DUTCH buyers have officially dethroned the British to become the biggest spenders on the Costa Blanca.
While UK nationals are still buying the highest number of homes in Alicante province, they are no longer splashing the most cash.
New figures from the General Council of Notaries reveal that buyers from the Netherlands have taken the top spot for average spending.
In the first half of 2025, the average Dutch family spent €315,334 on their Spanish home.
READ MORE: Costa Blanca property sales are higher than during 2007 boom as prices soar
This places them firmly ahead of the Swiss, who spent €286,446, and Norwegians at €276,110.
British buyers have slipped down the value rankings, with an average spend of €230,623.
While this is still significantly higher than the local Spanish average of €137,437, it marks a significant shift in the luxury market hierarchy.
Experts suggest the so-called ‘Brexit effect’ is the main culprit.
Since losing EU citizenship, Brits are restricted to spending just 90 days out of every 180 in Spain.
READ MORE: Property prices in Spain rise by 13.1% during the last three months of 2025
This has reportedly cooled the market for high-end permanent residences among UK nationals, who are now prioritising lock-up-and-leave holiday apartments in areas like Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa.
Meanwhile, Dutch buyers are flocking to exclusive urbanisations and snapping up modern, new-build villas to use as primary or semi-permanent bases.
The figures highlight a booming foreign market, with international buyers now spending 40% more on average than they did five years ago.
The average foreigner now pays €216,602 for a property in the province, nearly €80,000 more than a local Spaniard.
This widening gap is raising concerns about locals being priced out of their own neighbourhoods, as developers increasingly focus on the lucrative northern European market.
The French and Belgians remain steady mid-market players, spending €236,655 and €275,095 respectively.
At the other end of the scale, buyers from Morocco and Algeria recorded the lowest average spend, typically purchasing older properties for work or family reasons.
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