Murcia salaries among the lowest in Spain and struggle to keep up with rising prices

Average pay reached €1,772 a month in 2025, but workers in the Region lost 1.2% of their purchasing power as prices rose faster than wages

Workers in the Region of Murcia may have seen their salaries increase a bit last year, but rising prices mean their money still does not go quite as far.

A new salary report from Adecco shows that the average gross monthly salary in Murcia reached €1,772 in 2025. That's well below the Spanish average of €2,055 and leaves Murcia among the regions with the lowest average pay in the country.

But the figures get more concerning when the rising cost of living is taken into account. Workers in Murcia lost 1.2% of their purchasing power during 2025. This means that although salaries went up, they didn't rise enough to keep pace with prices. In fact, salaries in the Region increased by just 0.8%, while inflation averaged 2%.

It was one of the biggest falls in real purchasing power recorded across Spain. Only Asturias, where purchasing power fell by 2.8%, and Cantabria, down 1.7%, saw a larger drop.

The situation in Murcia also stands out even more when compared with the country as a whole. Across Spain, average salaries increased by 3.4% last year, reaching €2,055 a month. Once inflation was taken into account, workers nationally gained 0.7% in purchasing power. The figures varied quite a bit from one region to another. 

There were also some interesting differences between sectors. Construction recorded the biggest salary increase in Spain in 2025, with pay rising by 4.4%. The Industrial sector followed with a 3.4% increase, while salaries in services went up by 3.3%.

The industrial sector remains the best-paid of the three sectors, with an average monthly salary of €2,310. Services came next at €2,020, while construction averaged €1,958.

Looking at salaries around Spain, Madrid had the highest average pay at €2,451 a month, followed by the Basque Country at €2,328. Navarra and Cataluña were also above the national average.

At the other end of the scale, Extremadura had an average salary of €1,709, putting Murcia's €1,772 just above it. Murcia was also one of six Spanish regions where purchasing power fell during 2025. La Rioja recorded the biggest increase, with workers there gaining 2.5% in real purchasing power.

With salaries remaining well below the national average, it's perhaps no surprise that many people look towards cities such as Madrid and Barcelona when they're searching for better-paid jobs and career opportunities.

Read also: Spanish Property Prices Are Rising Three Times Faster Than Wages

Image: Artistic representation