Horta-Guinardó · Barcelona
Rental yield in Montbau
Montbau is an affordable area for Barcelona, with a high rental yield and a Total Return above the city average. Here is what a typical flat in Montbau costs to buy and rent, and the Total Return (IRR) it delivers, compared with Horta-Guinardó and the rest of Barcelona.
Sale price
3,621
€/m² · second-hand homes
Rent
13.5
€/m² per month · SERPAVI legal cap
Gross yield
4.5%
annual rent ÷ price
Total Return
4.8%
10-year IRR · typical flat
Appreciation
+3.2%
a year, 10-15 year history
Household income
€39,690
net, per year · INE
What the data says
Montbau is a neighbourhood in the Horta-Guinardó district of Barcelona. The reference sale price is €3,621/m², based on registered sales in 2025 (Land Registry): 17% below the Barcelona median (€4,345/m²) and 0% above its district median (€3,603/m²). It ranks 51 of 70 neighbourhoods in Barcelona by price and 5 of 10 within Horta-Guinardó.
The reference rent is €13.5/m² per month (SERPAVI median for the neighbourhood, 2024): about €851 a month for a typical 63 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 €11.0 to €14.3/m²). The gross yield (annual rent ÷ price) comes to 4.5%, 0.6 points above the city median (3.9%): rank 18 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 4.8%, above the Barcelona median (4.2%). It takes about €93,391 of cash (deposit, taxes and costs), and first-year cash flow after tax is -€244 a month.
Asking prices in the Horta-Guinardó 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 €39,690 a year (INE). 1,277 sales were registered in Horta-Guinardó in 2025, averaging 69 m².
A typical flat in Montbau
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
- 63 m²
- Purchase price
- €228,123
- Monthly rent
- €851
- Cash needed · deposit + transfer tax + costs
- €93,391
- Monthly cash flow (year 1)
- -€244
- Total Return (IRR)
- 4.8%
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 Horta-Guinardó, ranked by gross yield
| Area | €/m² | Rent €/m² | Gross | IRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| el Turó de la Peira | 2,936 | 13.0 | 5.3% | 6.0% |
| el Carmel | 3,071 | 13.1 | 5.1% | 5.7% |
| Sant Genís dels Agudells | 2,840 | 11.9 | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| la Teixonera | 3,482 | 13.4 | 4.6% | 5.0% |
| Montbau | 3,621 | 13.5 | 4.5% | 4.8% |
| Porta | 3,585 | 13.2 | 4.4% | 4.7% |
| Horta | 3,965 | 13.4 | 4.1% | 4.1% |
| Vilapicina i la Torre Llobeta | 3,884 | 13.3 | 4.1% | 4.2% |
| la Font d'en Fargues | 4,800 | 14.3 | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| la Vall d'Hebron | 5,096 | 14.8 | 3.5% | 3.3% |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a square metre cost in Montbau?
€3,621/m² on average, based on registered sales in 2025 (Land Registry). A typical 63 m² flat costs about €228,123, 17% below the Barcelona median.
How much is rent in Montbau?
The reference rent is €13.5/m² per month: about €851 a month for 63 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 Montbau a good buy-to-let investment?
The gross yield is 4.5% (Barcelona median: 3.9%). With a 70% mortgage and a sale after 10 years, the estimated Total Return (IRR) is 4.8% against a city median of 4.2%. It depends on your financing and tax residency: with your own profile the number can change.
Is Montbau 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 Montbau?
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