax on resale homes.
- Price figures here are registered transaction averages for whole provinces; individual towns differ a lot.
- Tourist rental depends on the town and the building, so check it before you commit.
- Have your own lawyer confirm tax, licences and the property's legal status. You can find one in Find your specialist, and our step-by-step guide to buying in Spain explains the process.
When you want to compare real homes, browse listings on the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca on Onora. Each listing shows its price in its own currency, and you contact the seller directly.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and rates change and depend on the region and your own situation. Check them with a lawyer or tax adviser before you buy. Rates checked on 13 November 2026.
