Salatar
320.000 - 750.000 €Indicative guide pricesDearest of the six priced districts, about a quarter above the municipal figure per square metre. Its rise over the year to July 2026 was almost exactly the town's own.
DearestBeachSteady
20.175
Population
30%
Expat share
3.439 €
Avg €/m²
Updated 2026-08-31How we source our data →
Living in Roses
Roses is a working port town of around twenty thousand people in the Alt Empordà comarca of Girona province, at the northern end of the Costa Brava. The harbour is an economy rather than a backdrop: Ports de la Generalitat records a marina with 561 berths alongside a fishing harbour with commercial quays and a fish market, and references cruise calls. The Generalitat also names Roses among the municipalities affected by regulated activity in the Cap de Creus natural park, whose marine areas cover more than three thousand hectares.
The census counted 20,175 residents at 1 January 2025, with the padron slightly higher at 20,365. About three in ten hold a foreign nationality. The Moroccan community is much the largest, more than a third of all foreign residents, with French nationals next at about an eighth; Romanians, Ukrainians and Italians follow. Nine school centres taught the 2025 to 2026 course, through to batxillerat.
The market sits at the top of its recorded series: Idealista's July 2026 asking price is the highest the portal has recorded for Roses, after a rise of less than a tenth over the year. That makes it dearer per square metre than Lloret de Mar or Salou, close to Tossa de Mar and Empuriabrava, and well below Sitges. Three cautions: fewer than a third of homes are principal residences, there is no railway station, and no hospital assignment is published.
The verdict
Honestly considered, both sides.
The upside is real. So is the downside. Both matter more than any brochure will admit.
The case for
A working port rather than a pure resort
Ports de la Generalitat records a 561-berth marina alongside a fishing harbour with commercial quays and a fish market, and references cruise calls. The harbour is a real economy, not scenery.
Every listed district carries a published price
Idealista prices all six districts: Centre, Els Grecs - Mas Oliva, Nord, Port Esportiu - Puig Rom - Canyelles, Salatar and Santa Margarida. Lloret de Mar, Sitges and Salou each list districts that lack a price; Roses does not.
Cap de Creus protection names Roses directly
The natural park's marine areas cover more than three thousand hectares, and the Generalitat names Roses among the municipalities affected by its regulated activities. The protection of this coastline is documented, not implied.
Schooling runs locally through to batxillerat
Nine distinct centres taught the 2025 to 2026 course, including five primary schools, three secondary schools and three centres offering batxillerat, so schooling to eighteen is available within the municipality.
A large and varied foreign community
About three in ten residents hold a foreign nationality on the census at 1 January 2025. The Moroccan community is the largest by a wide margin, with French, Romanian, Ukrainian, Italian and German groups following.
The case against
No railway station serves the municipality
Adif's own station finder, run with a passing positive control, returns no station in Roses; the two matches for the name are elsewhere in Spain. The regional rail corridor runs inland through Figueres.
No published hospital assignment exists
CatSalut sources place Roses in ABS 189 Roses, sector Girona Nord, regio sanitaria Girona, but no source we found states which hospital is the reference for that area, and we will not guess one.
Second homes heavily outnumber principal residences
At the 2021 census fewer than a third of the municipality's homes were principal residences. With 46 hotels offering around seven thousand places, the built stock leans hard towards visitors and seasonal use.
No climate normals exist for the municipality
No weather station in Roses publishes AEMET climate normals, so this guide carries an empty climate block. We do not borrow a figure from a station in another municipality and present it as local weather.
A buyer today enters at the recorded peak
Idealista's July 2026 figure is the highest in its series for Roses. Idealista also changed its methodology that month, saying comparability was preserved in countries whose historical series required it, without naming Spain.
Editor's note
Where you might be better off elsewhere
Roses suits a buyer who wants a working harbour town with a large foreign community and full district-level price data, and who does not need a railway. Be clear about what it lacks: a station, a published hospital assignment, and a climate table anyone can honestly print. If rail access matters, Sitges and Salou both have stations verified on the operator's own departure boards, Salou's newly opened in June 2025. Sitges also offers what Roses cannot: a published reference hospital, Sant Camil, assigned to its comarca, and a housing stock where about two thirds of homes are principal residences. If Roses' record prices are the obstacle, Lloret de Mar and Salou are cheaper per square metre, though Lloret also lacks a station. If the water itself is the draw, Empuriabrava offers canal-side living with sixteen priced districts of its own, but shares Roses' position on rail and hospitals: no station, and no published assignment. Tossa de Mar is far smaller and slightly dearer per square metre, and it too has neither a station nor a published hospital.
Lifestyle data
Property market
3.439 €
/m²
+7.5% YoY
Updated 2026-08-31
Access
GIRONA AIRPORT
Girona-Costa Brava · GRO
0+ direct routes
Community
30%
expat share
Spanish88%
Arabic10%
French5%
Romanian2%
Roses neighborhoods
Where to live and what to expect at each price point.
Port Esportiu - Puig Rom - Canyelles
310.000 - 730.000 €Indicative guide pricesThe marina district, second dearest of the six priced and about a fifth above the municipal figure per square metre. It rose over the year to July 2026 at a shade above the town's own pace.
MarinaSecond dearestSteady
Santa Margarida
250.000 - 590.000 €Indicative guide pricesThird of the six priced districts and just below the municipal figure per square metre. It was much the slowest riser of the six over the year to July 2026, at a small fraction of the town's pace.
Slowest riserBeachNear average
Els Grecs - Mas Oliva
220.000 - 510.000 €Indicative guide pricesFourth of the six priced districts, at around six sevenths of the municipal figure per square metre, and the fastest riser of them over the year to July 2026, at about half as much again as the town's pace.
Fastest riserResidentialBelow average
Nord
210.000 - 490.000 €Indicative guide pricesFifth of the six priced districts, at about four fifths of the municipal figure per square metre. It rose over the year to July 2026 at rather under the town's own pace.
Below averageResidentialSlow riser
Centre
200.000 - 480.000 €Indicative guide pricesCheapest of the six priced districts, at around four fifths of the municipal figure per square metre. It rose over the year to July 2026 at a little above the town's own pace.
CheapestCentralRising
Roses on the map
Roses FAQ
Honest answers to the questions buyers actually ask.
Does Roses have a railway station?+
No. Adif's station finder, driven with a positive control that correctly returned stations for Figueres, finds no station in Roses; the two matches for the name are Los Rosales in Sevilla province and Mollet Santa Rosa in Barcelona province. The regional rail corridor in Girona runs inland through Figueres. Third-party journey planners show a bus corridor linking Figueres, Empuriabrava and Roses, but we found no primary published timetable, so we cite no frequency or journey time.
Which hospital serves Roses?+
No assignment is published. Roses belongs to ABS 189 Roses, within sector Girona Nord and the regio sanitaria of Girona, both confirmed in CatSalut structural data. The same health area also covers Castelló d'Empúries, including Empuriabrava, so the ABS named after Roses serves more than its own municipality. No source we could find states which hospital is the reference for that area, and we prefer an honest gap to a guessed hospital name.
How do Roses prices compare with other towns on this coast?+
Idealista's July 2026 asking prices put Roses higher per square metre than Lloret de Mar and Salou, close to Tossa de Mar and Empuriabrava, and well below Sitges. Roses' own figure was the highest in its recorded series that month, after growth of less than a tenth over the year. Note that Idealista changed its methodology in July 2026 and says comparability was preserved in those countries whose historical series required it, without naming Spain.
Who lives in Roses?+
The census counted 20,175 residents at 1 January 2025; the padron, a separate operation, put it at 20,365. On the census, about three in ten residents hold a foreign nationality. The Moroccan community is much the largest, more than a third of all foreign residents. French nationals are next, about an eighth, followed by Romanians, Ukrainians, Italians, Germans, Argentines, Colombians, Russians and Venezuelans. Counted by place of birth rather than nationality, the foreign-origin figure is higher still, at 7,360.
Are there schools in Roses?+
Yes. For the 2025 to 2026 course the Generalitat's open education dataset records nine distinct centres in the municipality: three nursery, five infant, five primary, three secondary and three offering batxillerat, with around 1,100 primary pupils and slightly under 1,100 in compulsory secondary. A centre can teach several levels, which is why the level counts exceed nine. Batxillerat is taught locally, so schooling to eighteen does not require leaving the municipality.
What is the climate like in Roses?+
We do not publish a climate table for Roses because no weather station in the municipality publishes AEMET climate normals. An airport or other station series from another municipality is not Roses' climate, however complete it looks. Rather than borrow a figure a reader cannot check against Roses itself, we leave the climate block empty and say why.
Is Roses mostly second homes?+
Largely, yes. At the 2021 census the municipality had 24,743 family homes, of which fewer than a third were principal residences. Among the principal residences, more than a quarter were rented. Add 46 hotels with around seven thousand places, four campsites and two rural tourism lodgings, and the picture is of a housing stock that serves visitors and second-home owners more than year-round residents. Expect the seasonal swings in services and neighbourhood life that follow from that.
What is Cap de Creus, and does it affect Roses?+
Cap de Creus is a natural park whose marine areas cover more than three thousand hectares. In October 2024 the Generalitat announced initial approval of the park's four-year management plan, the PRUG, and named Roses, Cadaqués, Port de la Selva and Llançà in connection with regulated activities. The Generalitat said in October 2024 that the plan could come into force by mid 2025. The park's governing board approved it on 30 May 2025, and the Generalitat said it would begin to apply that summer. Anyone planning marine or coastal activity from Roses should check the current rules directly.
What are the costs of buying property in Roses?+
When buying property in Roses, budget for property transfer tax (ITP) of 10% up to 600.000 € (11% up to 900.000 €, 12% up to 1.500.000 €, 13% above that, each band taxed at its own rate, as with income tax), plus roughly 3-4% in notary, land registry and legal fees. Agency commission is usually paid by the seller. On the mainland and the Balearics, new builds pay VAT (IVA) of 10% plus AJD stamp duty instead of ITP. Transfer tax is set by Cataluña rather than nationally, and reduced rates can apply for main homes and younger buyers.
What are the ongoing costs of owning property in Roses?+
Annual property ownership costs in Roses include IBI (property tax) of 0.4-1.1% of cadastral value, community fees (for apartments), rubbish collection tax (basura), utility bills, and property insurance. Budget approximately 2-4% of property value per year for all running costs. IBI is set by the town hall of Roses within a national band, so it is municipal rather than regional.
What taxes do I pay when selling property in Roses?+
When selling property in Roses, you pay capital gains tax (plusvalía) on the profit at rates of 19-26% depending on the gain amount. Non-residents have 3% of the sale price withheld at completion. You may also pay municipal capital gains tax. Main residence exemptions may apply for residents over 65. Capital gains tax is national, so it is the same in Cataluña as anywhere in Spain. Plusvalia municipal is set by the town hall of Roses and has had two calculation methods since the 2021 reform, so ask your lawyer which one is cheaper for you.
Can I still get a Golden Visa by buying property in Spain?+
No. Spain withdrew the Golden Visa property investment route in April 2025, so buying in Roses no longer leads to residency. Non-EU buyers who want to live in Spain apply for a separate permit instead, most often the non-lucrative visa (proof of income and private health insurance) or the digital nomad visa (remote work for non-Spanish clients). Ask an immigration lawyer which route fits your situation before you buy.
Transfer tax rates as of August 2026. Rates are set per autonomous community and do change. Confirm the current figures with a Spanish lawyer or tax adviser before you budget.
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