Families look for homes for sale priced below €300,000

Today, families face the major challenge of buying a home without housing costs taking too much of a toll on their budget, so they can maintain their quality of life. This is why they have increasingly been looking for homes on the outskirts of major cities such as Lisbon and Porto, where property prices are lower. 

The trend has become more pronounced, with 30 of the 50 most sought-after municipalities for buying a home in Portugal recording average prices below €300,000, according to idealista data for the second quarter of 2026. 

Santarém, with 14 municipalities in the top 50, is the best-represented district. The Alentejo and the Beiras account for a large share of the most affordable prices.

Municipalities near Lisbon lead the top 10 for homebuyer demand

The most sought-after municipality for buying a home in Portugal in the second quarter of 2026 was Sobral de Monte Agraço, in the Lisbon district, with a median price of €404,362. 

• It was followed by Amadora (€328,016, second place) and Odivelas (€453,359, third place). 
• The municipality of Lisbon itself, where the average price was €699,727, ranked only 17th, overtaken largely by municipalities where prices are under less pressure but buyer demand is stronger.

The Lisbon district has 12 municipalities in the top 50 for homebuyer demand, although prices vary considerably. 

• Oeiras (€708,118, fifth place) and Sintra (€566,476, 13th place) were among the priciest in the ranking. 
• Alenquer (€277,000, ninth place), meanwhile, was the only municipality in the Lisbon district where buying a home cost less than €300,000. 

Demand is concentrated in areas north and west of the capital, where prices remain below those in more established municipalities.

In the Porto district, the highest-ranked municipality for buying a home does not appear until 32nd place: Santo Tirso (€371,414). 

• It is joined by Valongo (€312,825, 44th place) and Paredes (€313,036, 48th place).
• The municipality of Porto itself does not appear in the ranking.

The island of Madeira is also represented in the top 50, with Santana in 28th place (€312,445) and Porto Moniz in 50th place (€216,188).

The 50 most sought-after municipalities for buying a home in Portugal

Second-quarter 2026 data

Source: idealista/data

Affordable housing in Santarém attracts families

With 14 municipalities among the top 50 for homebuyer demand, Santarém is the best-represented district in the ranking and has the most accessible house prices among the municipalities facing the strongest demand.

Municipalities in the Ribatejo and Médio Tejo areas have a particularly strong presence:

• Almeirim is in fourth place (€244,603);
• Constância is in 10th place (€212,181);
• Sardoal is in 11th place (€138,235);
• Cartaxo is in 12th place (€290,236).

The strong presence of these municipalities in the ranking suggests that the Lisbon–Santarém corridor has become an established alternative for buyers looking for more affordable house prices than those seen in the capital and its immediate outskirts.

Vítor Oliveira | Flickr | Creative Commons

Inland areas have homes for sale below €200,000

In 13 municipalities in the ranking for demand for homes for sale, the median price is below €200,000, with all of them located inland. 

Portalegre is the district with the strongest representation in this group:

• Nisa (€80,856, 34th place)
• Alter do Chão (€91,096, 21st place)
• Monforte (€112,657, 27th place)
• Elvas (€138,759, 31st place)
• Avis (€169,323, 35th place)

The most affordable municipality in the ranking is Barrancos, in the Beja district, where the average price is €55,000, according to idealista data.

This notable presence of more remote inland areas in the homebuyer demand ranking, with municipalities in the Alentejo, Beiras and Trás-os-Montes among the most sought-after, suggests that residential buyer demand is spreading geographically. 

Municipalities with the highest house prices among the most sought-after

Only four municipalities in the top 50 for demand recorded average prices for homes for sale above €500,000:

• Oeiras (€708,118, fifth place);
• Lisbon (€699,727, 17th place);
• Sintra (€566,476, 13th place);
• Almada (€548,488, 23rd place).

All are within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, where you'll find some of the most expensive addresses in Portugal. Their position in the ranking confirms that higher prices do not necessarily lead to proportionately stronger demand. 

Oeiras, the most expensive municipality, ranks only fifth, behind municipalities with considerably lower prices.

Foto de Stephan Leuzinger no Pexels

Methodology

The ranking of the 50 most sought-after municipalities for buying a home during the second quarter of 2026 was calculated among those with a supply of at least 500 residential property listings on idealista.

Using idealista user behaviour data, the analysis measured relative demand pressure on available supply. This indicator is based on the number of leads received per listing published on idealista, including email enquiries, submitted offers and homes saved as favourites. Prices correspond to the median value of residential sale listings published on idealista, by area and period analysed, after outlying values were excluded.

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