Buying in Mijas: prices by neighbourhood, yield and holiday letting in 2026
Mijas is the cheapest of the seven towns we document on the Costa del Sol, and the one with the best rental yield. That is no accident, and it is not unconditional good news either: in Mijas, what decides your holiday-let project is not the town hall, it is the property itself. Here is why, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, with the figures for August 2026.
There is not one Mijas, there are three
This is the first thing to understand, and the one that comparisons forget. Mijas runs from the mountains to the sea over almost 150 km², and its three parts have neither the same prices, nor the same buyers, nor the same use.
- Mijas Pueblo, the white village 430 metres above sea level: €3,570/m². It is the postcard, and also the neighbourhood rising most slowly: +2.6% in one year, against +8.9% for the town. A market for homes and love-at-first-sight purchases, not for yield.
- Las Lagunas, the real town, right next to Fuengirola: €3,323/m², the cheapest neighbourhood in the municipality. People live and work here all year and the shops are open in January. This is where the best yield is.
- The coast : La Cala de Mijas, Calahonda, Riviera del Sol, El Chaparral and Calaburra, from €3,482 to €4,593/m². This is the Mijas of holidaymakers and golfers, the one that lets by the season and empties in winter.
Buying “in Mijas” without choosing between these three is buying blind. Prices range from €2,943 to €4,593/m², more than half as much again, within the same town.
Prices by neighbourhood, August 2026
| Neighbourhood | €/m² | Over one year |
|---|---|---|
| La Cala de Mijas | 4,593 | +10.7% |
| Calaburra – Chaparral | 4,490 | +8.4% |
| Valtocado – La Alquería – La Atalaya | 3,879 | +10.8% |
| Sitio de Calahonda | 3,766 | +7.9% |
| Hipódromo – Cerrado del Águila | 3,652 | +17.1% |
| Mijas Pueblo | 3,570 | +2.6% |
| La Cala Golf – Lagar Martell | 3,550 | +1.8% |
| Riviera del Sol | 3,482 | +16.1% |
| Las Lagunas | 3,323 | +8.0% |
| Mijas Golf | 3,094 | +6.1% |
| Campo de Mijas | 2,943 | +18.5% |
What this table shows. The three biggest rises of the year are in the three cheapest or most outlying neighbourhoods: Campo de Mijas (+18.5%), Hipódromo – Cerrado del Águila (+17.1%) and Riviera del Sol (+16.1%). Meanwhile, the established top end, Mijas Pueblo and La Cala Golf, has barely moved. The market is catching up from below. It is a classic late-cycle pattern: when the core becomes too expensive, demand moves to the outskirts.
Yield: where the money really is
Idealista publishes an average rent for only three Mijas neighbourhoods. That is not much, but it is enough to see the essentials, and what it shows runs against intuition.
| Neighbourhood | Purchase €/m² | Rent €/m²/month | Over one year | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Lagunas | 3,323 | 16.9 | +11.5% | 6.1% |
| Sitio de Calahonda | 3,766 | 16.6 | −3.5% | 5.3% |
| Calaburra – Chaparral | 4,490 | 18.3 | +1.7% | 4.9% |
| Town average | 3,711 | 16.5 | +4.0% | 5.3% |
Gross yield = annual rent per m² ÷ purchase price per m². It does not deduct community fees, IBI, insurance, empty periods or commissions. Your net yield will be lower.
Las Lagunas comes out at 6.1% gross, the best yield of the seven towns we document on the Costa del Sol. And it is not a quirk of the maths: it is the only Mijas neighbourhood where rents are rising faster than purchase prices (+11.5% against +8.0%). In other words, rental demand there is tighter than buying demand.
The reason is simple and rarely stated: Las Lagunas is not a beach resort, it is a town. Homes are let all year to people who work in Fuengirola and Mijas Costa. It is not glamorous and there is no sea view, and that is exactly why it pays: no off-season, no cleaning between stays, no platform commission.
By contrast, Calaburra – Chaparral has the highest rent in the town (€18.3) and the lowest yield (4.9%): you pay for the quality of the location when you buy, and tenants do not follow in the same proportion. It is the rule we see all along this coast: prestige is paid for at purchase, and it does not come back at the same pace in rent.
Holiday letting in Mijas: the town hall does not block it, the decree decides
This is where Mijas clearly differs from Málaga city, and even from Benalmádena.
We have not identified any municipal moratorium in Mijas in the public sources consulted on 9 September 2026. Historically, the town even did the opposite of the others: in 2016 it introduced a documento administrativo urbanístico , a municipal certificate replacing a missing first-occupation licence, precisely so that owners could register their property in the Andalusian tourism register. In June 2017, the town hall announced 1,355 homes regularised this way, close to 8,000 tourist beds.
This scheme dates from 2016-2017: how it is applied today should be confirmed with the planning department before any operation that relies on it.
What really decides: Andalusian Decree 31/2024
Since the town hall does not close the door, the question becomes: does your property meet the requirements? Decree 31/2024, in force since 4 March 2024, tightened the physical criteria. They can be checked on the plans and in the cadastre, even before a viewing.
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum area | 25 m² of main use according to the cadastre |
| Area per guest | 14 m² per guest |
| Maximum capacity | 15 guests for a whole home, 6 when letting by the room |
| Per bedroom | 4 guests maximum, 2 in bunk beds |
| Bathrooms | 2 above 5 guests, 3 above 8 guests |
| Ventilation | Directly to the outside or to a ventilated courtyard, for bedrooms and living rooms |
| Air conditioning and heating | Mandatory in living rooms and bedrooms |
What to do before the offer: check the main-use area in the cadastre, count the bathrooms against the intended capacity and see whether every bedroom has an outside window. A 22 m² studio cannot be registered, wherever it is. A three-bedroom home without air conditioning will need to be fitted with it.
And one important caveat for the future. The same Decree 31/2024 gives towns the power to cap the number of holiday rentals by area, provided they justify it on overriding public-interest grounds. Mijas has not done so to date. Nothing guarantees it never will: it is exactly the lever Málaga city used. An investment project in Mijas should still stand if the tourist licence were frozen in five years’ time.
Mijas compared with the other six towns
| Town | Purchase €/m² | Over one year | Rent | Yield | New licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mijas | 3,711 | +8.9% | €16.5 | 5.3% | Possible, the decree decides |
| Estepona | 4,961 | +17.4% | €20.9 | 5.1% | Possible, the decree decides |
| Málaga city | 3,938 | +5.1% | €16.5 | 5.0% | Frozen |
| Torremolinos | 4,229 | +9.9% | €17.5 | 5.0% | Still possible |
| Benalmádena | 4,183 | +6.1% | €16.9 | 4.8% | Unless the community vetoes |
| Marbella | 5,956 | +4.0% | €23.7 | 4.8% | To be checked |
| Fuengirola | 4,451 | +3.0% | €17.4 | 4.7% | To be checked |
Mijas comes top, and it is the only place where both advantages combine : the best yield and a town that has not closed the door to holiday letting. In Málaga city the yield is similar but the licence is frozen. In Marbella the location is better and the yield lower.
The flip side, which also needs saying: Mijas is rising 8.9% a year. That 5.3% yield is calculated on today’s prices. If you buy in twelve months at the same rent, it will inevitably be lower. It is a reason to look now, not a guarantee of performance.
Our properties in Mijas
I look after properties across the town, from Las Lagunas to La Cala, via Mijas Golf and Riviera del Sol, both for sale and under rental management.
For sale
- Casa Grande, former 16-suite hotel 50 m from the beach : 671 m² in Calaburra-Chaparral, €3,800,000, presented as an investment.
- Detached villa at La Cala Golf : €990,000.
- Las Golondrinas Golf, apartment with lake and golf views in Mijas Golf : 135 m², €565,000.
- Apartment in El Faro, Mijas Costa : €590,000.
- Apartment in Las Lagunas de Mijas : 1 bedroom, €180,000, in the neighbourhood with the best yield in the town.
Under rental management
- Villa in Mijas Golf : €4,800 a month, long term.
- Detached villa in Cerro del Águila : €4,500 a month, long term.
- Duplex penthouse in El Faro : €3,900 a month, long term.
- Contemporary villa in Riviera del Sol : €3,750 a month, long term.
- Villa Paradis Chaparral : €400 a night, holiday let at Playa Chaparral.
- Duplex penthouse in La Cala de Mijas : €1,500 a month, seafront.
- Duplex apartment in Riviera del Sol : €1,350 a month.
- Apartment in Las Lagunas de Mijas : €50 a night, holiday let.
And if capital growth interests you more than yield, look at Estepona : +17.4% in one year, the biggest rise of the seven, but our guide explains why that figure does not mean what it seems.
Talk to someone on the ground about your project
In Mijas, the question is not “will the town hall allow it?” but “does this property meet the decree’s criteria?”. That is checked in the cadastre and on the plans, before the offer. VivaStay is an estate agency on the Costa del Sol : we sell properties and manage their letting, which means we can tell you what a flat really earns, not what a brochure claims.
Before any offer, read also the mistakes to avoid when buying in Spain : cadastral reference value, community debts, deposit contract.
Frequently asked questions
Can you still get a tourist licence in Mijas in 2026?
No municipal moratorium has been identified in Mijas in the public sources consulted on 9 September 2026. The town has historically made it easier to register holiday rentals. What limits it today are the physical criteria of Andalusian Decree 31/2024: 25 m² minimum, 14 m² per guest, direct ventilation, air conditioning and heating, and the number of bathrooms for the capacity.
Which is the most profitable neighbourhood in Mijas?
Las Lagunas, with a gross yield of about 6.1%, the best of the seven towns we document. It is the cheapest neighbourhood to buy in (€3,323/m²) and its rents are rising faster than its sale prices. It is a place to live all year, not a beach resort.
Is Mijas Pueblo a good investment?
It is an excellent purchase as a home and a mediocre investment for yield. At €3,570/m², the village is rising only 2.6% a year, against 8.9% for the town. You buy there for the setting, not for the return.
What is the difference between Mijas Pueblo, Las Lagunas and Mijas Costa?
Three very different places in one town. Mijas Pueblo is the white mountain village at 430 metres. Las Lagunas is the dense town next to Fuengirola, lived in all year. Mijas Costa covers the coastline (La Cala de Mijas, Calahonda, Riviera del Sol, El Chaparral), geared to holidays and golf. Prices range from €2,943 to €4,593/m² depending on the neighbourhood.
Can Mijas freeze tourist licences like Málaga?
Yes. Andalusian Decree 31/2024 expressly allows towns to cap the number of holiday rentals by area if they justify it on overriding public-interest grounds. Mijas has not done so to date. An investment project should still stand even if it did.
Do you need a first-occupation licence to holiday-let in Mijas?
An equivalent document is required for registration in the Andalusian register. In 2016 Mijas introduced a documento administrativo urbanístico that replaces a missing first-occupation licence; in June 2017 the town hall announced 1,355 homes regularised this way. How the scheme is applied today should be confirmed with the planning department.
Sources
- Sale prices by neighbourhood and rents: Idealista, Mijas housing price reports, August 2026 data, recorded on 9 September 2026.
- Gross yields: VivaStay calculations from the two published averages above.
- Requirements for holiday rentals: Andalusian Decree 31/2024 of 29 January 2024, in force since 4 March 2024, amending Decree 28/2016; summary consulted on 9 September 2026.
- Mijas documento administrativo urbanístico and tally of 1,355 homes / close to 8,000 beds: Ayuntamiento de Mijas, statement of 20 June 2017.
- No municipal moratorium in Mijas: noted as absent from the public sources consulted on 9 September 2026, not confirmed by the town hall. To be rechecked before any operation.
VivaStay Costa del Sol, Hannah De Oliveira, registered estate agent API 525, Málaga. Figures and rules as of 9 September 2026. Idealista prices change every month and Andalusian tourism rules have changed several times since 2024: check the date of this page before relying on it.
