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€3,568
Avg €/m²
Updated 31 Aug 2026How we source our data →

Living in Empuriabrava

Empuriabrava was built as a residential marina, and twenty-three kilometres of navigable canals run through it. The plan was approved in June 1967, the first phase passed to municipal administration in 1974 and the transfer was accepted in 1980, and the municipality has had two distinct hubs ever since: the historic centre of Castello d'Empuries, and this.

The register counted 7,925 residents in the settlement itself at 1 January 2025, in a municipality of 12,201 on that same operation. Across the municipality, close to nine residents in twenty hold a foreign nationality on a separate census count at the same date, the largest group Moroccan and the second French. Fewer than three in ten of the municipality's dwellings are principal residences.

The price index has the relationship the wrong way round, and it matters more than it sounds. Empuriabrava carries a municipality-level page of its own with seventeen districts listed and sixteen priced, while Castello d'Empuries, the municipality that actually contains it, has a district selector holding nothing but a placeholder and does not list Empuriabrava among its own areas at all. The settlement asks close to twice per square metre what the municipality does, and across the sixteen districts the dearest stands at over twice the cheapest.

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

  • Twenty-three kilometres of navigable canals

    The town hall states the figure and dates the plan's approval to 26 June 1967. No mooring count, water surface area or canal depth is published on that page, so this guide gives none of them.

  • The settlement is indexed in its own right

    Empuriabrava has a municipality-level page of its own in the July 2026 report, with seventeen districts listed and sixteen carrying a price. Its parent municipality has no districts in that index at all, so the finer detail sits with the settlement.

  • Sixteen priced districts to compare

    Segre, Ebre and Ter is the dearest and Puigmal and Mas Nou the cheapest, and the range between them is over two to one. That spread is what makes buying by district rather than by settlement average worth the effort.

  • A high share of foreign nationals

    Close to nine residents in twenty across the municipality held a foreign nationality on the census at 1 January 2025, against about two in five at Lloret de Mar and a third at Salou.

  • The settlement is at its own series high

    The July 2026 reading for Empuriabrava is the highest in its own published series, up on a year earlier. The municipality's figure, by contrast, sits below a peak it set in July 2011.

The case against

  • No railway station in the settlement or municipality

    The operator's own station finder returns nothing for Empuriabrava or for the municipality bounded to Girona province, and a control term run first returned two stations, so the zero is an absence rather than a failed search.

  • No reference hospital is published for the municipality

    The municipality sits in the Roses basic health area, the Girona Nord sector and the Girona health region, all recorded in CatSalut's own registers. The step from municipality to hospital is the one that is missing, so this guide names none.

  • Two priced districts fell over the year

    Requesens, and the Muga, Gran Reserva and Badia district, both recorded a decline to July 2026, checked row by row across the fifteen districts that carry an annual figure. One further district carries a price but no published annual change.

  • Fewer than three in ten dwellings are principal residences

    On the 2021 census the municipality held 16,363 family dwellings of which 4,660 were principal residences. That is a lower share than Roses or Tossa de Mar, and it is the number to weigh if you want neighbours in February.

  • Everything below the price index is the municipality's

    Population by nationality, schools, health areas and dwellings are all published for Castello d'Empuries and not split by settlement. What exists for Empuriabrava on its own is the price index, a headcount and a split by sex.

Editor's note

Where you might be better off elsewhere

Empuriabrava suits a buyer who wants the canal frontage and understands that they are buying into a settlement rather than a town. The upside is that the price index gives this place more detail than its own municipality gets, sixteen priced districts with a range of over two to one between them, so the work of choosing well can actually be done. The downside is everything else: no railway station, no published reference hospital, no nationality or school figures below municipality level, and fewer than three in ten dwellings occupied year-round. If you want the town rather than the marina, Castello d'Empuries is the historic centre of the same municipality and is indexed separately at a much lower figure. Roses is a port town and a municipality in its own right, though it has no railway station either. Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar are both on this coast with a smaller foreign-national share and a higher proportion of dwellings lived in year-round. Figueres is where the control search returned stations, and it is inland.

Empuriabrava on the map

Lifestyle data

Property market

€3,568
/m²
+8.5% year on year

Updated 31 Aug 2026

Access

GIRONA AIRPORT
Girona-Costa Brava · GRO
0+ direct routes

Empuriabrava neighborhoods

Where to live and what to expect at each price point.

Canal-side housing in the Segre and Ebre area of Empuriabrava

Segre - Ebre - Ter

470.000 - 1.130.000 €Indicative guide prices

It is priced above the municipal asking figure.

Canal-side
Housing in the Cap Ras area of Empuriabrava

Cap Ras - Creus - Falconera

360.000 - 880.000 €Indicative guide prices

It is priced above the municipal asking figure.

Canal-side
Canal-side houses in the Tordera and Fluvià area of Empuriabrava

Tordera - Fluvià - Llobregat

360.000 - 870.000 €Indicative guide prices

It is rising faster than the municipality over the year.

Canal-side
Housing in the Francolí and Freser area of Empuriabrava

Francolí - Freser - Noguera

350.000 - 850.000 €Indicative guide prices

Asking prices are above the settlement figure. Annual price movement was slower than in the settlement as a whole.

Canal-side
Moorings and housing in the Port Grec area of Empuriabrava

Port Grec - Port Moxó

300.000 - 740.000 €Indicative guide prices

Asking prices are above the settlement figure. Annual price movement was flat, while prices rose in the settlement as a whole.

Marina
Moorings in the Port Alegre area of Empuriabrava

Port Banyuls - Port Alegre - Port Empordà

300.000 - 720.000 €Indicative guide prices

It is rising faster than the municipality over the year.

Marina
Canal-side housing in the Salins area of Empuriabrava

Salins - Cavall de Mar

290.000 - 700.000 €Indicative guide prices

Asking prices are close to the municipal figure. Annual movement was similar compared with the municipality.

Canal-side
Housing in the Moxó and Sant Mori area of Empuriabrava

Moxó - Sant Mori

290.000 - 700.000 €Indicative guide prices

Asking prices are close to the municipal figure. Annual movement was faster than the municipality.

Canal-side
Residential streets in the Carlit and Montseny area of Empuriabrava

Carlit - Montseny

290.000 - 700.000 €Indicative guide prices

Asking prices are close to the municipal figure. Annual movement was faster than the municipality.

Residential
Houses in the Requesens area of Empuriabrava

Requesens

270.000 - 650.000 €Indicative guide prices

It is rising more slowly than the municipality over the year.

Residential
Housing in the Alberes area of Empuriabrava

Alberes

270.000 - 650.000 €Indicative guide prices

It is rising faster than the municipality over the year.

Residential
Canal-side housing in the Muga and Gran Reserva area of Empuriabrava

Muga - Gran Reserva - Badia

260.000 - 640.000 €Indicative guide prices

It is falling over the year while the municipality rose.

Canal-side
Housing in the Peni district of Empuriabrava

Peni

250.000 - 610.000 €Indicative guide prices

Asking prices are below the municipal figure.

Residential
Housing in the Montgrí area of Empuriabrava

Montgrí

230.000 - 550.000 €Indicative guide prices

Asking prices are below the municipal figure. Annual movement was flat compared with the municipality.

Residential
Streets in the Sant Maurici area of Empuriabrava

Sant Maurici

210.000 - 520.000 €Indicative guide prices

Asking prices are below the municipal figure. Annual movement was slower compared with the municipality.

Residential
Houses in the Puigmal and Mas Nou area of Empuriabrava

Puigmal - Mas Nou

210.000 - 510.000 €Indicative guide prices

It is priced below the municipal asking figure.

Residential

Empuriabrava FAQ

Honest answers to the questions buyers actually ask.

Is Empuriabrava the same thing as Castello d'Empuries?+
It is a settlement inside that municipality, and the two are not interchangeable. The town hall itself describes the municipality as having two distinct hubs, the historic centre and this residential marina. Almost everything official is published for the municipality: population by nationality, schools, health areas, dwellings. The price index is the exception, and it runs the other way, giving the settlement far more detail than the municipality.
Why are there two different prices for this place?+
Because the index treats the settlement and the municipality as separate entries, and they are far apart. Empuriabrava asks close to twice per square metre what Castello d'Empuries does on the July 2026 report. They are also moving differently: the settlement's reading is the highest in its own series, while the municipality sits below a peak set in July 2011. Both are asking prices rather than agreed sale prices.
Which part of Empuriabrava should I be looking at?+
That is the question the data can actually help with here, because sixteen of the seventeen listed districts carry a price. Segre, Ebre and Ter is the dearest and Puigmal and Mas Nou the cheapest, with the range between them over two to one. Two of the fifteen districts with a published annual change fell over the year to July 2026: Requesens, and the Muga, Gran Reserva and Badia district. One district, Carmenco, is listed with no price at all.
How many people actually live here?+
The settlement's own register put it at 7,925 at 1 January 2025, and the municipality at 12,201 on the same operation. A separate census operation gives the municipality 12,275 at the same date, and the two do not agree. We keep them apart deliberately: dividing a settlement figure from one operation into a municipal count from another would produce a share nobody published.
How international is it?+
Very, on the municipal figures. Close to nine residents in twenty held a foreign nationality on the census at 1 January 2025, a higher share than Lloret de Mar or Salou. Moroccan nationals are the largest single group at more than a quarter of the foreign population, then French, German, Romanian and Russian. No breakdown by nationality exists at settlement level, so those are the municipality's figures.
Is there a train?+
No, and this one was checked carefully rather than assumed. The operator's station finder returns nothing for Empuriabrava and nothing for the municipality when the search is bounded to Girona province. A control term was run first and returned two stations, which is what makes those zeros an operator-side absence rather than a search that failed. We publish no distances to stations elsewhere.
What about schools?+
The municipality has five distinct centres across all levels on the 2025/26 register, and one of them offers batxillerat, which is the fact a family with teenagers needs. The register counts by teaching level rather than by centre, so a school offering both infant and primary years appears twice; adding the level columns would invent schools that do not exist. Nothing is published at settlement level.
What is it like out of season?+
The dwelling figures are the closest thing to an answer we can source. On the 2021 census the municipality held 16,363 family dwellings and 4,660 principal residences, so fewer than three in ten are lived in year-round, a lower share than at Roses or Tossa de Mar. Campsite places also outnumber hotel places here by more than nine to one, whereas at Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar hotel places outnumber campsite places.
What are the costs of buying property in Empuriabrava?+
When buying property in Empuriabrava, 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, progressive bands determine the average rate applied to the taxable base) [ATC: https://atc.gencat.cat/es/tributs/itpajd/tpo/tarifes-tipus/], 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 Empuriabrava?+
Annual property ownership costs in Empuriabrava 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 Castelló d'Empúries within a national band, so it is municipal rather than regional.
What taxes do I pay when selling property in Empuriabrava?+
When selling property in Empuriabrava, 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 Castelló d'Empúries 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 Empuriabrava 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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