Living in Portugal: what is the best area to buy or rent a house?
What is the best place in Portugal to buy or rent a house? There are some things to consider in your life, so you can find the best area for you and/or your family.
Let’s dive in!
Living in the city or the country
When choosing where your home will be, your first need is to choose where you will be most comfortable: in the city or in the countryside. Knowing what your profile prefers will make the choice much easier.
After the pandemic and the rise of the home office, some families preferred to leave their homes in the big city and look for a quieter lifestyle in the countryside. In addition, inland houses are cheaper, both for rent and for buying.
However, it is also necessary to consider the proximity to schools, hospitals, services and commerce, in addition to job opportunities. For this reason, Lisbon, Porto, Cascais, Braga and Coimbra remain at the top of the list of best cities to live in Portugal.
To buy or to lease
Choosing between buying and renting is an important step in choosing where to live, because it changes according to lifestyle and available budget.
Leasing has greater flexibility, which is great for those with professional mobility. It’s also a good alternative for those who don’t have a steady income and prefer to avoid a long-term commitment.
Buying a home is an investment in something that will last a lifetime. There is the down payment and the need to have financial capacity for taxes and financing installments.
The cheapest places to live (District-County)
- Castro Daire – Viseu
- Carregal do Sal – Viseu
- Moimenta da Beira – Viseu
- Sátão – Viseu
- Melgaço – Viana do Castelo
- Borba – Évora
- Belmonte – White Castle
- Valpaços – Vila Real
- Macedo de Cavaleiros – Bragança
- Chamusca – Santarém
Source: INE
The most expensive places (District-County)
- Lisbon – Lisbon
- Cascais – Lisbon
- Oeiras – Lisbon
- Porto – Porto
- Almada – Setubal
- Amadora – Lisbon
- Odivelas – Lisbon
- Matosinhos – Porto
- Loures – Lisbon
- Lagos – Faro
Source: INE
Considering the cost of living
When looking for the best place to live, an important point to keep in mind is the cost of living. It is important to calculate how much fixed and variable expenses weigh in your budget to know if the cost of living in the area is what you want where you live.
This includes, for example, house rent or house payments (in the case of a purchase), and costs for energy, gas, water, etc.
The cost of living with food, transportation, rent, real estate, schools, and services tends to be higher in big cities, while the suburbs are sometimes more affordable.
The ideal is to research the cost of living in each place you want to live in Portugal in order to estimate how much you will spend at the end of the month.
Weighing neighborhood and security
Portugal is considered one of the 10 best countries to live in. However, checking the safety of the place you want to live remains an essential criterion for quality and tranquility in everyday life.
A good way to learn about safety in the area is to get to know the neighborhoods. Talking to locals is a great way to find out if the area where you want to buy or rent a house is safe.
Observing the dynamics of the place, the dynamics of the people, it is important to verify all security, mobility and leisure facilities. Exploring the neighborhood is essential so that there are no disappointments, surprises or regrets in the future.
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