The high cost of housing continues to be one of the most pressing issues affecting residents of the Canary Islands. The problem is exacerbated by the islands’ limited territory, restricted availability of properties, and the strong influence of tourism, which has driven prices to levels far above the national average.
Almost daily, new data confirms the same trend: prices keep rising, mortgages continue to grow, and access to affordable housing becomes increasingly unattainable for much of the population.
Recent figures from the new statistics portal of the General Council of Notaries — which uses real transaction data — highlight the stark contrast between municipalities located less than 80 kilometres apart.
Adeje: the most expensive municipality in the Canary Islands
In Adeje, the average price per square metre has reached €4,127, more than double the cost in the island’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where it stands at €1,893 according to data from the past 12 months (up to September).
To illustrate the difference:
- A 90 m² home in Adeje costs around €371,436.
- A similar property in Santa Cruz costs €170,370.
These figures include all types of housing (flats and houses, new builds and second-hand).
Even when looking only at second-hand flats — the type most commonly purchased — the disparity remains:
- Adeje: €3,692/m²
- Santa Cruz: €1,890/m²
Santa Cruz does not even appear among the five most expensive municipalities
Contrary to what might be expected, the capital is ranked only tenth. The municipalities with the highest prices in Tenerife are:
- Adeje – €4,127/m²
- Santiago del Teide – €3,397/m²
- Guía de Isora – €3,319/m²
- Arona – €2,825/m²
- Puerto de la Cruz – €2,674/m²
- San Miguel – €2,463/m²
- Granadilla – €2,005/m²
- Candelaria – €1,954/m²
- El Sauzal – €1,939/m²
- Santa Cruz – €1,893/m²
Adeje is not only the most expensive in Tenerife — it also ranks first among all 88 municipalities in the Canary Islands. It is followed by San Bartolomé de Tirajana in Gran Canaria (€3,875/m²). The contrast within Tenerife alone is striking: the most expensive municipality, Adeje, sits next to Vilaflor, the second cheapest in the entire archipelago, where the square metre costs just €594.
Unsurprisingly, the municipalities with the highest prices tend to be tourism-driven areas.
Examples include:
- Gran Canaria: San Bartolomé de Tirajana (€3,875/m²), Mogán (€3,751/m²)
- Lanzarote: Tías (€3,533/m²)
- Fuerteventura: La Oliva (€2,876/m²)
- La Gomera: Valle Gran Rey (€2,072/m²)
- La Palma: Tazacorte (€1,982/m²)
- El Hierro: El Pinar (€1,961/m²)
Housing sales and prices in Tenerife
In the last year, 12,330 homes were sold in the province of Tenerife — an average of 33 properties per day — at an average price of €220,388, with an average size of 101 m². Of these, 9,038 were second-hand flats, costing on average €189,233, and measuring 82 m².
Across the Canary Islands as a whole, the General Council of Notaries reveals that the average price per square metre has risen by 31% in the past 18 years:
- 2007: €1,756/m²
- September 2025: €2,253/m²
The portal also highlights two significant trends:
1. Young people are being pushed out of the market
Only 6.5% of buyers are aged 18–30, compared to 21.5% in 2007.
2. Foreign demand remains very high
Foreigners account for:
- 36% of property purchases in the Canary Islands
- 41% in the province of Tenerife
