The Garraf coast in data: Sitges, Vilanova, Cubelles and Ribes

The towns of the Garraf coast differ in price by almost a factor of two, so they have to be compared one by one. In the second quarter of 2026 the average appraised value of housing (valor tasado, the bank appraisal value) was 4,931.8 €/m² in Sitges, 2,737.6 €/m² in Vilanova i la Geltrú and 2,673.3 €/m² in Sant Pere de Ribes (Ministerio de Vivienda, table 4 valor tasado). For comparison, Barcelona stood at 4,601.8 €/m².

Garraf is a comarca (a county-level district) south-west of Barcelona, behind the massif of the same name: on the sea are Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Cubelles, inland Sant Pere de Ribes, Canyelles and Olivella. How this coast looks against the Maresme as a whole is covered in the article on the Maresme and Garraf coast. This piece compares the towns within the comarca.

How the Garraf towns differ in numbers

The main difference is who lives in the town all year round. By appraisals Sitges is dearer than Barcelona, but a third of its housing is not a main home, and in Cubelles such flats are almost 40%. Vilanova and Sant Pere de Ribes live off a permanent population, and rentals within main homes are fewer there than in Sitges.

Sources: table 4 of the Ministerio de Vivienda covers municipalities above 25,000 inhabitants, which is why Cubelles is not in it; the rest is Idescat EMEX for Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Cubelles and Sant Pere de Ribes, income for 2023, provisional. For Catalonia as a whole the share of main homes is 76.4%, for the Garraf comarca 73.6%.

Valor tasado is a valuation made for the bank, not a transaction price and not an asking price. The number of appraisals per quarter shows how many properties the average rests on: 151 appraisals in Sitges against 5,519 in Barcelona.

How far Barcelona is by train

The link to the city is the Rodalies R2 Sud line (Rodalies is the Catalan commuter rail), the "Garraf line", to Estació de França in central Barcelona. On working days trains on the Vilanova i la Geltrú – Estació de França section run every 10 minutes at peak and every 15 off-peak, and trains to Sant Vicenç de Calders every 15 and 30 minutes (Rodalies, R2 Sud).

The practical conclusion follows. Cubelles lies further out than Vilanova, so only the less frequent route towards Sant Vicenç reaches it. The core of Sant Pere de Ribes lies inland, so work out the way to the station in advance. Check the timetable of your own station on a weekday, at the hour you will really travel.

How seasonality affects a purchase

The share of non-main housing shows how far a town empties out in winter. In Cubelles, 4,252 of 10,859 flats are not main homes; in Sitges, 6,368 of 19,230. For year-round living that means closed businesses and quiet streets out of season; for resale, a narrower circle of buyers in winter.

For a second home the logic is the reverse: what matters more is who will look after the flat and what it costs to keep it empty. This choice is covered in detail for one town in the article Sitges: second home or permanent life.

What rental regulation changes

All four towns are in a stressed housing market area under resolution TER/800/2024, and Canyelles and Olivella under TER/2408/2024 (Generalitat, list of municipalities). That means the rent on a new contract is capped, and a free-market rate cannot be counted on.

Since 8 October 2026, Real Decreto-ley 29/2026 (a royal decree-law) has been in force: municipalities in the area may introduce an IBI (annual property tax) surcharge on tourist housing of up to 50% of the tax, up to 100% with two such properties and up to 150% with four (art. 72.4 ter TRLRHL, the local taxation law), starting with the 2027 IBI and only through an ordenanza (municipal bylaw). The Congreso has not yet validated the decree (as of 13 October 2026), so tourist income is not put into the calculation without a check by an abogado (lawyer).

What the difference between towns costs: a worked example

Worked example, not a forecast. A 90 m² flat, with the price taken as equal to the average appraisal in the table above, ITP (transfer tax) of 10% on the part of the price up to 600,000 € under the ATC scale (the Catalan tax agency).

The gap between Sitges and Vilanova in the example is about 217,000 € including tax. The real price of a specific flat can differ from the average in either direction and is checked against closed transactions of the same type, which is done as part of a property valuation.

What to check in a flat by the sea

A building right by the sea wears out faster, and that passes into the costs of the comunidad (owners' association). The order of checking:

1. Façade, balconies and metalwork: rust streaks, flaking plaster, cracks by the balcony slabs.
2. Minutes of the comunidad meetings for recent years: which works have been approved and how they are paid for.
3. Damp in corners and in wardrobes against outer walls, especially on lower floors.
4. Closeness to dry watercourses (rieras) and any history of flooding: a question for the town hall and the neighbours.
5. For houses in hillside urbanizaciones: who maintains the roads and lighting, fire-safety requirements, the boundaries of the natural park. These layers are covered in the article on land for houses in Sitges and Sant Pere de Ribes.

When Garraf does not fit

Garraf fits badly for someone who commutes daily to the north of Barcelona or to the Vallès: the line runs along the sea to the centre, and beyond that changes are needed. It also does not fit an investor whose calculation rests on tourist lets: the rules on licences, IBI and IVA (VAT) keep changing, and the latest decree has not yet been validated.

Be more careful with Cubelles for daily commuting: the trains are less frequent, and non-main housing is almost 40%.