The Costa Blanca remains one of Spain’s key real estate markets for foreign buyers. New figures from the Spanish Ministry of Housing show that 18,857 properties in the province of Alicante were sold in 2025 to foreign buyers who do not reside in Spain. This accounts for around 33 percent of all property sales in the province.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
In this respect, Alicante differs significantly from the Spanish market as a whole. Nationwide, the share of property purchases by foreign non-residents stood at just around seven percent in 2025. The Costa Blanca is thus one of the regions in Spain where international demand plays a particularly significant role.
Alicante stands out in the Spanish real estate market
A total of 56,665 properties were sold in the province of Alicante in 2025. Of these, 18,857 purchases were made by foreign non-residents.
The market’s international orientation becomes even more apparent when buyers from other Spanish provinces are also taken into account. According to the data, buyers from outside the province were involved in a total of 46 percent of real estate transactions in Alicante.
By comparison, a total of 751,049 homes were sold across Spain in 2025 – the highest figure since the 2007 real estate boom. At the same time, around 79 percent of buyers living in Spain purchased a property within their own province. The coastal region of Alicante thus demonstrates significantly more international and supra-regional demand.
Costa del Sol also in high demand
The Costa del Sol is also one of the key regions for international real estate buyers. A total of 36,128 properties were sold in the province of Málaga in 2025. Of these, 10,091 were purchased by foreign non-residents, representing a share of around 28 percent. While this figure is lower than that of Alicante, Málaga still records a significantly higher proportion of foreign non-resident buyers than the Spanish average.
In the Balearic Islands, the corresponding figure was 23 percent, and in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, it was 20 percent.
International demand meets rising prices
Strong demand from abroad comes at a time when real estate prices on the Costa Blanca are rising significantly. According to an analysis by Tinsa, the average price in the coastal municipalities of Alicante province had already reached around 2,201 euros per square meter in the first quarter of 2026. This represented an increase of 18.9 percent compared to the same period the previous year.
Jávea and Teulada, among others, are particularly expensive. In Jávea, an average of around 3,455 euros per square meter was recorded, while in Teulada the figure was around 3,292 euros. Dénia, too, at approximately 2,837 euros, was well above the average for coastal towns.
The rise in prices is not limited to traditional luxury locations; other municipalities along the Costa Blanca have also recorded significant increases in some cases over the course of a year.
Foreigners also shape the population
Strong international demand for real estate goes hand in hand with a high number of foreign residents in the province of Alicante. According to the Spanish statistical office (INE), a total of 497,387 foreign nationals were living there as of January 1, 2025.
They accounted for 24.5 percent of the province’s total population – the highest proportion among all Spanish provinces. Within a single year, the number of foreign residents increased by 32,786.
British nationals continue to make up the largest foreign population group, with 68,904 residents. They are followed by Colombians (51,224) and Moroccans (49,749). The international population is heavily concentrated in the coastal regions.
Foreigners make up the majority in 15 municipalities
The extent of the change in population structure is also evident at the municipal level. In 15 municipalities within the province of Alicante, foreign nationals now make up more than half of the population. Rojales has the highest proportion, with foreign nationals accounting for 68.1 percent of its inhabitants. The figure also exceeds 60 percent in San Fulgencio, Daya Vieja and Benitachell.
In popular coastal towns like Calpe, foreigners also make up more than half of the population. This trend underscores the distinct international character of the Costa Blanca.
It is not just retirees who come to the Costa Blanca
The image of the Costa Blanca as a region solely for foreign retirees is increasingly inadequate. A large proportion of the foreign population is of working age; according to current population data, 68.2 percent of foreign residents in the province of Alicante fall into this category. At the same time, population groups from Latin America, in particular, are growing.
The international population has thus long since become an integral part of the regional economy and society.
The Costa Blanca remains a magnet for foreign buyers
Current figures highlight Alicante’s distinct position within the Spanish real estate market. While foreign non-residents accounted for around seven percent of property purchases nationwide, their share in the province of Alicante stood at approximately one-third in 2025.
At the same time, real estate prices and the number of foreign residents continue to rise. The Costa Blanca thus remains a real estate market with a distinctly international character – driven by strong demand from outside Spain and the resulting pressure on the available housing supply.
However, the available figures do not indicate that foreign buyers are solely responsible for rising real estate prices. Factors such as limited supply, general demand, and population trends also influence the market.
