How much does it cost to maintain a second home on the Costa Brava per year?
A second home on the Costa Brava costs, on average, between €3,500 and €5,000 per year if it is an apartment with a communal pool, and between €7,000 and €10,000 if it is a house with a garden and private pool, not including the mortgage. The figure comes from adding the IBI, the garbage tax, the community, insurance, minimum supplies, the imputation of income to the IRPF and maintenance. In this guide we break it down for you with data from 2026 for Sant Feliu de Guíxols and Sant Antoni de Calonge, so that you can decide with peace of mind what you want to do with yours: enjoy it, rent it or sell it.
Why does a closed house also cost money?
Because almost all the expenses of a home do not depend on whether you live in it. The IBI, the garbage tax, the community fee and the insurance are paid the same 365 days a year. Water and electricity have a fixed part that arrives even if you do not turn on any light or tap. And the Tax Office considers that an empty home generates income for you, and taxes it.
On the Costa Brava, where more than half of the homes in many municipalities are second homes, this question is asked by thousands of families every autumn, when they close their house until Easter.
What are the fixed expenses of a second home in Sant Feliu de Guíxols or Sant Antoni de Calonge?
IBI . It is the largest item and depends on the cadastral value and the rate set by each town council. In Sant Feliu de Guíxols the urban rate is 1.07% and the Town Council has frozen it for 2026 ( Ràdio Capital, 26/9/2025 ); the average receipt in the municipality is around €540. In Calonge and Sant Antoni the rate rises to 1.18% in 2026 ( Ràdio Capital, 31/10/2025 ). For an apartment with a cadastral value of €70,000, it is around €826 per year in Sant Antoni and around €750 in Sant Feliu.
Garbage tax . It has risen everywhere due to the obligation to finance the entire waste service. In Calonge and Sant Antoni it has been around €295 per home in 2026. In Sant Feliu de Guíxols the rate is frozen compared to 2025, after two consecutive increases; it is between €250 and €300.
Community of owners . In a block with a swimming pool, garden and lift, the fee is usually between €1,000 and €1,800 per year; the community pool alone costs the community between €120 and €500 per month. The amounts vary depending on the size of the community.
Home insurance . Between €200 and €350 per year for a well-insured coastal apartment; a house with a swimming pool and garden, between €300 and €500. It is advisable that the policy explicitly covers periods of unoccupied property.
How much do you pay for electricity and water in a house where no one lives?
More than it seems. From January 1, 2026, the fixed power term of the domestic tariff is €28.43 per kW and year ( CNMC, BOE-A-2025-26348 ): with 4.6kW contracted, you pay between €175 and €195 per year without turning anything on, and between €250 and €350 if you add the fridge and standby appliances. With 5.75kW and a water purifier, between €450 and €600.
Water also has a fixed fee, and the Aigua de la Generalitat charges a minimum of 6m³ per subscriber and month even if you don't use a single one ( ACA ). Count between €150 and €250 for an apartment and between €300 and €450 for a house with a garden and swimming pool, which also replenishes water in the summer.
Does the tax office charge for an empty house?
Yes. If you are a resident of Spain, your second home generates imputed income that is declared in your personal income tax: 2% of the cadastral value, or 1.1% if the municipality has revised the cadastral values since 2012 ( AEAT, 20/3/2026 ). Sant Feliu de Guíxols revised the cadastre in 1990 and Calonge in 1996, so 2% is applied here. With a cadastral value of €70,000, that's €1,400 of imputed income and, at a marginal rate of 30%, around €420 in tax each year.
If you are a non-resident, the same imputed income is taxed at 19% if you live in the European Union and at 24% if you live outside (United Kingdom or Switzerland, for example), with form 210: about €266 or €336 per year in the same example ( AEAT, example of imputed income ).
How much does it cost to maintain a house with a garden and swimming pool?
It is what separates an apartment from a house the most. A private swimming pool costs between €600 and €1,200 a year between chemicals, electricity from the sewage treatment plant, cleaning and repairs. A 100-200m² garden with a gardener, around €200 a month with full service, between €1,200 and €2,400 a year depending on the frequency. An alarm connected to a central station, between €560 and €590 a year. And you need to set aside a fund for small repairs: the real estate association itself allocates €1,500 a year in its calculation.
If the building is over 45 years old, add the technical inspection (ITE), mandatory in Catalonia and valid for ten years: between €130 and €280 per owner in a building of ten homes, one-time only
The annual cost, case by case
| Game | 80 m² apartment with communal pool in Sant Antoni de Calonge | 150 m² house with garden and private pool in Sant Feliu de Guíxols |
|---|---|---|
| IBI | €826 (cadastral value €70,000) | €1,070 (cadastral value €100,000) |
| Garbage | €295 | 250-300€ |
| Community | €1,000-1,800 | 0-400€ |
| Insurance | 200-300€ | €300-450 |
| Light | 250-350€ | 450-600€ |
| Water | 150-250€ | €300-450 |
| Income imputation (resident, 30%) | €420 | €600 |
| Private pool | — | €600-1,200 |
| Garden | — | €1,200-2,400 |
| Alarm and reviews | — | 660-790€ |
| Maintenance and repairs | €500-800 | €1,000-1,500 |
| Indicative total | €3,700-4,900 per year | €6,800-10,200 per year |
*These are indicative figures with estimated cadastral values; your IBI and community fee receipt will give you the exact figure in five minutes.
Is it worth it, or is it better to rent it or sell it?
It depends on how you use it and what it's worth today. Two facts to think about. The first: eight weeks of holiday rental on the Costa Brava generated around €14,000 gross this summer, more than a whole year of residential rental in Girona ( pisos.com via Infobae, 8/18/2026 ): if you don't go there in the summer, renting it can cover the entire annual cost, as long as the home has a tourist license.
The second: prices have reached their highest levels. Sant Feliu de Guíxols is at €3,315/m² (6.9% in one year) and Sant Antoni de Calonge at €4,000/m² (15.4%), according to idealista, September 2026. If the house has become an obligation rather than an enjoyment, it is a good time to find out what it is worth.
How we help you at Helena Jornet Finques
We are here to listen to you. If you want to maintain your home, our second home and concierge service will take care of it while you are away: surveillance, cleaning, garden, pool and repairs. If you want it to give you a return, we manage the holiday rental and rental administration from start to finish. And if you are thinking of selling, we know the value of your property because the Costa Brava is our home: we tell you what it is worth and how we would sell it in a no-obligation valuation visit .
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to keep an empty apartment in Spain in 2026?
About €5,000 per year on average for a flat in a city, according to the AEFI estimate of October 2026; on the Costa Brava, an apartment with a communal pool is between €3,500 and €5,000 and a house with a garden and pool between €7,000 and €10,000.
Do I have to declare my second home if I don't rent it?
Yes. Residents declare to the IRPF an imputed income of 2% of the cadastral value (1.1% in municipalities with a revised cadastre since 2012); non-residents declare it with form 210 at 19% or 24%.
What IBI is paid in Sant Feliu de Guíxols and Sant Antoni de Calonge?
The rate is 1.07% of the cadastral value in Sant Feliu de Guíxols (frozen in 2026) and 1.18% in Calonge and Sant Antoni (2026). The average receipt in Sant Feliu is around €540.
Does renting a second home in the summer cover expenses?
On the Costa Brava, eight weeks of holiday rental generated around €14,000 gross in 2026, more than the annual cost of most apartments. You need to have a tourist license and deduct management, cleaning and taxes.
We've explained what it costs to maintain your second home, but every home is different. If you have any questions, contact us: we believe that a meeting or a visit is the best way to listen to your needs and be able to help you . Contact us.
Sources cited in the text. Data consulted on October 14, 2026.