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City Cards · Mallorca, Balearic Islands · Palma
City Card No. 23 · ISLANDS
Palma
Island life with a big airport, at some of Spain’s highest housing costs.
GUIDE FOR MOVING TO SPAIN
Population
435,000
Airport
Palma (PMI), about 34 million passengers a year
Ferries
To Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia
Languages
Catalan and Spanish
The short version
A real city on an island, with flights almost everywhere.
Palma combines a Gothic cathedral and old town with a working port, beaches and the Serra de Tramuntana mountains behind. Its airport is one of the busiest in Spain.
International schools, a large foreign community and a growing remote-work scene make it easy to arrive. Housing is the catch.
Palma suits you if
- You want island life without giving up a real city
- You fly often and want a big airport
- You have a strong income or remote salary
Look elsewhere if
- Housing cost is your main constraint
- You want schooling only in Spanish
- Summer crowds would bother you
Money
What living here costs
| Item | Typical cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Flat of 60 m² | €1,180 a month |
| Family flat of 90 m² | €1,760 a month |
| Utilities and internet | €110–170 a month |
Flat sizes use asking rents on idealista for September 2026 (Palma €19.6 per m²; Spain average €15.1). Signed rents are often a little lower, and furnished, sea-view or new-build homes cost more. Other figures are indicative ranges for planning, not quotes.
On Catalan: it is co-official in the Balearics, and around half of state-school teaching is in Catalan.
Where people live
Where newcomers usually look.
Santa Catalina
Former fishing quarter, now cafés and the market.
Son Espanyolet
Residential and quieter, next door.
El Molinar and Portitxol
By the sea, east of the centre.
Old City
Beautiful and central, with few lifts and little parking.
The trade-off
Spain’s least affordable housing market.
Compared with local incomes, Palma is among the hardest places in Spain to rent or buy. Budget generously and start looking early.
Guides for this area
Spain Move Kit €12.99
Weighing Palma?
Palma, or the mainland?
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