Where Portugal rents: parishes with few homeowners pay the most
7 November 2026
In the quarter of parishes where the fewest residents own their home (49% on average), new leases cost about €14.50/m². In the quarter where most do (77%), they cost €8.53/m², so the first group pays 70% more. The low-ownership parishes are also the old ones: 17% of their residents live in buildings from before 1946, against 4%. Across 171 parishes in 31 municipalities, ownership is the census figure that tracks rent most closely.
Parishes grouped by home ownership
| Group | Residents in owned homes | Rent €/m² | In buildings before 1946 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest ownership | 48.9% | €14.50 | 17.1% |
| Second | 64.4% | €11.75 | 4.1% |
| Third | 70.5% | €8.77 | 4.3% |
| Highest ownership | 76.9% | €8.53 | 4.0% |
Municipality by municipality
| Municipality | Rent €/m² | Residents in owned homes |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | €16.89 | 51.0% |
| Cascais | €16.22 | 66.1% |
| Oeiras | €15.02 | 68.2% |
| Porto | €14.13 | 50.7% |
| Almada | €12.98 | 62.9% |
| Amadora | €12.76 | 59.3% |
| Odivelas | €12.50 | 65.4% |
| Matosinhos | €12.11 | 65.4% |
| Loures | €11.58 | 61.2% |
| Barreiro | €11.19 | 68.6% |
| Sintra | €11.06 | 68.2% |
| Seixal | €11.00 | 75.2% |
| Setúbal | €10.86 | 69.3% |
| Mafra | €10.66 | 72.2% |
| Vila Nova de Gaia | €10.61 | 67.0% |
| Vila Franca de Xira | €10.53 | 72.6% |
| Montijo | €9.91 | 66.1% |
| Espinho | €9.87 | 59.3% |
| Moita | €9.85 | 68.9% |
| Maia | €9.59 | 71.1% |
| Sesimbra | €9.54 | 76.2% |
| Palmela | €9.48 | 75.7% |
| Póvoa de Varzim | €8.70 | 73.1% |
| Gondomar | €8.57 | 68.4% |
| Valongo | €8.05 | 70.1% |
| Vila do Conde | €8.05 | 74.3% |
| Santa Maria da Feira | €6.53 | 75.9% |
| Santo Tirso | €6.06 | 70.7% |
| Paredes | €5.73 | 71.0% |
| Vale de Cambra | €5.72 | 79.2% |
| Oliveira de Azeméis | €5.63 | 75.2% |
The 10 parishes with the lowest home ownership
| Parish | Residents in owned homes | Rent €/m² |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria Maior · Lisbon | 23.2% | €18.60 |
| São Vicente · Lisbon | 34.8% | €17.88 |
| Misericórdia · Lisbon | 35.6% | €19.70 |
| Beato · Lisbon | 38.1% | €16.00 |
| Campanhã · Porto | 39.0% | €13.19 |
| Santa Clara · Lisbon | 39.9% | €12.42 |
| Arroios · Lisbon | 40.3% | €16.36 |
| Camarate, Unhos e Apelação · Loures | 40.4% | €9.78 |
| Penha de França · Lisbon | 41.7% | €16.42 |
| Campo de Ourique · Lisbon | 41.8% | €18.88 |
The 10 parishes with the most 15–24 year-olds
| Parish | Aged 15–24 | Rent €/m² |
|---|---|---|
| Cacém e São Marcos · Sintra | 13.2% | €11.63 |
| Casal de Cambra · Sintra | 13.0% | €9.45 |
| Gandra · Paredes | 13.0% | €6.58 |
| Alfragide · Amadora | 12.8% | €12.43 |
| Milharado · Mafra | 12.7% | €7.36 |
| Rio de Mouro · Sintra | 12.6% | €11.18 |
| Lordelo · Paredes | 12.5% | €4.73 |
| Rebordosa · Paredes | 12.3% | €5.79 |
| Santa Clara · Lisbon | 12.2% | €12.42 |
| Massamá e Monte Abraão · Sintra | 12.2% | €11.68 |
How we did it
Rent: median rent per m² of new leases by parish from INE (the period is on each parish page; Lisbon: 2025). Census: share of residents living in owner-occupied homes, in buildings from before 1946 or from 2001 on, and age groups, by parish (INE, Censos 2021). Parishes with very few leases are left out. Parishes created by the 2025 reorganisation have no census figures yet and are not included. This compares places, not people: a low ownership rate means more tenants live there, and the rents shown are what new tenants pay.
Every parish page shows these census figures next to the municipality value; each city also has ranked lists and an area finder. Lisbon area finder →