Buying costs compared (2026): Portugal, Spain and England, side by side

Comparisons

• Where buying costs are lowest: Portugal, Spain or England (2026)

  For a tax-resident buyer of a main home, Madeira and the Azores have the lowest buying taxes of the euro places on cheaper and mid-priced homes, then mainland Portugal; on expensive homes Madrid comes first. Catalonia has the highest. For a non-resident, Madrid comes first, because Spain has no non-resident surcharge and Portugal charges a flat 7.5% IMT. For a new build, Portugal is cheapest. England, in pounds, takes a small share of the price for a resident home mover, but a large one for a buyer who already owns a home.

• Portugal or Spain (2026): which costs less to buy a home?

  For a tax-resident buyer of a main home, Portugal usually costs less: its IMT starts at 0% and rises in bands, while Spain's regions charge 6% to 10% or more on a resale from the first euro. For a non-resident who will not move there, Portugal's flat 7.5% IMT plus 0.8% stamp duty makes Madrid and Andalusia cheaper. On a new build, Spain's 10% VAT makes every Spanish region the dearer choice.

• Spain or England (2026): where does buying a home cost more?

  For a resident buying their main home, England's stamp duty is a smaller share of the price than Spain's transfer tax, because England's bands start at 0% while Spanish regions charge 6% to 10% or more from the first euro. A buyer who already owns a home anywhere pays 5% extra in England from the first pound, so a second home in England can cost more than one in Madrid or Andalusia. New builds cost more in Spain, where they pay 10% VAT.

• Madrid vs Barcelona (2026): which costs less to buy a home in?

  Madrid is cheaper for almost every buyer. A resale home pays 6% transfer tax in Madrid and 10% to 13% in Catalonia, so a €300,000 second home pays €18,000 in Madrid against €30,000 in Barcelona. The gap narrows for a buyer aged 35 or under with a modest income, who pays 5% in Catalonia on a main home.

• Second home in Portugal or England (2026): which costs more to buy?

  A UK resident who already owns a home and buys a second one pays England's standard bands plus 5% of the price. The same buyer in Portugal is a non-resident there, so they pay a flat 7.5% IMT plus 0.8% stamp duty. On cheaper homes England usually takes the smaller share of the price; as the price rises England's share climbs past Portugal's flat rate. A buyer who moves to Portugal within two years can reclaim most of the IMT.

• Costa Blanca vs Costa del Sol (2026): where buying a home costs less

  For a resale home the Costa del Sol is cheaper: Andalusia charges 7% transfer tax against 9% in the Valencian Community, so a €300,000 second home pays €21,000 in Málaga province and €27,000 in Alicante province. For a new build bought as a main home it turns round: the Costa Blanca charges 0.1% stamp duty on the deed, against 1% or 1.2% in Andalusia.

• Madeira and the Azores vs mainland Portugal (2026): where buying a home costs less

  For a tax-resident buyer, a home in Madeira or the Azores pays less IMT than the same home on the mainland, or the same at the top end, because the islands' IMT brackets are 25% higher. Stamp duty, fees and the non-resident rate are the same everywhere, so a non-resident buyer pays the same in all three. Madeira and the Azores share one set of tables, so they always cost the same.