Sant Martí · Barcelona
Rental yield in el Poblenou
El Poblenou is an expensive area for Barcelona, with a low rental yield and a Total Return below the city average. Here is what a typical flat in el Poblenou costs to buy and rent, and the Total Return (IRR) it delivers, compared with Sant Martí and the rest of Barcelona.
Sale price
5,911
€/m² · second-hand homes
Rent
17.1
€/m² per month · SERPAVI legal cap
Gross yield
3.5%
annual rent ÷ price
Total Return
3.3%
10-year IRR · typical flat
Appreciation
+3.2%
a year, 10-15 year history
Household income
€48,783
net, per year · INE
What the data says
El Poblenou is a neighbourhood in the Sant Martí district of Barcelona. The reference sale price is €5,911/m², based on registered sales in 2025 (Land Registry): 36% above the Barcelona median (€4,345/m²) and 23% above its district median (€4,807/m²). It ranks 10 of 70 neighbourhoods in Barcelona by price and 3 of 7 within Sant Martí.
The reference rent is €17.1/m² per month (SERPAVI median for the neighbourhood, 2024): about €1,129 a month for a typical 66 m² flat. Barcelona is a declared stressed rental zone, so that figure acts as the legal cap on a new tenancy (the usual range in the neighbourhood runs from €12.1 to €18.7/m²). The gross yield (annual rent ÷ price) comes to 3.5%, 0.4 points below the city median (3.9%): rank 60 of 70 by gross yield.
With a 70% mortgage at 3.80% over 25 years and a sale after 10 years, the estimated Total Return (IRR) for that typical flat is 3.3%, below the Barcelona median (4.2%). It takes about €158,435 of cash (deposit, taxes and costs), and first-year cash flow after tax is -€656 a month.
Asking prices in the Sant Martí district have grown by an average of 3.2% a year over the last 10 and 15 years (idealista, December 2025). Historical, not a forecast: it is the appreciation the modelled sale assumes. Average net household income is €48,783 a year (INE). 2,049 sales were registered in Sant Martí in 2025, averaging 74 m².
A typical flat in el Poblenou
The same standard assumptions as the CasaROI map: change the mortgage, term or tax profile in your account and the Total Return is recalculated for your case.
- Size
- 66 m²
- Purchase price
- €390,126
- Monthly rent
- €1,129
- Cash needed · deposit + transfer tax + costs
- €158,435
- Monthly cash flow (year 1)
- -€656
- Total Return (IRR)
- 3.3%
Assumptions: 70% mortgage over 25 years at 3.80%, sale after 10 years, Spanish tax resident at a 37% marginal rate, no renovation.
Neighbourhoods in Sant Martí, ranked by gross yield
| Area | €/m² | Rent €/m² | Gross | IRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| el Besòs i el Maresme | 2,725 | 12.5 | 5.5% | 6.2% |
| Sant Martí de Provençals | 3,542 | 12.7 | 4.3% | 4.5% |
| Diagonal Mar i el Front Marítim del Poblenou | 6,073 | 18.0 | 3.6% | 3.5% |
| la Vila Olímpica del Poblenou | 5,970 | 17.6 | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| el Poblenou | 5,911 | 17.1 | 3.5% | 3.3% |
| Provençals del Poblenou | 4,807 | 14.1 | 3.5% | 3.3% |
| la Verneda i la Pau | 3,967 | 11.7 | 3.5% | 3.3% |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a square metre cost in el Poblenou?
€5,911/m² on average, based on registered sales in 2025 (Land Registry). A typical 66 m² flat costs about €390,126, 36% above the Barcelona median.
How much is rent in el Poblenou?
The reference rent is €17.1/m² per month: about €1,129 a month for 66 m². As a stressed rental zone, that figure is the legal cap on a new whole-flat tenancy (room-by-room lets are exempt).
Is el Poblenou a good buy-to-let investment?
The gross yield is 3.5% (Barcelona median: 3.9%). With a 70% mortgage and a sale after 10 years, the estimated Total Return (IRR) is 3.3% against a city median of 4.2%. It depends on your financing and tax residency: with your own profile the number can change.
Is el Poblenou in a stressed rental zone?
Yes. Barcelona is a declared stressed rental zone, so on a new whole-flat tenancy the rent is limited by the official reference index (SERPAVI).
Buying in el Poblenou?
Paste the listing and we tell you whether it holds up at that price: legal rent, taxes, red flags and a verdict.
Sources and method
- Sale: Registre de la Propietat · Generalitat (compravenda 2ª mà, barri) · MITMA city anchor 3865 €/m² (2024)
- Rent: SERPAVI legal cap (Housing Ministry) · typical flat in the area
- Appreciation: average of the 10- and 15-year rates of the area's asking price — historical, not a forecast