What does buying a home in Spain really cost?
By Equipo Hipotecalc · Reviewed by José Perales · Updated 6 September 2026
Add the taxes and fees applicable to your purchase to the property price. Pick your region and property type and get the full breakdown: taxes, notary, registry, agency and appraisal.
Tax base used: 0 €. Select the property’s autonomous region/city.
- Total purchase taxes
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Provisional estimate: outstanding information or legal checks may change the amount.
Select the property’s autonomous region/city.
Why this rate applies: calculation and law
Legal review: . Estimate for a residential purchase, not a filed tax return.
Indicative estimate: notary and registry are regulated fees that depend on the amount and deed length; agency fees are unregulated. With a mortgage, the bank pays the loan's notary, registry, agency and AJD (Ley 5/2019) — only the purchase costs are counted here. The engine shows verified rules and outstanding data. Check your circumstances here or in the ITP calculator.
What it includes (and what it doesn't)
The breakdown covers the costs of the purchase: the tax (ITP for resale homes; IVA, IGIC or IPSI plus purchase AJD for a first supply of new housing), the notary and registry — regulated fees that grow with the price — and, if you buy with a mortgage, the agency and the appraisal. Since Ley 5/2019, the loan's costs (its notary, registry, agency and AJD) are paid by the bank, so they are not added here: the details are in the purchase costs guide.
Missing information does not qualify you for relief. Open “Date, tax base and relief” to check your personal requirements; this uses the same engine as the ITP calculator or in your region's guide. And if you don't yet know how much a bank would lend you, start with how much can I borrow?.
A worked example: €250,000 flat in Madrid
Resale home, bought with a mortgage, without personal or main-residence relief. This is the breakdown the calculator would give you, line by line:
- ITP (6%, Madrid)€15,000
- Notary (purchase deed)≈ €825
- Land Registry≈ €355
- Gestoría (agency)≈ €350
- Appraisal (required by the bank)≈ €400
- Total costs and taxes≈ €16,930 (6.8%)
Add the 20% down payment banks don't finance (€50,000) and the total savings needed come to around €66,900. Notice the weight of each line: the tax is 89% of the total costs. That's why the region matters so much — the same flat in Catalonia, at a 10% general rate, would pay €25,000 in ITP alone — and why new builds cost more: 10% VAT (€25,000) plus purchase AJD according to the region and evidenced relief. Exemptions, rates below 0.5% and the Balearic 2% rate from €1 million also exist. The Canary Islands use IGIC, and Ceuta/Melilla IPSI, instead of IVA.
Where you can cut costs (and where you can't)
Notary and registry fees are regulated tariffs: they barely vary between offices and aren't negotiable. The real margin is in the tax:
- Reduced ITP rates. Age, family circumstances, disability and protected housing may qualify for relief, with different requirements in each territory. Check your case with the ITP calculator.
- The reference value. Since 2022 the tax is charged on the higher of the price and the cadastral reference value (valor de referencia): look it up before signing, because if it exceeds the agreed price, you'll pay tax on that larger figure.
- The loan's costs are no longer yours. Since Ley 5/2019 the bank pays the mortgage's notary, registry, agency and AJD; you only pay the appraisal. If a quote includes them, something's off.
Buying from abroad? The full picture for international buyers is in the taxes guide and the step-by-step process. And if you're selling to buy, don't forget the plusvalía you'll pay as the seller.
Frequently asked questions about purchase costs
How much do the costs of buying a home in Spain add up to? ▼
There is no single percentage: it depends on regional ITP and your eligibility, or IVA/IGIC/IPSI plus purchase AJD for a first supply. The calculator separates taxes, estimated fees and the down payment; it does not charge the lender’s mortgage AJD to the buyer.
Which costs does the bank pay and which does the buyer pay? ▼
Since Ley 5/2019, the bank pays the notary, registry, agency and AJD of the mortgage loan; the buyer pays the appraisal and all the purchase costs: taxes, notary and registry of the sale itself.
Does the calculator include ITP reductions? ▼
No, it applies each region's general rate to give you the base scenario. If you qualify for reduced rates (young buyers, large families, disability, subsidised housing…), use the ITP calculator, which does apply them, and subtract the difference.
Why are the notary and registry figures approximate? ▼
They are regulated fees that depend on the transaction amount and the deed's length (pages, copies). The calculator uses a realistic banded estimate; the exact figure comes from the notary when preparing the signing.