A Cuban resident in Asturias shared his joy on TikTok yesterday upon receiving the keys to his first property in Spain, a 64 m² ground-floor apartment, and revealed that he almost returned to Cuba due to the high housing prices in Madrid.
The user @senen.sosa6, identified as "Senen and family," posted a video celebrating the purchase showing the delivery document, which includes the names "Don Seneso, Jacobo, and Mrs. Dunaise Santana," indicating that the acquisition was made as a family.
"Now I'm definitely not going to Cuba, I already have my two little houses," Senen stated in the video, visibly excited as he held the property papers.
The protagonist explained that the housing crisis in Madrid had led him to consider returning to the Island: "Cheap little houses that you can't buy in Madrid for 300,000, 400,000; rent is 1,000, 1,200, 1,500... That's why I wanted to go back to my country."
It was upon discovering the Asturian market that she changed her plans: "Knowing that here in Asturias there are affordable houses, that it rains a bit, and that there's a little bit of normal cold, it's not a big deal."
Senen also highlighted the location of his new home: "This is the RENFE, it's a 10-minute walk from my house down that way," he noted while pointing to the nearest train station.
Upon receiving the document, he did not hide his satisfaction: "We are owners, 64 m² living space and the entire ground floor, first property gentlemen, super happy." He added that the celebration does not end there: "I already have the other one, but in a few days, I'll pick up the other property."
The real estate market data supports Senen's perception. According to Fotocasa (May 2026), the average price in Madrid reaches 5,414 euros per square meter, compared to 2,361 euros per square meter in Asturias, a difference of 56%. Idealista places the gap even wider: 4,739 €/m² in Madrid versus 1,800 €/m² in Asturias.
In specific cities in the region, prices range from €1,622/m² in Avilés to €2,632/m² in Gijón. Tinsa estimates that a typical 90 m² apartment in Asturias costs about €157,211 on average in the first quarter of 2026.
Senen's case is part of a growing trend among Cubans who, after emigrating to Spain, are seeking more affordable cities outside of Madrid and Barcelona to settle and purchase homes.
Asturias has become particularly attractive also due to its return assistance programs for emigrants with Spanish nationality, with amounts ranging from 2,400 to 6,000 euros. In 2024, the Principality approved nearly 150,000 euros in assistance for emigrants and their descendants in Cuba, with 606 of the 926 applications coming from Cubans.
This is not the first viral case of a Cuban celebrating the purchase of a property in Spain. At the end of 2025, the TikToker Yuris Latina went viral for announcing the cash purchase of her first house in Spain, financed with social media earnings.
Despite being more affordable than the capital, Asturias also experiences increases: according to Idealista, prices in the region rose by 17.1% year-on-year in May 2026, surpassing the 11.9% recorded in Madrid.
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