For some people in Spain, getting to work, taking children where they need to go or reaching essential services comes with a bill they cannot easily escape. The average household now spends €4,020 a year on transport, and cutting back is not always an option when daily life depends on being able to get from A to B.

The figure is up from €3,158 in 2015, an increase of €862 over a decade. Transport accounts for 11.5% of household spending, according to a report by EAE Business School published on Thursday, October 15. Its findings highlight the growing problem of transport poverty, where people cannot afford to travel or lack access to reliable public transport, making it harder to reach work and essential services.

Where you live can determine how much you pay

The biggest divide is between people who have several ways to travel and those who depend on a car. In municipalities with fewer than 10,000 residents, 73.5% of people rely primarily on cars, compared with 29.6% in larger towns and cities. Public transport shows the opposite pattern. In the most populated municipalities, 48.8% of residents use it as their main means of getting around. In smaller municipalities, the figure falls to just 10.9%, according to the EAE report.

For people living in areas with limited bus or rail connections, owning a car can be a necessity rather than a choice. Fuel, insurance, maintenance and other running costs are difficult to avoid when there is no practical alternative for getting to work, shopping or appointments. That leaves some people with an awkward choice: absorb the expense or travel less. Spending less on transport does not necessarily mean someone is better off. It may mean turning down work, missing appointments or giving up journeys they need to make.

A cheaper home can mean a more expensive commute

Housing decisions can add to the problem. A property outside a town or city may cost less to rent or buy, but the saving can shrink when the journey to work requires a car every day. The report warns that poor transport connections can make a job financially inaccessible even when the salary looks attractive. Distance and the available transport options matter alongside income when calculating whether taking a job is worthwhile.

This can leave people with fewer choices about where they live and work. Someone may spend less on housing but more on getting to employment, while a person without reliable transport may struggle to reach jobs in the first place. Miguel Ángel López Gómez, an EAE Business School professor and author of the report, argues that transport should be seen not simply as another household expense, but as the price people pay to reach work, services and opportunities.

Transport costs can also push up prices

The impact does not stop at household budgets. Spain relies heavily on road transport to move goods, and the report puts road freight activity at 272 billion tonne-kilometres, around 15% of the EU total. Food, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, retail, distribution and tourism all depend on goods being moved around the country.

When transport and logistics become more expensive, businesses can face higher operating costs, which may feed through into the prices customers pay. The pressure can therefore reach people who are not making long commutes as well as those who rely on a car every day.

Transport costs put jobs and essential services out of reach

The cost of getting around leaves people in poorly connected areas with fewer options. Those who can rely on public transport have an alternative to paying for a car, while others face the expense of fuel, insurance and maintenance simply to get to work or reach essential services. For people on lower incomes, those costs can make everyday journeys harder to afford and job opportunities more difficult to access.

EAE calls for better mobility alternatives, particularly for people on lower incomes, those travelling longer distances and households heavily dependent on private vehicles. The figures suggest that access to transport is about more than the cost of a journey: it can determine which jobs people can accept, which services they can reach and how much choice they have over where to live.

Visitors to Mijas Pueblo have long met its working donkeys on the village streets. Now, those animals are a step closer to a quiet sanctuary as Mijas Town Hall has received the project plans for ‘El Burrito’, a recreational park to be built on the village’s Vial Sur.

Room for up to 48 donkeys

Up to 48 animals will have a home here, in a space fully adapted to their needs. Adult donkeys needing time to recover will also be welcome before they are moved to new homes. Plans cover two separate areas: a refuge for the animals’ care, and a visitor centre dedicated to the donkey, one of Mijas’ best-known attractions.

Welfare is front and centre of the design. The refuge will have grazing areas, stables, quarantine pens, veterinary shelters and handling zones, plus paths, fencing and waste facilities.

Beds in the stables will be renewable and absorbent, so the animals will not have to lie directly on concrete, much gentler on their joints and hooves. The Town Hall has also required compartments big enough for the donkeys to walk in, turn around, move freely and lie down. Each stable will have a drinking trough, lighting and fixing rings to make cleaning and maintenance easier.

Buildings will follow the lie of the land, using timber, planted roofs and earthy colours so they fit into the landscape. Natural ventilation and drainage-friendly flooring are also included.

Extra care for donkeys who need it

A veterinary shelter, larger than the ordinary stables, will look after animals needing observation, rest or special treatment. It will make life easier for the staff and allow care tailored to each animal’s needs.

Anyone interested will also be able to learn about the donkeys too. An existing building will be renovated as a cultural and educational interpretation centre, doubling as the visitor reception. It will explain the donkeys’ characteristics and their place in Mijas’ identity.

Donkeys became famous here through the ‘burro-taxi’, the village’s tradition of donkey rides in the early 1960s, when workers riding home were asked by visitors for photos and rides, the council’s tourism website currently lists 60 burro-taxis still work in the service today.

For even more information on the project, you can see our earlier report on the El Burrito donkey sanctuary here by EWN.

Estate agents report more than 1,500 rental contracts have been put on hold as property owners reconsider their plans following the Government’s latest housing decrees.

A total of 4,235 homes have been withdrawn from Spain’s long-term rental market or redirected towards other uses in just ten days, according to the Federation of Real Estate Associations (FAI).

The figures, gathered from more than 600 estate agencies, point to an immediate reaction among property owners following the announcement of the Government’s latest housing measures. The federation says 88.9 per cent of the agencies surveyed have detected changes in second homeowners’ behaviour.

FAI’s findings also suggest that the disruption extends beyond properties being advertised. A further 1,523 rental contracts have reportedly been delayed or put on hold, leaving prospective tenants waiting to find out whether their agreements will go ahead.

Where have the 4,235 homes gone?

The federation’s survey breaks down the changes reported by estate agents over the ten-day period.

• 2,067 homes were withdrawn directly from the long-term rental market.
• 1,224 properties were redirected towards the sales market.
• 944 homes were switched to seasonal rentals or room-by-room lets.
• 1,523 rental contracts were reportedly blocked or delayed.

The 4,235-property figure combines homes withdrawn from ordinary residential renting with those moved into other uses. It does not mean that all these homes have been left empty or removed permanently from the housing stock.

FAI says the changes have been particularly noticeable among small property owners, some of whom are reconsidering whether to offer their homes under long-term rental agreements.

The survey also found that 72.4 per cent of agencies had experienced delayed or suspended rental contracts. Meanwhile, 56.6 per cent reported owners putting properties up for sale instead of renting them, while 38.9 per cent had seen homes redirected towards seasonal or room rentals.

Rental activity could fall by up to 30 per cent?

FAI warns that the number of completed rental transactions could fall by between 25 and 30 per cent in the coming weeks. That is a forecast from the federation, rather than a confirmed fall in completed rentals. It is based on the combination of properties leaving the long-term market and agreements that have been delayed or suspended.

The association attributes the changes to uncertainty following the Government’s housing decrees, which include measures affecting rental contracts and protections for tenants.

The decrees were rejected by Congress but the Government has sought to revive them through the parliamentary process. The resulting uncertainty has become a concern for property owners and investors trying to assess the rules that will apply to rental homes.

FAI president José María Alfaro has acknowledged the difficulties tenants face in accessing housing and the financial pressure caused by high rents. However, he argues that the measures have also raised concerns among small landlords about protection against unpaid rent and the procedures involved in recovering a property. The survey records what estate agents say they have observed; it does not establish that the decrees alone caused every property owner’s decision.

Investors are also becoming more cautious

The concerns extend beyond individual landlords. A report published by Cinco Días on October 13 said property investors were becoming more cautious following the housing measures and the announcement of a general election for November 29.

The report said some residential investment transactions were being reviewed or potentially delayed. One major transaction under consideration involves a portfolio of around 1,900 rental homes owned by Greystar and Vía Célere, valued at approximately €530 million. The potential buyer was expected to wait for greater political clarity before proceeding, according to the report. The transaction has not been confirmed as cancelled.

Spain was still on course for a record year in overall property investment, but industry experts warned that prolonged uncertainty could have a greater effect on future investment decisions, particularly projects involving homes intended for long-term rental.

What happens next?

The immediate question is whether the changes reported by estate agents will be reflected in wider rental-market statistics over the coming months. Idealista’s figures published on October 15 show that competition for advertised rental properties was already intense, with an average of 43 people per listing bidding for the same home during the third quarter of 2026, up 16 per cent on a year earlier.

If fewer homes are offered for long-term rent while demand remains strong, tenants could face even less choice. However, the latest FAI survey does not establish how many of the reported withdrawals will be permanent, nor how the changes will affect rents nationally.

For people looking for a home, the figures provide another reason to monitor local availability closely. For the property sector, the coming weeks should show whether the reported disruption is temporary or signals a more lasting change in landlords’ willingness to offer long-term rentals.