Affordable Cities to Move to in Portugal
Affordable Cities to Move to in Portugal
Current expat darling Portugal is continually listed as the best for retirees, young families, and digital nomads who want to leave the United States. Although more Americans are moving to Portugal than ever before, the actual population is still quite low. Only about 10,000 of us live in the lush Iberian country, a drop in the bucket filled with 750,000 other immigrants and 10 million locals.
Portugal added its friendly golden visa and NHR tax regime to encourage migration and investment at a time when the country’s economy was struggling. The strategy worked: GDP growth there is at a level not seen since the ’80s. However, all of these incentives have come at a price. Rents, primarily in parts of Lisbon, have skyrocketed as foreigners stockpiled units for Airbnbs.
As a result, Portugal is beginning to curtail some of these incentives, but there are still visa options for retirees, students, skilled workers, and digital nomads. If you’re concerned about rent prices in Lisbon or contributing to housing shortages, consider these more affordable and less crowded options. We recommend scouting the country on an expat tour to find your perfect spot.
Aveiro
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Rent prices in Aveiro are 44% lower than Lisbon. Aveiro is on the coast, south of Porto.
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Braga
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Rent prices in Braga are 43% lower than Lisbon. Braga is a city in the north that’s 45 minutes from Porto by train.
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Cascais
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Rent prices in Cascais are 36% lower than Lisbon. Cascais is a coastal town near Lisbon and home to many English-speaking immigrants.
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Coimbra
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Rent prices in Coimbra are 48% lower than Lisbon. Coimbra is a riverfront college town with 150,000 residents.
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Evora
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Rent prices in Evora are 47% lower than Lisbon. This city of 54,000 people is the capital of the underrated Alentejo region.
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Faro
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Rent prices in Faro are 36% lower than Lisbon. Faro is the capital of the stunning Algarve region.
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Figueira da Foz
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Rent prices in Figueira da Foz are 62% lower than Lisbon, for a tranquil life right on the coast.
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Funchal
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Rent prices in Funchal are 15% lower than Lisbon. You won’t be near Lisbon, though—Funchal is the capital of Portugal’s Madeira islands.
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Guimaraes
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Rent prices in Guimaraes are 54% lower than Lisbon. The city is beautiful, steeped in medieval history among rolling hills.
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Lagos
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Rent prices in Lagos are a modest 13% lower than Lisbon. Located in the Algarve, the town is covered with tourists in season.
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Leiria
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Rent prices in Leiria are 48% lower than Lisbon. Historical Leiria is located between Lisbon and Porto, with easy access to both cities and the coast.
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Oeiras
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Rent prices in Oeiras are 21% lower than Lisbon, and it’s just outside Lisbon towards the coast.
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Portimao
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Rent prices in Portimao are 40% lower than Lisbon. The lovely beach town is near Lagos in the Algarve.
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Porto
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Rent prices in Porto are 20% lower than Lisbon. The second-largest city in Portugal is also second in influx of immigrants, but you can still realize some savings over the capital.
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Setubal
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Rent prices in Setubal are 35% lower than Lisbon. The town is on the outskirts of Lisbon, only 48 minutes by car.
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Tomar
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Rent prices in Tomar are 31% lower than Lisbon, and you can travel to Lisbon by bus or train.
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Viana do Castelo
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Rent prices in Viana do Castelo are 56% lower than Lisbon. The coastal city is located on the Lima River, near Galicia in Spain.
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Vila Nova de Gaia
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Rent prices in Vila Nova de Gaia are 36% lower than Lisbon. The town overlooks Porto with easy access to the city.
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Viseu
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Rent prices in charming Viseu are 56% lower than Lisbon. The inland town is only an hour from Aveiro on the coast.
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Surprise! Americans Are Moving to These EU Countries Instead of Portugal
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Americans are widely reported to be leaving the United States in greater numbers than ever before. Media outlets claim gigantic leaps in the number of Americans moving to Portugal, but it isn’t even in the top five most popular countries in the European Union. So where are Americans going?
➤ Surprise! Americans Are Moving to These EU Countries Instead of Portugal
Vacation vs Scouting Trip: What’s the Difference?
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Expatsi is hosting a scouting trip to Portugal and Spain for our group members in March. “So you’re taking them on vacation?” people ask us. “Not exactly,” we tell them. Vacations focus on having fun and relaxation, while scouting trips help people find a new home when looking to move abroad.
➤ Vacation vs Scouting Trip: What’s the Difference?
Guide to Portugal Visas
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One of the biggest reasons that Portugal is top of the immigrant charts — aside from all the beauty and culture that the country has to offer — is its generous visa program. If you’re traveling as a tourist, you’ll grab a Schengen visa and be done with it, and temporary stay visas are also available for up to a year. If you’re looking for residency, here’s a quick guide to your options.
Jen is the co-founder of Expatsi, a company that helps Americans move abroad. She created the Expatsi Test, an assessment that recommends countries for aspiring emigrants based on lifestyle data. Jen has an MBA from Emory University with concentrations in marketing and innovation. She's written for BusinessWeek, Health, Cooking Light, and Southern Living. Prior to Expatsi, she created Freshfully and Bottle & Bone—two businesses in the local food space—and spoke at TEDx on being brave. She's moving to Mexico in 2024, along with her husband and co-founder Brett, pitbull mix Squiggy, and three rotten cats. How can she help you move abroad?
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Jen is the co-founder of Expatsi, a company that helps Americans move abroad. She created the Expatsi Test, an assessment that recommends countries for aspiring emigrants based on lifestyle data. Jen has an MBA from Emory University with concentrations in marketing and innovation. She's written for BusinessWeek, Health, Cooking Light, and Southern Living. Prior to Expatsi, she created Freshfully and Bottle & Bone—two businesses in the local food space—and spoke at TEDx on being brave. She's moving to Mexico in 2024, along with her husband and co-founder Brett, pitbull mix Squiggy, and three rotten cats. How can she help you move abroad?