How has the property market on the Costa del Sol changed over the past year? What do Polish buyers pay most attention to when purchasing property, what factors guide their choice, and how much do they spend on property on average?
What will you read about in this note?
In the first half of 2026, Poles purchased 2,269 houses and flats, which is 186 properties more than in the first half of 2025. Across the Spanish property market as a whole, the share of foreign buyers in the second quarter of 2026 stood at 15.98 per cent, of which Poles accounted for 4.33 per cent. Compared with pre-pandemic figures, the proportion of foreign property owners in the Costa del Sol region is steadily increasing, and there are currently no signs that this trend is set to change.
This record result in recent years confirms earlier forecasts from the start of the current calendar year, which predicted sustained and stable growth in demand amongst Poles for coastal property. According to the CBRE European Investor Intentions Survey conducted in early 2026, 89 per cent of investors predicted that property sales in 2026 would remain at the same level as the previous year or increase.
The most obvious answer to the question ‘What attracts Poles to the coast?’ is the favourable climate, the proximity to the sea and the region’s geographical location. The weather on the Costa del Sol is characterised by mild winters and over 320 days of sunshine a year.
Of course, the weather is also influenced by the geographical location of the coast, which offers varied terrain, making it an excellent base for both mountain hikers and water sports enthusiasts. The location of towns such as Marbella and Málaga, where mountain peaks rise on one side and the sea lies on the other, means that the temperature range is narrower than in Poland; consequently, winters are milder and summers less sweltering.
Another argument in favour of moving here is the increasingly well-developed road infrastructure and the growing number of flight connections. It takes less than three hours to reach the Spanish capital from here, and Málaga Airport also has excellent connections with Warsaw, offering flights up to six times a week during the summer season. In 2025, Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport handled a record 26.76 million passengers.
Marbella and other major cities such as Málaga and Seville stand out not only for their well-developed transport infrastructure, but also for their rich culinary scene and access to international schools and high-quality healthcare.
Poles are most often looking for flats with a budget of up to 500,000 euros, featuring two bedrooms, a terrace, a swimming pool, and good access to the beach and amenities. There has been a significant increase in the number of Polish investors looking for smaller flats with floor areas of up to 70 m2. Increasingly, they are opting not for the most prestigious addresses, but for locations offering the best value for money in terms of rental potential and the prospect of a future sale.
– In 2026, Polish customers are buying more cautiously and selectively than last year. When it comes to properties for their own use, they are considering both the primary and secondary markets. However, their choice is primarily determined by: location, standard, views, access to the beach and year-round facilities. Greater caution is evident in investment purchases, particularly with a view to short-term lettings. Clients are checking local council regulations, the rules of the relevant residents’ association and the possibilities for legal letting more thoroughly – says Agnieszka Marciniak-Kostrzewa, founder of Agnes Inversiones – the largest and oldest Polish estate agency on the Costa del Sol, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
The tightening of regulations on short-term lettings has led to a decline in interest amongst some investors who were planning to purchase off-plan properties for letting, in favour of properties on the secondary market. Under the newly introduced regulations, following the purchase of a property on the primary market, there is no certainty, once construction is complete, that the property will be eligible for short-term letting. This is because the local authorities may, in the meantime, restrict or ban such activities in a given area, and the residents’ association may refuse to grant consent by a majority vote if the required three-fifths of owners’ votes are not obtained.
It is definitely more convenient for such people to choose flats on the secondary market, where the legal status is easier to assess, or to opt for medium- and long-term tenancies.
In line with forecasts for 2026, the property market in Marbella continued its upward trend during the first half of the year, before stabilising in June. At that time, the average asking price reached a record high of €5,608 per square metre, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.6 per cent, but only around 1.5 per cent compared with December 2025.
A year earlier, the price range started on average at around 450,000 euros, whilst in 2026 the average property value starts at 500,000 euros. Of course, this depends on the attractiveness of the property’s location and the town in which it is situated; for example, prices for flats in Marbella will be significantly higher than those in Fuengirola.
As Agnieszka Marciniak-Kostrzewa points out, the rise in property prices on the Costa del Sol is due to the fact that limited supply in the most attractive locations is failing to keep pace with strong international demand. In 2025, foreign buyers accounted for around 32.8 per cent of all residential property purchases in the province of Málaga, placing it second in Spain. In towns such as Marbella, Estepona and Fuengirola, the proportion of foreign buyers is even higher, and in the new-build and luxury property segments, it exceeds 60% in some locations.
The term ‘climate pricing’ refers to the practice of rewarding and recognising as more attractive properties that have been designed with energy efficiency and indoor climate comfort in mind. Climate change does not have a negative impact on the investment appeal of flats and villas; however, there is a noticeable shift in the market towards the use of the latest technologies in construction that minimise environmental impact.
The location of the building is therefore analysed not only in terms of its distance from the sea or its investment appeal, but also from the perspective of its microclimate, sun exposure, energy efficiency and the technical standard of the property.
According to the latest data, foreign buyers purchased a total of 138,254 properties in Spain in 2025, with Poles accounting for as many as 4,136 of those transactions. This placed our compatriots in 7th place among foreign buyers, and in some municipalities, Poles have already risen to 3rd place.
Buying a property is an investment that can have various purposes – from the purchase of a house or flat to live in permanently…
Property prices on the Costa del Sol continued to rise, although the rate of growth began to stabilise in mid-2026. In Marbella, the average asking price in June reached 5,608 euros per square metre, which was 7.6 per cent higher than a year earlier. Polish buyers are most often looking for flats with a budget of up to €500,000, whilst the average price of attractive properties shifted from around €450,000 in 2025 to around €500,000 in 2026. However, the final price depends primarily on the location, standard and type of property.
In 2026, Polish buyers are more selective and analyse a property’s potential more carefully. The key factors are location, standard, views, access to the beach and amenities, year-round infrastructure, and the potential for future resale or letting. In the case of investments intended for short-term letting, greater attention is also being paid to local regulations and the rules of housing associations. For this reason, some investors are more likely to opt for the secondary market or medium- and long-term letting, where the legal situation is easier to assess.
