What it costs to own a holiday home on the Costa Blanca

The Costa Blanca is an easy place to fall for. The light, the coastline and the pace of life make a second home feel natural. But owning one well means understanding the steady annual cost that sits behind the purchase price. As a broad guide, we find most owners spend somewhere between 1 and 1.5% of the property value each year on taxes, maintenance and running costs. For a 500,000 euro home, that is roughly 5,000 to 7,500 euros a year before any improvements.

The taxes you will pay every year

Three recurring taxes are unavoidable once you own. They are not large individually, but they are reliable, so budget for them from month one.

• IBI, the municipal property tax, is paid to the local town hall. On the Costa Blanca it is commonly 400 to 1,200 euros a year for an apartment and 800 to 2,500 euros a year for a villa, depending on the municipality and the cadastral value.
• Basura, the refuse collection fee, is billed by the town hall and usually runs 100 to 250 euros a year. In places like Jávea, Dénia and Altea it is often collected in one or two instalments.
• Non resident imputed income tax, filed on Modelo 210, applies if you are not a Spanish tax resident. The tax office applies a deemed income of 1.1% or 2% of the cadastral value, then taxes that at 19% for EU and EEA residents and 24% for everyone else. Most holiday home owners see an annual bill of 400 to 1,500 euros.

Running the property month to month

Utilities, outdoor upkeep and insurance make up the bulk of the monthly spend. Villas carry more than apartments, mostly because of pools, gardens and larger floor areas.

• Electricity and water together are typically 120 to 250 euros a month for an apartment, and 200 to 550 euros a month for a villa with a pool and irrigation. Summer air conditioning and winter heating push the upper end higher.
• Pool and garden maintenance together usually cost 150 to 350 euros a month. That covers water testing, filter cleaning, chlorine or salt treatment, lawn care, pruning and irrigation checks.
• Home insurance for a standard Costa Blanca apartment is often 300 to 500 euros a year. For a villa with a pool, outbuildings and higher rebuild value, expect 500 to 900 euros a year.
• Community fees on an urbanisation or apartment block commonly run 600 to 2,400 euros a year, and more where there are lifts, gated access, shared pools and landscaped gardens.
• Alarm monitoring and fibre internet together are typically 70 to 100 euros a month, which matters for a property left empty for stretches of the year.

What a realistic year looks like

Numbers are easier to picture with an example. These are planning ranges, not quotes, and they will move with the size of the home, the municipality and how often it is used.

• Two bedroom apartment in Jávea or Calpe: IBI around 650 euros, basura around 170 euros, community fees 1,200 euros, insurance 400 euros, utilities 2,000 euros and non resident tax 400 euros. Total roughly 4,800 euros a year.
• Three bedroom villa with a pool near Dénia or Moraira: IBI around 1,200 euros, basura 200 euros, pool and garden 2,400 euros, insurance 700 euros, utilities 3,600 euros, alarm and internet 900 euros, non resident tax 900 euros and a small contingency of 1,000 euros. Total roughly 10,900 euros a year.

The costs that catch owners out

The most common surprises are not the large scheduled bills. They are the small items that build up when a property is left unattended: a leaking irrigation valve, air conditioning filters clogged after a hot summer, a pool pump running inefficiently, or a small repair that becomes urgent because no one noticed it early. A local eye saves money here, because problems are caught before they multiply.

How we help

We act as the local representative for owners who are not always in Spain. That means coordinating the annual tax calendar, comparing utility and insurance renewals, keeping pool and garden teams on schedule, and sending you plain updates with photographs. You keep full control of your property; we make sure nothing is forgotten while you are away. Tax rules and municipal charges change, so treat these figures as a planning guide and confirm them with your legal and tax advisers.