Winter in Spain: how people live, weather by city, heating and where it is warm

Spain does have a winter, but life in winter works differently from what newcomers expect. Days are sunny and mild almost everywhere — around 10 °C in Madrid in January and 16–17 °C on the coast. But the sun rises late, resort coasts go quiet, and the coldest place is often not outside but at home: half of all homes were built before the first insulation standards, so in winter everything depends on the home you chose. Below: how people live in winter, the weather by city, where it is warm, how homes are heated, what it costs and how to choose a warm flat or house.

How people live in Spain in winter

• Late sunrise. Spain runs on Central European Time, so winter mornings are dark. On 1 January the sun rises in Madrid at 8:38 and sets at 17:59, in Barcelona at 8:17 and 17:32, in Málaga at 8:30 and 18:12, and in Oviedo not until 8:56. In the Canary Islands the day is an hour longer. The clocks go back on the last Sunday of October — in 2026 that is 25 October, when 3:00 becomes 2:00.
• The coast goes quiet. In January only about one hotel in ten is open in the Balearic Islands, while in the provinces of Málaga and Alicante more than three quarters stay open (INE). For living through the winter, towns on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca are more convenient than the islands.
• Flu vaccination — the campaign starts in the last week of September; vaccination is recommended for people aged 60 and over, pregnant women, children from 6 months to 5 years and people with chronic conditions. No prescription is needed; each regional health service sets how to book.
• Ski season — from late November into spring: Sierra Nevada (up to 3,300 m), Baqueira-Beret, Formigal, La Molina.
• Roads. When it snows, the DGT sets traffic levels; the R-412 sign means you cannot continue without chains. Only winter tyres with the «three-peak mountain and snowflake» symbol (3PMSF) replace chains; the M+S marking alone is not enough (DGT: snow chains and winter tyres). From 1 October 2026, overtaking on motorways in snow is banned and you must keep to the right-hand lane.
• Homes are colder than the forecast suggests. Outside there is daytime sun, but a poorly insulated flat without central heating can be chilly and damp — so in winter the home you choose and its heating matter most. More on this below.

What winter is like in Spain: temperatures by city

The figures are the January climate normals of the state meteorological agency AEMET — January being the coldest month. For city stations AEMET publishes the full dataset for 1981–2010; the average January across mainland Spain for 1991–2020 is almost the same, 6.0 °C.

• Days are warm almost everywhere — even Madrid reaches about 10 °C with plenty of sun. The nights make the winter: 6–8 °C on the coast, around zero in the centre of the country.
• The north is mild but damp and grey. Bilbao gets 120 mm of rain and 85 hours of sunshine in January — half as much sun as Málaga.
• Even within one city there can be a difference. In Palma by the sea there are no frost days in January; at the airport inland there are five.

Where it is warm in Spain in winter

• The Canary Islands are the only place without a winter: about 21 °C by day and 15 °C at night, no frost. The south of Tenerife is drier and sunnier than the north: 17 mm of rain in January at the southern airport against 80 mm and a 13 °C average at the northern one. More on the Canary Islands and moving to Tenerife.
• Costa del Sol and Almería — about 17 °C by day and 7–8 °C at night; Almería gets 194 hours of sunshine in January. More on moving to Málaga.
• Costa Blanca and Murcia — 16–17 °C by day, 5–6 °C at night, little rain. More on moving to Alicante.
• Valencia and the Balearic coast — 15–16 °C by day, almost no frost. More on moving to Mallorca.

A map of provinces helps choose a city by climate — see our guide to where to live in Spain.

Where it is cold and snows in Spain

• Madrid, Zaragoza, Granada — around zero at night, with 17 frost days in January at Granada airport. Snow in the cities themselves is rare: about one day in January on average.
• The mountains near cities have a real winter. At the Navacerrada pass near Madrid (1,892 m) the average January temperature is below zero, with 12 snow days. The ski season in Sierra Nevada near Granada ran from late November to early May in 2025/26, and in the Pyrenees until early April.

Why Spanish homes are cold in winter

• Old housing stock. About half of all main homes were built before 1980 — before the first insulation standard, NBE-CT-79. The modern Technical Building Code (CTE) has applied only since 2006.
• Damp. According to Eurostat, in 2023 23% of people in Spain lived in homes with leaking roofs, damp walls or rotting frames, against an EU average of 15.6%. Mould and condensation on windows are common winter complaints on the coast.
• Heating is designed for a short winter. Central heating is rare; split units with a heat pump or electric radiators are more common. According to INE, in 2025 15.9% of people could not afford to keep their home adequately warm — and the figure is higher in the warm south than in the north.

How homes are heated in Spain

In offices, shops, restaurants and shopping centres the air must not be heated above 21 °C (RITE). The temporary 19 °C limit introduced in 2022 ended on 1 November 2023.

How much heating costs

• Electricity. On the regulated PVPC tariff the price changes by the hour: most expensive on weekdays 10:00–14:00 and 18:00–22:00, cheapest at night 0:00–8:00 and all day at weekends. The average energy price in January 2026 was about €0.14 per kWh before tax (Red Eléctrica). One hour of a 2 kW heater costs about €0.35–0.42 including tax, up to €0.56 at peak times and about €0.27 at night.
• Gas. The regulated TUR tariff from 1 July 2026 is about 4.1–4.3 cents per kWh before tax plus a fixed charge of €3.93–8.11 a month.
• Taxes. Since 1 June 2026 electricity and gas are again subject to 21% VAT and the 5.11% electricity tax; a temporary cut to 10% applied from 22 March to 31 May.
• House versus flat. According to the state energy agency IDAE, a detached house uses roughly four times more energy for heating than a flat. In the centre of the country that is about 13,700 kWh a year for a house against 4,300 for a flat; on the Mediterranean coast 7,900 against 1,400 (2010 data — there is nothing more recent with this breakdown).

Low-income households can get social discounts on electricity and heating support (bono social); most people moving on a residence permit with an average income are not eligible.

How to choose a warm flat or house

1. Check the energy certificate rating. It must appear in every sale or rental advert, and a certificate is valid for 10 years (5 for class G). The rating depends on the climate zone: for a flat in Madrid class A means less than 37.1 kWh/m² of non-renewable energy a year, in Barcelona 26.8, in Málaga 12.3.
2. Find out the climate zone. It depends on the province and altitude: Madrid is D3, Barcelona C2, Valencia and Palma B3, Málaga A3, Tenerife α3. A house in the hills of the same province may fall into a colder zone.
3. Ask what heats the home and what last winter’s bills were. An aerothermal system with underfloor heating and good windows do more than powerful heaters.
4. Check the windows. For new builds the code limits window heat loss by zone: 2.1 W/m²·K in zone C and 1.8 in zones D and E, and windows in zones C–E must be almost airtight (class 3).
5. View the home in winter and look at which side gets the sun, damp stains in corners and any smell of mould.

More detail on renting a flat in Spain and buying a house in Spain.

If you rent

• Repairs needed to keep the home habitable are the landlord’s responsibility, and the landlord cannot raise the rent for them (Article 21 of the Urban Leases Act). If the boiler breaks through no fault of yours, the landlord repairs it.
• Small repairs due to ordinary wear are the tenant’s responsibility.
• Metered electricity, gas and heating are always paid by the tenant (Article 20). Community fees pass to the tenant only if the contract says so and states the annual amount.
• Boiler and air-conditioner servicing is not expressly allocated by law — put it in the contract.

If you buy or renovate: tax deductions

• 20% of the cost of works that cut heating and cooling demand by at least 7% — up to €5,000 a year, for works paid by 31 December 2026.
• 40% if non-renewable energy use falls by 30% or the home reaches class A or B — up to €7,500 a year, same deadline.
• 60% for energy renovation of a whole residential building, for flat owners, works paid by 31 December 2027.
• You need two energy certificates — before and after the works; payment must not be in cash; fossil-fuel boilers do not count (Personal Income Tax Act, additional provision 50: energy renovation deductions).

Where people ski in Spain, what the passes cost and what to check before buying a home by the pistes is covered in ski resorts in Spain.

Frequently asked questions

What is life like in Spain in winter?

Days are sunny and mild almost everywhere, but it does not get light until about 8:30–9:00, resort islands go quiet in January, and poorly insulated flats can be chilly and damp. So in winter the key thing is a warm home with proper heating.

Does Spain have a winter?

Yes, but it is mild and varies by region. The Canary Islands have no winter in the usual sense, the Mediterranean coast reaches 16–17 °C by day, while Madrid, Granada and Zaragoza are around zero at night with frosts.

How cold is Spain in winter?

The average January temperature ranges from 6 °C in Madrid and Zaragoza to 12 °C in Málaga and 18 °C in Tenerife. On the coast it is 16–17 °C by day and 6–8 °C at night.

Where is it warm in Spain in winter?

The Canary Islands are the warmest: about 21 °C by day and 15 °C at night. On the mainland — the Costa del Sol, Almería and the Costa Blanca: about 17 °C by day and practically no frost.

Does it snow in Spain?

Rarely in cities — Madrid, Granada and Zaragoza average about one snow day in January. Snow is normal in the mountains: Sierra Nevada, the Pyrenees and the passes near Madrid.

Do flats in Spain have heating?

Central heating is found only in a small share of homes, more often in apartment blocks in the centre of the country. Flats are usually heated with heat-pump split units, a gas boiler or electric radiators; new builds have aerothermal systems with underfloor heating.

How much does heating cost in Spain?

One hour of a 2 kW electric heater costs about €0.35–0.42 including tax, less at night. A detached house uses roughly four times more energy for heating than a flat, so the energy rating matters more than heater power.

Why are Spanish homes cold in winter?

About half of all homes were built before 1980, when there were no insulation standards, many are damp, and heating is designed for a short winter. That is why it can be warmer outside than in a poorly insulated flat.

Sources

• AEMET: climate normals by station
• National Astronomical Observatory: sunrise and sunset
• RITE, RD 1027/2007: temperatures in public spaces and maintenance
• Technical Building Code CTE, DB HE: climate zones and windows
• RD 390/2021 on energy performance certificates
• Urban Leases Act LAU: Articles 20 and 21
• RD 736/2020 on heat meters
• RD 919/2006: gas installation inspections
• Personal Income Tax Act, additional provision 50: energy renovation deductions
• INE: Living Conditions Survey 2025
• IDAE: household energy use, 2024
• Red Eléctrica: PVPC price
• MITECO: bottled butane price
• Ministry of Health: flu vaccination 2026–2027
• DGT: snow chains and winter tyres