Benahavís is Estepona’s neighbour inland, in the hills behind the New Golden Mile, known for its golf resorts, its residential estates and its village restaurants. Many buyers looking at this stretch of the Costa del Sol compare the two: they share the same airport and the same general purchase-tax rates.
Estepona combines a coastal town, beachfront neighbourhoods and hillside residential areas. Benahavís has no coastline of its own: it offers an inland village setting alongside golf resorts and estates. Benahavís had 9,472 registered residents on 1 January 2025, against 79,621 in Estepona (INE (opens in a new tab)). The village is about 22 km and 22 minutes from Estepona by road.
The price difference
| Area | Asking price per m² | €300,000 buys about |
|---|---|---|
| Altos de Estepona | €3,441 | 87 m² |
| Costa Natura, Estepona | €3,999 | 75 m² |
| Playa Bahía Dorada, Estepona | €4,036 | 74 m² |
| Benamara - Atalaya, Estepona | €4,306 | 70 m² |
| Estepona Pueblo | €4,400 | 68 m² |
| Los Flamingos, Benahavís | €4,654 | 64 m² |
| Los Arqueros-Puerto del Almendro, Benahavís | €4,831 | 62 m² |
| El Paraíso, Benahavís | €4,933 | 61 m² |
| Estepona, municipality | €4,961 | 60 m² |
| Seghers, Estepona | €5,199 | 58 m² |
| La Alquería, Benahavís | €5,284 | 57 m² |
| Benahavís, municipality | €5,553 | 54 m² |
| La Quinta, Benahavís | €6,126 | 49 m² |
| Selwo, Estepona | €7,118 | 42 m² |
| El Madroñal, Benahavís | €7,876 | 38 m² |
| La Zagaleta, Benahavís | €8,040 | 37 m² |
Estepona’s municipal asking-price index was €4,961 per m² in August 2026, about a tenth below Benahavís’s €5,553. Applied to an illustrative 90 m² home, that is a difference of €53,280 before taxes and fees. Every Estepona district with a published figure for that month, except Selwo, was below the Benahavís municipal figure. Among Benahavís districts with an August figure, asking prices ranged from €4,654 per m² in Los Flamingos to €8,040 in La Zagaleta.
Same general purchase-tax rates
Both municipalities are in Andalucía, so the general purchase-tax rates are the same: 7% transfer tax (ITP) on a resale home, or 10% VAT plus 1.2% stamp duty (AJD) on a typical new home bought from a developer. For an illustrative 90 m² resale purchase at the two municipal asking-price levels, the 7% transfer tax would be about €31,250 in Estepona and €34,980 in Benahavís, assuming the purchase price is the taxable base and no reduced rate applies.
General information, not advice. Confirm your position with a Spanish lawyer or tax adviser.
What Estepona offers
The sea within the municipality. 23 km of coastline, beaches with a seafront promenade, and a working port with a marina.
Far more new homes. New homes accounted for 25.6% of recorded home purchases in Estepona in 2025, against 3.2% in Benahavís (IECA, Estepona (opens in a new tab); IECA, Benahavís (opens in a new tab)).
More space for the money. Dividing €300,000 by the asking-price indices gives about 60 m² in Estepona against 54 m² in Benahavís.
A town that works all year. Shops, the market, two public health centres, a public hospital of its own and Hospiten Estepona, a private hospital with 24-hour emergencies, plus three urban bus lines. See Healthcare and Getting there.
Schools in the municipality. British-curriculum schools from nursery to A level, and the IB Diploma at Colegio Internacional Atalaya. See Schools and family.
Luxury by the sea. For buyers looking at the top of the market, Estepona’s Selwo district includes the coastal areas of El Velerín and Guadalmansa as well as inland neighbourhoods.
What Benahavís offers
Golf and residential estates. Golf is at the heart of Benahavís, with resorts such as La Quinta, which has 27 holes across three nine-hole courses (La Quinta (opens in a new tab)), and estates up to La Zagaleta, the district with the highest asking prices in August 2026.
A hillside setting. For buyers drawn to golf resorts and hillside villa estates, Benahavís offers settings worth exploring. Plot size, privacy and views should be assessed property by property.
A village known for its restaurants. The municipal tourism website promotes the village as the “Comedor de Andalucía” (Turismo Benahavís (opens in a new tab)).
Close to Puerto Banús. About 13 km and 14 minutes from the village by road.
The village has a public health clinic, a state primary school (CEIP Daidín) and a bus connection to San Pedro de Alcántara. When choosing a hillside home, check the journey from the property itself to schools, healthcare and everyday services.
Who each place suits
Benahavís suits buyers who want golf resorts, an estate in the hills and a village setting, with Puerto Banús a short drive away.
Estepona suits buyers who want the sea, a wide choice of new homes, more space for their budget, a town with schools, hospitals and services all year, and the hills of Benahavís about 20 minutes away.
Asking-price figures: idealista, August 2026. Population: INE, 1 January 2025. Housing transactions: IECA, calendar year 2025. Distances: route planner (Rome2Rio), 2 October 2026. Prices and tax rules change; confirm current figures before deciding.
