Where to live in Portugal

Living here isn’t one single experience, which is why pinning down the best places to live in the Azores often trips people up. Each island runs at its own pace, with different levels of infrastructure, housing pressure and social life.

Living in Guimarães means settling into a northern Portuguese town where daily life still runs very much on local terms.

Living in Vilamoura often feels very different from the rest of the Algarve.

Portugal has been named the safest country in the world to retire in 2026, according to International Living’s latest Safest Places to Retire index. With its combination of family values, inclusive communities, and welcoming locals, Portugal is quickly becoming the go-to destination for retirees seeking peace of mind and a high quality of life.

Life in the Azores feels a bit like stepping sideways out of mainland Europe and landing somewhere quieter, greener and far more slow-paced.

Thinking about swapping your current life for sunshine, seafood and slower evenings by the sea?

The demand for luxury homes in Portugal continues to rise in 2026, driven by the country’s outstanding lifestyle, stable property market and international appeal.

Moving to the Algarve isn’t just about sun and sea. The exact town you choose will shape your daily life more than the country itself.

With safety rankings that regularly place it among the world’s calmest countries, looking for the safest places to live in Portugal tends to be about finding the calmest neighbourhoods and towns within an already safe country.

Is it expensive to live in Portugal? How much do you actually need each month to feel comfortable, rather than counting every coffee?

The Algarve keeps coming up whenever people talk about the best coastal places to move to in Portugal, and it’s not hard to see why.

The region of Alentejo sits in south‑central Portugal, reaching the Algarve in the south, the Atlantic on the west and Spain to the east.

Alentejo spans a vast swathe of southern Portugal, with rolling cork oak estates, olive groves, and whitewashed towns.

Living in Faro means easing into the laid‑back capital of the Algarve, where a compact old town meets the lagoon. With a population of around 60,000, life feels refreshingly local.

According to Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s 2026 traveller safety survey, Lisbon is in the top ten safest cities in the world.

Olhão is a low-key fishing town in the Algarve with flat-roofed “cubist” houses, working boats in the marina and ferries sliding out to Ilha da Armona. Living in Olhão means you get proper year-round town living here rather than a manicured resort.

This town in Alentejo, less than two hours from Lisbon, feels like sun on whitewashed walls, cool church interiors, and cork‑oak country rolling to the horizon.

Lisbon is friendly and largely low‑risk, thanks to it being the capital of one of the safest countries in the world.

Portugal still hides pockets of real value away from the big‑ticket coasts. Across the country, there are municipalities where the average asking price is under €700 per square meter, with some edging close to €500.

The Algarve, located on Portugal's south coast, is a proper picture-postcard spot, with gorgeous beaches and a wonderfully laid-back atmosphere. But if you’re thinking about living in the Algarve, there's so much more to it than just the lovely holiday vibes you see in the brochures.

Just a short drive across the 25 de Abril Bridge from Lisbon lies Costa da Caparica, a coastal city with a distinct, relaxed identity.

Tomar feels as if it’s been plucked from a medieval epic and set down gently on the banks of the Nabão River.

As the largest and most populated island in the Azores, this speck of Portugal in the middle of the Atlantic offers a life quite unlike any on the mainland. It’s not hard to see why it earned the nickname ‘Green Island’.

Just a short drive up the coast from Lisbon lies Ericeira, a traditional fishing town that has earned its place on the global map. As Europe’s only World Surfing Reserve, it's a spot where cobbled streets and blue-and-white houses meet a deeply ingrained, laid-back surf culture.