Living in El Masnou
€1,037 a month in average rent and 32 minutes to Plaça Catalunya by public transport. See if it fits you.
El Masnou in figures.
See where each figure ranks among the towns we cover in its comarca.
The 15th lowest property tax of 30 towns in the Maresme, 27 minutes from Barcelona by car.
Is moving from Barcelona to El Masnou worth it?
less than today
Enter your current journey time to see this.
What it measures: what you pay each month today, renting in Barcelona, minus what you would pay renting a 79 m² home in El Masnou. These are published averages for each municipality, not your own flat.
Going by public averages, if you moved from Barcelona to El Masnou, you'd pay €98 less a month.
El Masnou at a glance
- The sea
- On the coast
- The town reaches the sea
- To Plaça Catalunya by public transport
- 32 min
- Direct by Rodalies (R1)
See El Masnou on the map, with the towns on its line →
- Barcelona
- 16 km
Public transport from El Masnou, mode by mode
From El Masnou, 2 public transport modes run to Barcelona between 7 and 9am: Rodalies and bus. The quickest to the centre is Rodalies, 24 minutes.
- Rodalies R1
- Every 8 min
- Minutes between departures at 7–9am. Lines: R1. From El Masnou. 24 min to the centre.
- Bus 808
- Every 24 min
- Minutes between departures at 7–9am. Lines: 808. From av. Joan XXIII - c. Berguedà. 25 min to the centre.
The schools your children could go to.
In Montgat. IB Diploma and Spanish batxillerat, from early years to 18. Annual fees 2026-27: €11,454 to €15,493, lunch included.
3,181 residents; 4 in 10 are European. 2025 census.
Hospitals near El Masnou
Distance as the crow flies from the town centre.
- Nearest public hospital with 24-hour A&E · read 19 Sep 2026
- Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol
- Distance as the crow flies · read 19 Sep 2026
- 6.6 km
- In Badalona.
Before you decide: El Masnou
What no listing tells you: how many people live here and how old they are, the flood and fire risk the Generalitat gives the town, and the forest fires on record.
- Density
- 7,294 people/km²
- 24,727 residents. Idescat, EMEX, 2025.
- Residents under 15 · aged 65+
- 12.7 % · 21.5 %
- Idescat, EMEX, 2025.
- Flood risk (the Generalitat's INUNCAT plan)
- 4/4
- Level 4 of 4, official category “very high” (the highest of the five types). By type: river, high; flood-prone zones (torrents), high; coastal (storms), very high; surface water (heavy rain), low. Municipal flood plan: approved on 28 May 2026. The level set in the council's civil-protection plan. It is not a forecast. Generalitat de Catalunya, Protecció Civil: plans INUNCAT e INFOCAT por municipio (eqag-gzjs). Read 11 October 2026.
- Forest-fire hazard (INFOCAT plan)
- 0/4
- Level 0 of 4 against the Catalan average (“well below average”). Municipal wildfire plan: approved on 28 May 2026. Generalitat de Catalunya, Protecció Civil: plans INUNCAT e INFOCAT por municipio (eqag-gzjs). Read 11 October 2026.
- Forest fires, 2011-2024
- 0
- 0.0 ha of woodland burned in the municipality over those years. Generalitat de Catalunya, Incendis forestals a Catalunya (bks7-dkfd).
El Masnou, side by side with another town
Tap one to put it side by side with El Masnou. Beside each one, its council's property tax rate.
Every figure for El Masnou
Open all eight sectionsClose the folder- What you pay each yearTax rate · annual bill
- Buying and rentingPrice per m² · rent · income
- Travel timesBy car · on foot
- Against its areaFive topics, 0 to 100
- Weather2015-2024
- The public recordPopulation · economy
- More townsSimilar · if you work in Barcelona
- Questions and methodBuying costs · FAQ · sources
Every figure for El Masnou
Open all eight sectionsClose the folderWhat you pay each year in El Masnou
- Property tax on an average home · data from 2026
- €805/year
- Rate × the average cadastral value of the town's homes.
- Property tax rate · data from 2026
- 0.8196%
- Last Catastro revaluation · data from 2026
- 2002
- The older the revaluation, the further the Catastro value drifts from market prices.
- Building works tax (ICIO) · data from 2026
- 4 %
- Charged on the cost of the works.
Buying and renting in El Masnou
Rent is the average of every registered rental contract.
- Price to buy · per m², resale homes sold, Jul 2025–Jun 2026 · read 11 Oct 2026
- €3,916
- Monthly rent · a month, average of registered leases · read 11 Oct 2026
- €1,037
- Plusvalía (the council tax on the land-value gain when you sell) · read 11 Oct 2026
- 30%
- Charged on the rise in land value, and only if you sell at a gain (Royal Decree-law 26/2021). Spanish Ministry of Finance, 2026. If you inherit the family home, the council takes up to 95% off. See the deadlines if you inherit
- Rent-controlled area · read 11 Oct 2026
- Yes
- Rents capped by law since 15 March 2024, including seasonal and room lets since 1 January 2026.
- Tourist flats · on the register, 5 October 2026 · read 11 Oct 2026
- 134
- 0.5 per 100 residents. A council licence is required; flats already registered have until November 2028 to get one.
In El Masnou, resale homes went from €1,937 per m² in 2015 to €3,799 in 2025: +96%. In the last year, +10%.
Generalitat de Catalunya, registered sales of resale homes. Completed sales only, never asking prices. For 2015, 2016, 2023, 2024, we use the average of the four quarters, weighted by sales, because the Generalitat doesn't publish a full-year figure by town.
See how prices in El Masnou have risen compared with other towns →In El Masnou, average net household income was €49,645 a year in 2023 (Barcelona: €47,361). A 70 m² flat at the average resale price equals 5.5 years of that income; in Barcelona, 7.4. The average rent on contracts signed in 2025 (€1,037 a month) takes 25% of an average household's income.
Between 2015 and 2023, household income changed +30% and the resale price per m² +58%.
Within the town, net income per person ranges from €15,287 to €22,837 across census sections (14 sections).
Income: INE (Spanish Statistics Office), Household Income Distribution Atlas; Verithic's calculation (2023, CC BY 4.0). Price: Generalitat, resale transactions. Rent: Generalitat, deposits on signed contracts. These are town averages, not anyone's actual income or flat.
Selling in El Masnou
A second opinion, with sources, before you sign. What homes here really sold for, what they would let for, what the council charges and what the law requires.
- Sale prices, Jul 2025–Jun 2026
- €3,916/m²
- Resale homes, average price per built m². 221 sales in 2025. Only completed sales count, never asking prices.
- Letting a flat, 2024
- €10.33/m² a month
- Median of SERPAVI, the Housing Ministry's rent index, based on 1,559 lets declared to the tax office (old and new, not just this year's); half of all lets fall between €8.34 and €12.57/m². Median rent: €827 a month; for a house, €959.
- Plusvalía: deadline to declare it
- 30 working days
- From the date of the sale. 2026 rate: 30% on the rise in land value, only if there is a gain. If you inherited it and the council cut the tax on that inheritance (by up to 95%), selling within 2 years means you lose that discount.
- If you let it instead of selling
- Rent-controlled area
- Law 12/2023 caps the rent on new contracts in some cases. For income tax, your rental income is reduced by 50% to 90%, depending on the case.
Before you sign
- Selling requires a registered energy performance certificate; the buyer receives a copy with the contract.
The law
Real Decreto 390/2021, arts. 3.1.b y 17 - The deed must show you are up to date with the owners' association (certificate from the secretary, approved by the president).
The law
Ley 49/1960, de Propiedad Horizontal, art. 9.1.e - Income tax: the gain on selling your main home is exempt if you reinvest the proceeds in another main home within 2 years. It counts as a main home after at least 3 years living there.
The law
Ley 35/2006, del IRPF, y Real Decreto 439/2007, su Reglamento, LIRPF art. 38.1; RIRPF arts. 41 y 41 bis - Income tax: from age 65 (or with severe or high dependency), the gain on selling your main home (or the one that was your main home in the previous 2 years) is exempt.
The law
Ley 35/2006, del IRPF, art. 33.4.b - Income tax: rental income from a home is reduced by 50%; 60% if renovated in the previous 2 years; 70% for a first letting in a stressed area to a tenant aged 18-35 (or to a social-housing body); 90% in a stressed area if the new contract cuts the rent by more than 5%.
The law
Ley 35/2006, del IRPF (redacción de la Ley 12/2023), art. 23.2
If you're inheriting the home, see the deadlines that overlap
Journey times from El Masnou
Driving times with no traffic. Every town measured from its official centre (Cap de municipi).
- Drive to central Barcelona · calculated 11 Oct 2026
- 27 min
- Drive to La Sagrera · calculated 11 Oct 2026
- 21 min
- Drive to El Prat airport · calculated 11 Oct 2026
- 39 min
Percentile among the 124 towns in Barcelona and around, 0 to 100. Cut-off: 11 October 2026. How it is calculated
Measured at Badalona - Museu, 6.5 km away, at 42 m. 3647 daily readings. Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya — Dades meteorològiques diàries de la XEMA (7bvh-jvq2), read 11 October 2026.
El Masnou, figure by figure.
Getting into Barcelona
Every public transport service into Barcelona between 7 and 9am on a school-day Tuesday, from the stop in town with the most departures, and the minutes on board to central Barcelona (direct services only).
- Rodalies R1 · read 11 Oct 2026
- Every 8 min
- Lines: R1. From El Masnou into Barcelona, 7–9am. 24 minutes on board to central Barcelona.
- Bus 808 · read 11 Oct 2026
- Every 24 min
- Lines: 808. From av. Joan XXIII - c. Berguedà into Barcelona, 7–9am. 25 minutes on board to central Barcelona.
- Door to door to central Barcelona · read 11 Oct 2026
- 32 min
- From the town centre, leaving 7–9am, waits included: direct, by Rodalies.
- To the airport by public transport · read 11 Oct 2026
- 66 min
- To T1 or T2, leaving 7–9am, waits included: 1 change, all by Rodalies.
Economic and population figures come from Idescat, the Catalan statistics institute. School counts come from the Departament d'Educació's yearly directory. See where the international schools are.
Towns like El Masnou
The towns closest to it on price per m², rent, public transport time to the centre and size, wherever they are. Its neighbours are just above.
- Sant Joan DespíBaix LlobregatTo Plaça Catalunya32 minhere: 32 min
- GavàBaix LlobregatPrice per m²€4,032/m²here: €3,916/m²
- Sant Feliu de LlobregatBaix LlobregatTo Plaça Catalunya32 minhere: 32 min
- Molins de ReiBaix LlobregatSize27,291 residentshere: 24,727 residents
*Each figure is scaled from 0 to 1 between the lowest and highest town (population on a log scale) and the four gaps are added up. Only towns with all four figures take part. Price per m², resale homes: Generalitat de Catalunya, Secretaria d'Habitatge — compravendes registrades, Jul 2025–Jun 2026, read 11 Oct 2026. Average rent: Secretaria d'Habitatge, Generalitat de Catalunya — average rent on registered leases, 2025, read 11 Oct 2026. To Plaça Catalunya by public transport: ATM, Renfe and FGC GTFS timetables. Door to door, waits included, leaving 7–9am, read 11 Oct 2026. Residents: Idescat, EMEX, 2025, read 11 Oct 2026.
Three ways to reach Plaça Catalunya every morning
Door to door by public transport, leaving between 7 and 9am, waits included. We time the trip to Plaça Catalunya; if your office is elsewhere, add the onward journey from there.
- Close in, higher priceL'Hospitalet de LlobregatBarcelonès20 min€3,107/m²The quickest of the towns above the median price.See the town →
- Further out, lower priceBadia del VallèsVallès Occidental44 min€1,637/m²The lowest price per m² under 60 minutes away.See the town →
- Middle groundMontcada i ReixacVallès Occidental24 min€2,391/m²Where minutes and price balance out most evenly.See the town →
*To Plaça Catalunya by public transport: ATM, Renfe and FGC GTFS timetables. Door to door, waits included, leaving 7–9am, read 11 Oct 2026. Price per m², resale homes: Generalitat de Catalunya, Secretaria d'Habitatge — compravendes registrades, Jul 2025–Jun 2026, read 11 Oct 2026.
El Masnou has a strong relationship with the Mediterranean, shaped by its marina, beaches and maritime history. It combines a lived-in town centre with residential streets extending inland from the coast.
Read more about the townCharacter, lifestyle, homes and getting around.
Character
Historic merchant houses, compact streets and later residential development give the town a layered character. Proximity to the waterfront can be attractive, but orientation, railway position and elevation all influence the experience.
Lifestyle
The marina and seafront support sailing, walking and year-round local activity. Shops, services and rail access make parts of El Masnou more self-contained than many hillside towns.
Homes
You'll find flats, terraced homes, historic properties and detached houses. Older buildings may reward careful renovation, while with newer homes it still pays to check community charges and coastal maintenance.
Getting around
The coastal rail line and road network connect El Masnou with Barcelona and other Maresme towns. Properties north and south of the main transport corridors can have very different access patterns.
Compare neighbouring towns
Where the real money isWork out what buying in El Masnou will cost youTransfer tax (ITP), the reduced 5% rate if you qualify, and what the council gives back.
Buying in El Masnou: Catalonia's transfer tax (ITP).
Catalonia charges 10% to 13% when you buy a resale home. You pay 5% on your main home if you're 35 or under, have a large or single-parent family, or a disability of 65% or more, and your taxable income is no more than €36,000.
- At the general rate
- €60,000
- At the reduced 5% rate
- €30,000
Agència Tributària de Catalunya. Rates read 19 September 2026.
We've read 1 council tax break in El Masnou.
01Large families: 5% to 60% off, by cadastral valueIBI · see the small print
Under €100,000 of cadastral value: 50% (3 children), 55% (4) or 60% (5 or more), falling to 5%, 7% or 10% above €250,000
- · €100,000: 50 / 55 / 60% · €150,000: 30 / 35 / 40% · €200,000: 25 / 30 / 35% · €250,000: 15 / 20 / 25% · above: 5 / 7 / 10% (3 / 4 / 5+ children)
- · Only on the main home, the one registered in the municipal census
- · You apply for it with a valid large-family card
In shortWhat everyone asks about El MasnouShort answers, with the date they were reviewed.
El Masnou (Maresme): 2026 property tax rate of 0.8196%, about €805 a year on an average home; €3,916/m² on average (Jul 2025–Jun 2026); 27 minutes' drive to Barcelona; Rodalies to Barcelona every 8 minutes at rush hour. Rent-controlled area. Every figure comes with its source and date.
Figures reviewed on 24 September 2026.
Common questions about El Masnou
How much property tax (IBI) do you pay in El Masnou?
The 2026 IBI rate is 0.8196%, set in the council's tax bylaw. On an average home (average cadastral value, Catastro 2026), you pay about €805 a year. With solar panels, the council takes 50% off for 3 years.
How long does it take to get from El Masnou to Barcelona?
27 minutes by car to central Barcelona with no traffic, and 39 to the airport. By public transport into Barcelona between 7 and 9am: Rodalies R1: one every 8 minutes from El Masnou, 24 minutes to central Barcelona; Bus 808: one every 24 minutes from av. Joan XXIII - c. Berguedà, 25 minutes to central Barcelona. Door to door from the town centre, leaving 7–9am, waits and changes included: 32 minutes to central Barcelona (direct, by Rodalies); 66 to the airport (1 change, all by Rodalies).
How much does a square metre cost in El Masnou?
€3,916 per square metre on average for resale homes sold from July 2025 to June 2026, according to the Generalitat (registered sales).
Is there an international school near El Masnou?
The nearest is Hamelin-Laie International School, in Montgat.
Is El Masnou a rent-controlled area?
Yes. It has been a rent-controlled area (zona tensionada) since 15 March 2024, so rents on a main home are capped.
How far is the beach from El Masnou?
8 minutes on foot from the town centre (Platja d'Ocata).
How far is the nearest hospital from El Masnou?
The nearest 24-hour public hospital is Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, in Badalona, about 6.6 km away as the crow flies. It may not be the hospital you are assigned to.
The Verithic methodWhy you can trust these figures
We help you choose the place, so all that's left to think about is the house.
- 01The town
You answer; the figures do the ranking.
- 02The money
What moving costs before you even have the keys.
- 03The agent
Who can help you in each town.
- 04The evidence
Check any figure yourself.
The first decision is the one with the most money riding on it.
of the price is gone if you buy a €600,000 home and sell it again for the same price. That covers transfer tax (ITP), notary and land registry fees, and the agent's commission, which we put at 4%.
Up to €600,000. Then 11%, 12% and 13% on the higher bands.
Who can help you in El Masnou
You'll see who it is and confirm before they get your details.
Put these figures on your site · A table with source and date, ready to copy.