Montgat: a small seaside town just past Badalona

Montgat is the first independent coastal town north of Badalona, squeezed between the sea and the hills. On 1 January 2025 it had 12,879 residents (INE), and the average rent on new 2025 leases was 1,129.51 € a month, higher than in neighbouring Badalona (Generalitat, dades obertes). A town's small size does not mean a low price.

How Montgat differs from its neighbours on the coast

Montgat is an intermediate option between dense Badalona and the quieter towns of the Maresme. It draws those who find Badalona too big and those who find Tiana or El Masnou too cut off from the city.

The figures for the neighbours show how different these markets are. Rent is counted from the deposits lodged with Incasòl (the Catalan housing agency) for new 2025 leases, population from the INE as of 1 January 2025.

About 130 leases are signed in Montgat in a year, so every flat on the market is noticeable and the average shifts easily from one quarter to the next: in January–March 2026, across 45 leases, it was 1,020.78 €. An investor's view of the coast as a whole, with the coastal law and the rieras (seasonal watercourses), is given in the piece on the Maresme and Garraf.

How transport works and what the R1 offers

Montgat has two Rodalies R1 stops: Montgat and Montgat Nord, between Badalona and El Masnou (R1 timetable). On the Molins de Rei/L'Hospitalet–Mataró section the train runs every 6 minutes at peak and every 10 minutes at other times, with no change to Sants and Plaça de Catalunya (Rodalies de Catalunya).

The railway runs along the sea, and it has two sides. For a resident it is a fast link to Barcelona. For a buyer of a flat with windows onto the tracks, it is noise. By car the main route is the coastal C-32 motorway, with the usual jams at the entrance to Barcelona.

What housing there is by the sea and on the hillside

The town divides into two parts with different buying logic. Near the promenade and in the historic centre the development is dense and of varied age, including buildings with sea views. On the slope towards the hills there is more space and there are detached houses, but the way to the station and shops is longer, and the change in height alters the feeling of "five minutes on foot".

The promenade is shorter than in Badalona and there are fewer tourists in summer. Everyday infrastructure is sufficient; for hospitals and big stores residents usually go to Badalona or Barcelona.

What to check before buying in Montgat

The order of action before an offer:

1. Train noise. Open the windows while several trains pass, especially in flats by the promenade.
2. Facade and damp. Buildings by the sea suffer from salt air and humidity: the condition of the facade and balconies, marks on walls.
3. Coastal regime. For houses right by the water, find out whether the plot falls within the scope of the Ley de Costas (Coastal Law); see the article on the coastal law.
4. Flood risk. Montgat belongs to the Maresme comarca (county), where the Consell Comarcal analysed 65 rieras and estimated that about 105,000 people live in a flood-risk zone (3Cat, 22 April 2026). The position of a specific street is checked on maps and with the ayuntamiento (town hall).
5. The way to the station. For hillside buildings, walk it in both directions.
6. Comunidad and ITE. The debt certificate, meeting minutes and the report of the building inspection.

What a landlord needs to know

Montgat is on the list of municipalities of a tensionada (stressed housing market) zone under resolution TER/800/2024 (Habitatge Generalitat). For a landlord this means limits when setting the rent on new leases of a main residence; how they work is described in the article on tensionada zones.

Since 8 October 2026, Real Decreto-ley 29/2026 has been in force, changing the rules on seasonal lets and rent indexation (BOE). The Congress has not yet validated the decree, so before signing a lease the wording in force is checked with a lawyer.

Who Montgat does not suit

Montgat does not suit anyone looking for a cheap entry to the coast: the average rent is higher than in Badalona, and prices by the promenade reflect that. If budget matters more than the size of the town, the honest course is to compare with Badalona itself; see the article on buying in Badalona.

It also does not suit a noise-sensitive buyer if the flat faces the railway, or someone who needs big stores and a hospital within walking distance. If a flat has already been chosen and a view of the price by deals is needed, DNPI carries out a property valuation.