Madrid neighbourhoods: where to live, prices and safety in 2026

Madrid is divided into 21 districts, and the differences between them are huge: average household income in Chamartín is 2.4 times higher than in Puente de Vallecas, and a square metre in Salamanca costs 3.3 times as much as in Villaverde. Below are all the districts in figures from official data, where to live with a family, as a student, on a budget or close to work, what is known about safety and which districts are growing. How to get a residence permit, which taxes to pay and what life in the city costs is covered in the article moving to Madrid.

Madrid neighbourhoods: answers to the key questions

• The most expensive district? Salamanca — €10,841 per square metre in August 2026. Next come Chamberí (€9,209) and Retiro (€8,444).
• The most affordable? Villaverde — €3,302/m², but prices there rose 25% over the year. Close in price are Puente de Vallecas (€3,480) and Usera (€3,626).
• The wealthiest? Chamartín: average household income is €79,274 a year. Then Moncloa-Aravaca and Salamanca.
• Where to live with children? Families most often choose Retiro, Chamartín, Hortaleza, Fuencarral-El Pardo and Moncloa-Aravaca: parks, international schools, calmer than the centre.
• Where are there the most foreigners? In Centro — 31.1% of residents, in Usera — 29.2%, in Villaverde — 27.6%.
• The safest? Madrid does not publish official crime statistics by district, so there is no honest ranking — more on this below.

All Madrid districts in figures

Population is from the municipal register at 1 January 2026, the share of foreigners from the city council’s geoportal at 1 January 2025, income from the INE household income atlas for 2023, and the purchase price from Idealista for August 2026 with the change over the year. Where Idealista does not give a district price in its public report, there is a dash.

Idealista does not publish rents by district openly. For the city as a whole, rent in August 2026 was €23.3 per square metre a month, and €21.5 for the Community of Madrid.

Where people are wealthier and where it is cheaper

Income and housing prices in Madrid go hand in hand: the north and the centre — Chamartín, Salamanca, Chamberí, Retiro, Moncloa-Aravaca — are more expensive and wealthier, while the south and south-east — Puente de Vallecas, Usera, Villaverde, Carabanchel — are more affordable. It is in the south that prices are now rising fastest: +25% over the year in Villaverde, +18% in Usera and Puente de Vallecas, +11% in Carabanchel, whereas in Salamanca and Retiro they fell slightly.

Which Madrid neighbourhood to choose

For families with children

Retiro (118,863 residents) — next to the park of the same name, quiet streets, Hospital Gregorio Marañón, €8,444/m². Chamartín (148,093) — the highest income in the city, Chamartín station and the business north, €8,222/m². Hortaleza (209,178) — the green north-east, home to the Lycée Français and St. George school. Fuencarral-El Pardo (256,037) — the northern district with the largest population: La Paz hospital, the Cuatro Torres business area and the Deutsche Schule. Moncloa-Aravaca (126,257) — Casa de Campo, Ciudad Universitaria and Hospital Clínico San Carlos. Many families also choose the suburbs — Pozuelo, Las Rozas, Majadahonda, Alcobendas — covered in the article moving to Madrid.

For city life

Centro (141,800) — Sol, Malasaña, Chueca, La Latina and Lavapiés: everything within walking distance, bars and theatres, but noisy, lots of tourists, old buildings; 31.1% of residents are foreigners, €7,745/m². The whole district is an acoustic protection zone, and new tourist flats are allowed here only in buildings used entirely for that purpose. Chamberí (141,522) — urban but calmer than the centre, markets and handsome buildings, €9,209/m². Arganzuela (158,550) — between the centre and Madrid Río park, Atocha station.

Close to work

Tetuán (167,776) — the AZCA business district on the Paseo de la Castellana; dense and noisy, part of the district is an acoustic protection zone. Fuencarral-El Pardo — offices around the Cuatro Torres and in the north, where construction of Madrid Nuevo Norte began in 2026. Barajas (50,613) — the smallest district, next to the airport: convenient for frequent flyers, but you can hear the planes.

On a limited budget

Carabanchel (278,090, the most populous district in the city) — €3,842/m², +10.8% over the year. Usera (152,937) — €3,626/m², 12 de Octubre hospital. Puente de Vallecas (257,924) — €3,480/m². Villaverde (172,551) — €3,302/m², the most affordable of the districts in the report. Villa de Vallecas (127,566) — €3,845/m², one of three districts where the population grew over the year. Household income here is the lowest in the city and the share of foreigners is 18 to 30%, but prices are rising fastest.

For students

Moncloa-Aravaca — the Ciudad Universitaria campus of the Complutense and Polytechnic universities. Centro, Chamberí and Arganzuela — closer to city life and transport.

Safety in Madrid neighbourhoods

The Ministry of the Interior publishes crime statistics only for the city as a whole; there are no official data by district. The only district-level indicator is arrests by the Policía Municipal (municipal police): in 2025 there were 254 per 10,000 residents in Centro, 72 in Puente de Vallecas, 70 in Chamartín, and 40 on average for the city. This is not a crime rate: most cases are handled by the Policía Nacional (national police), and in Centro the figure is pushed up by crowds of tourists and nightlife. For residents, the specific street and building matter more than the name of the district: in the tourist centre pickpocketing and noise are more common, while the quiet streets of residential districts are calmer.

Which districts are growing

At 1 January 2026 Madrid had a population of 3,497,277, down 30,647 over the year. The population fell in 18 of the 21 districts and grew only in Vicálvaro (+2,627), Villa de Vallecas (+1,047) and Barajas (+74). The biggest falls were in Centro (−4,549) and Ciudad Lineal (−3,741).

How to look for housing by district

• Start with a short-term rental of 1–3 months to live in the chosen district, then sign a long-term contract.
• Check the journey to work and school — a flat near the metro in an inexpensive district is often more convenient than a fashionable address without one.
• Look at the street and the floor — streets with nightlife and acoustic protection zones are noisy.
• Check the licence if you are buying a flat to let to tourists: under Plan RESIDE this is almost impossible in the centre.

How the search and the rental contract work is covered in the article how to rent a flat in Spain, and buying in how to buy a house in Spain. The city as a whole — sights, transport and food — is described in the overview the capital of Spain.

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Frequently asked questions about Madrid neighbourhoods

Which Madrid neighbourhood is best to live in?

It depends on what you need. Families most often choose Retiro, Chamartín, Hortaleza and Fuencarral-El Pardo; for city life, Centro and Chamberí; on a limited budget, Carabanchel, Usera and Puente de Vallecas; near the offices, Tetuán and Fuencarral.

What is the most expensive district in Madrid?

Salamanca: in August 2026 a square metre there cost €10,841 on average. Next come Chamberí (€9,209) and Retiro (€8,444).

What is the cheapest district in Madrid?

Of the districts in the Idealista report, Villaverde: €3,302 per square metre in August 2026. But prices there rose 25% over the year.

Where to live in Madrid with children?

Families most often choose Retiro, Chamartín, Hortaleza, Fuencarral-El Pardo and Moncloa-Aravaca, with their parks and international schools, or the suburbs of Pozuelo, Las Rozas, Majadahonda and Alcobendas.

What is the safest district in Madrid?

Madrid does not publish official crime statistics by district, so there is no honest ranking. The most arrests by the Policía Municipal are in the tourist district of Centro; for residents, the specific street and building matter more than the name of the district.

Which district of Madrid has the most foreigners?

Centro: at 1 January 2025 foreigners made up 31.1% of residents. The share is also high in Usera (29.2%), Villaverde (27.6%) and Carabanchel (26.8%).

How many districts does Madrid have?

Twenty-one: Centro, Arganzuela, Retiro, Salamanca, Chamartín, Tetuán, Chamberí, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Moncloa-Aravaca, Latina, Carabanchel, Usera, Puente de Vallecas, Moratalaz, Ciudad Lineal, Hortaleza, Villaverde, Villa de Vallecas, Vicálvaro, San Blas-Canillejas and Barajas.

How we can help you move to Madrid

We choose the residence permit route to fit your income and family, prepare and submit the documents, and support you through to the residence card and autónomo registration. The most common options are the turnkey digital nomad residence permit and the non-working residence permit.

We can also help you find a home in Madrid, to rent or to buy: we work with vetted estate agencies and mortgage brokers and check the contract and documents before you sign. See property search in Spain.