Why Lloseta is currently the cheapest address for apartment buyers on Mallorca — and what that means for the island

Why Lloseta is currently the cheapest address for apartment buyers on Mallorca — and what that means for the island

Guiding question: Is the low price per square metre in Lloseta a genuine opportunity for locals — or just a momentary phenomenon in an overheated market?

In the square in front of the church in Lloseta, when the bells ring at midday and the bakery on Carrer Major is taking fragrant ensaimadas out of the oven, the municipality feels like a quiet refuge away from the coast. Right here, in the island's interior, real estate analyses currently record the lowest average price for existing apartments on Mallorca: about €2,330 per square metre. For comparison: the average in the Balearics is now over €5,100 per square metre — a discrepancy that raises questions, as discussed in Balearic Islands in the Price Squeeze: Who Can Still Afford Mallorca?.

Why is Lloseta so much cheaper? A few local observations clarify the picture. The connection to Palma is less attractive than for coastal towns, demand from holiday renters is lower, and many buildings are older stock that would need modernisation. At the same time, the promenades and hotels that push coastal prices up are absent. All this dampens demand — and therefore prices.

But comparison with mainland Spain shows that "cheap" is relative. In some Spanish municipalities, apartments cost well under €550 per square metre. On Mallorca, the seemingly low Lloseta price therefore does not automatically mean easy access to home ownership for all island residents.

Critical analysis: Behind the figures hide several questions that rarely surface in the public debate. Who is buying in Lloseta? Are they young families from the municipality, commuters to Palma, or investors hoping for capital gains? Recent reporting explains why so much property buying in Mallorca is paid in cash — and what that means for the island. How many of the inexpensive existing apartments require renovation and are thus not immediately habitable for average earners? And not least: how do tax rules and short-term rentals change the supply of long-term available housing?

What is missing in the debate: concrete data on vacancy, ownership structures and conversions into holiday flats. Official statistics, municipal development plans and information on the social housing quota are often patchy or hard to access, a problem highlighted in Buying and Renting in Mallorca: Why Prices Are Pushing Locals to the Edge — and What Could Help Now. Without this information it remains unclear whether lower prices like in Lloseta are sustainable relief or just a snapshot until the next wave of buyers arrives, particularly given shifts in purchaser nationality reported in Fewer Foreign Buyers — Mallorca between Price Boom and a Breather.

An everyday scene: early in the morning at the bus station in Inca, workers with toolboxes board the bus; they pay rent in towns like Lloseta because monthly rents on the coast are unaffordable. A young teacher says she has been commuting for a year — the apartment in Lloseta is affordable, but the commute costs time and money. Such stories show that a low purchase price does not automatically equal quality of life locally.

Concrete approaches for Mallorca — no panaceas, but pragmatic steps:

- Establish municipal and Balearic grant programmes specifically for inner-town renovations so that affordable existing apartments become habitable.
- Set a social housing quota for new developments (e.g. a mandatory share of affordable units), combined with incentives for private developers.
- Consider tax measures: vacancy taxes or higher levies on pure holiday rentals to stabilise supply for long-term rentals.
- Support cooperative housing projects and housing cooperatives that create long-term affordable housing.
- Improve public transport and infrastructure to the island interior — better bus links, ride‑sharing networks — so commuting becomes more realistic and attractive.

These measures require time and political will, but also local hands-on projects: municipalities could register vacant buildings and attract new residents with modest grants for initial renovation. At the same time, transparency in real estate data is needed: only when information on ownership, holiday rentals and vacancy is open can effective rules be designed.

Conclusion: Lloseta is currently the cheapest municipality on Mallorca for apartment buyers — a fact that raises hopes. But it alone does not solve the island's housing problem. It would be truly useful if this price difference prompted policy action: targeted renovation, clear rules against misuse and improved infrastructure. Otherwise Lloseta remains a single spot on the map where you can buy cheaply — but not necessarily live well in the long term.