Market · 5 min read
Property prices in Scalea
From €500 to €1,000 per square metre in twenty years, and why the sub-€30,000 flat is disappearing.
Scalea has long been one of the most affordable resort towns in Western Europe. That is still true, but less so each year.
How the prices were made
The town grew in the 1980s as a state-supported tourist destination: a lot of building, generous financing, a permanent population of about ten thousand and beds for a hundred and fifty thousand. That oversupply kept prices low for decades.
Where they are now
- —Twenty years ago: from €500 per m².
- —Until recently: an average of €700–800 per m², up to €1,200 with a sea view.
- —Today: a minimum of €700–800 per m² and an average around €1,000.
- —Apartments under €30,000 are gradually disappearing from the market.
What is pushing them
- —Italy as a whole: 15–20% growth; coastal Spain and Portugal 25–30%.
- —Migration and geopolitical uncertainty increasing demand for affordable housing in a safe place.
- —Recognition that the region was undervalued.
- —Year-round infrastructure: dozens of restaurants, five supermarkets, services that used to close in September.
- —A local community that welcomes foreign buyers.
What it means for you
A good home at a fair price is still possible here. A bargain that needs no work is not. Budget for the difference and choose the area before the apartment.