Investment approach
Sant Martí: ten neighbourhoods, housing types and Incasòl rents
Sant Martí has ten neighbourhoods, and rents between them differ almost twofold: from 13 €/m² in Besòs to 22 €/m² in Diagonal Mar. Which houses stand where and what to check in each type.
Sant Martí is the second most populous district of Barcelona: on 1 January 2026 it had 252,625 residents (Ajuntament, padró, the municipal register) in ten neighbourhoods, from Glòries to the sea and the river Besòs. The spread within the district is large: on new rental contracts in 2025 the rent per metre ranges from 13.16 € in Besòs i el Maresme to 22.39 € in Diagonal Mar (Generalitat, Habitatge). So a buyer chooses a neighbourhood, not a district.
What neighbourhoods Sant Martí consists of
The Ajuntament (city council) identifies ten neighbourhoods in the district (Ajuntament de Barcelona). For a buyer it is convenient to group them by type of development:
- El Clot and Camp de l'Arpa. Traditional city neighbourhoods next to the Eixample: an old core, a market, dense development, everything on foot.
- El Poblenou, Parc i la Llacuna, Provençals. The former industrial belt, where old houses sit next to lofts, offices and new-builds.
- La Vila Olímpica and Diagonal Mar. Development from the end of the 20th century and the start of the 21st by the sea.
- Sant Martí de Provençals, La Verneda i la Pau, Besòs i el Maresme. Residential neighbourhoods from the second half of the 20th century.
The investment view of the district and the asking prices by neighbourhood are given in the piece on Sant Martí and Diagonal Mar. Here the basis is a different source: rental contracts whose deposit has been lodged with Incasòl (the Catalan land institute, where rental deposits are held).
What rents show by neighbourhood
The Generalitat's deposit statistics cover new rental contracts and give a picture of demand neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
| Neighbourhood, year 2025 | Contracts | Average rent per month | Rent per m² per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagonal Mar i el Front Marítim | 208 | 1,732 € | 22.39 € |
| La Vila Olímpica | 168 | 1,613 € | 20.82 € |
| El Poblenou | 601 | 1,190 € | 18.29 € |
| El Parc i la Llacuna | 220 | 1,258 € | 18.21 € |
| Provençals del Poblenou | 335 | 1,115 € | 16.85 € |
| El Camp de l'Arpa del Clot | 751 | 982 € | 15.99 € |
| El Clot | 407 | 966 € | 15.65 € |
| La Verneda i la Pau | 423 | 924 € | 14.17 € |
| Sant Martí de Provençals | 304 | 1,011 € | 13.57 € |
| El Besòs i el Maresme | 257 | 756 € | 13.16 € |
| The whole district | 3,674 | 1,094 € | 16.53 € |
In neighbourhoods with a couple of hundred contracts the average jumps from year to year: in Diagonal Mar the rent per metre in 2024 was 19.63 € and in 2025 22.39 €. It is a guide to demand, not the rent of a specific flat.
What types of housing there are and what to check in each
Each housing type has its own main check.
Traditional houses in El Clot, Camp de l'Arpa and old Poblenou: late 19th and 20th century, small and medium flats, not always a lift. Check the pipes, facade, roof, ITE (technical building inspection) and planned works.
Lofts in former industrial buildings. High ceilings and large spaces. The first thing is to find out whether the property is registered as housing and has a cédula de habitabilidad (habitability certificate): some lofts are registered as offices or production premises. Without a cédula the home cannot be let legally, and a sale comes with reservations; see the article on the cédula de habitabilidad.
Olympic and new development in the Vila Olímpica, Diagonal Mar, on Gran Via and near Glòries: lift, parking, common areas, pool. The main questions are price and monthly fees. When buying from a developer, the article on a developer's new-build will help.
Large residential blocks of 1960–1970 in Verneda, Sant Martí de Provençals and Besòs: flats are often small, the condition of the buildings varies widely, a technical survey is essential.
How to assess transport and neighbouring plots
The connection to the centre differs within the district. Several metro lines pass through Sant Martí, a tram runs along the Diagonal, and Glòries works as a major hub on the border with the Eixample. From the neighbourhoods by the Besòs and from deep inside Verneda the journey to the centre is longer than from El Clot or Poblenou, so routes to work, school and the airport are plotted at rush hour.
The district keeps changing, and an empty plot or an old building opposite may in a few years become an office or an apartment block. That changes light, view and noise. What is planned on neighbouring plots is found out at the Ajuntament before an offer is made. Poblenou as an investment hypothesis is discussed separately in the article on Poblenou.
How to turn rent into yield: a worked calculation
Worked example, not a forecast. Two 70 m² flats, with an assumed price of 6,000 €/m² in Poblenou and 4,000 €/m² in Verneda, both before taxes and refurbishment.
| Indicator | Poblenou | La Verneda i la Pau |
|---|---|---|
| Assumed price | 420,000 € | 280,000 € |
| Rent at the neighbourhood's 2025 average | 70 × 18.29 € = 1,280 € a month | 70 × 14.17 € = 992 € a month |
| Rent per year | 15,360 € | 11,904 € |
| Gross yield on price | about 3.7% | about 4.3% |
The cheaper neighbourhood gives a higher gross yield in this example, but it ignores the condition of the building, community costs, void periods and liquidity on sale. Barcelona is in a tensionada zone (stressed housing market area), so new main-residence contracts have capped rent.
Who Sant Martí does not suit
The district does not suit a buyer who wants to decide "by district": the averages hide a difference of almost twofold between Diagonal Mar and Besòs. Nor does it suit someone who needs an unchanging view and surroundings: in Poblenou and near Glòries the city is still being rebuilt.
If a flat is already chosen, DNPI compares it with closed transactions in the same neighbourhood as part of a property valuation.
Questions and answers
Is Sant Martí a good district to live in?
It depends on the neighbourhood. El Clot and Camp de l'Arpa are traditional city neighbourhoods, Vila Olímpica and Diagonal Mar are new development by the sea, and Verneda and Besòs are residential neighbourhoods of the second half of the 20th century.
How much is rent in Poblenou and Diagonal Mar?
By Incasòl deposits for 2025, the average rent in El Poblenou is 1,190 € a month, 18.29 €/m², and in Diagonal Mar 1,732 €, 22.39 €/m². These are averages for new contracts, not the price of a specific flat.
Can a loft in Poblenou be bought as a home?
Yes, if the property is registered as housing and has a cédula de habitabilidad. Some lofts are registered as offices or production premises, and an abogado (lawyer) and an architect check this before the arras (deposit contract).
Which neighbourhoods make up Sant Martí?
Camp de l'Arpa del Clot, El Clot, Parc i la Llacuna, Vila Olímpica, El Poblenou, Diagonal Mar i el Front Marítim, Besòs i el Maresme, Provençals del Poblenou, Sant Martí de Provençals and La Verneda i la Pau.
Where is rent cheaper in Sant Martí?
For 2025 the rent per metre is lowest in Besòs i el Maresme, Sant Martí de Provençals and La Verneda i la Pau, from 13 to 14 € per m². Buildings where a technical survey matters most are also more common there.
