If you want to live in a cheaper city, you need to shift away from larger cities, where living costs are higher. The following list comprises medium-sized cities in Portugal with more than 35,000 people but less than 100,000. These cities have infrastructure and services like hospitals, shops, public transportation, and fun things to do. Most of them are in the interior of Portugal, but a few are on the coast.
Bragança
About 35,000 people live in Braganca, in the northern part of Portugal, specifically in the district of Braganca. The stunning scenery of the Natural Park of Montesinho in the northeastern transmontane region surrounds them. It is an affordable place to live in Portugal. It has good health and entertainment options, like museums, gardens, theaters, and shops. The best thing about Braganca is that it has the cheapest rent of all the cities we looked at.
Castelo Branco
Castelo Branco is in the central part of Portugal, close to the border with Spain. The city has about 56 thousand people and a direct train line to Lisbon that takes about 2:30 hours. There are places to rent that aren’t too expensive, and the area has everything you need to live well, like hospitals, shops, and services.
Caldas da Rainha
Caldas da Rainha is in the central part of Portugal, in the district of Leiria. It is home to about 52,000 people, has very low prices, and is a good choice for people who want to be close to the Portuguese capital but don’t want to pay the high prices of the metropolitan area. The city is known for its healing hot springs, which draw people from all over Portugal and Europe.
Vila Real
With about 51,000 people, Vila Real is a city in Portugal’s north that stands out as one of the most affordable places to live. It’s a good place to go if you’re looking for a quiet place with good-quality infrastructure and good road connections to Porto. The prices are also very good.
Viseu
In the middle of the country, Viseu has about 96 thousand people and is the biggest city on the list of the 10 cheapest places to live. According to a Portuguese Affiliation for Consumer Protection (DECO) study, it is the first of Portugal’s 18 district capitals with the best quality of life. It is the 17th city in Europe with the best quality of life out of the 76 cities that participated in the study.
Aside from being one of the least expensive cities in Portugal, it has a good system of hospitals and medical centers, museums, parks and gardens, businesses, shopping, theater, and art galleries. Viseu is full of old buildings and places where people dug for treasures. Porto International Airport is about 140 km away.
Santarém
Santarém is a city in the same-named district, about 80 kilometers from Lisbon. It is one of the least expensive cities in Portugal, and it has general hospitals and medical centers, as well as a lot of shops, gardens, and historical sites.
The city also has an aquatic complex where there are a lot of summer activities. Santarém is recognized as the Capital of the Gothic, and The city is full of churches and other buildings in this style. The Scallabis Roman Temple and the Santarém Castle are also important historical places.
Évora
Évora is among the oldest cities in Europe. It is also known as the Museum City, and UNESCO has named its historic center a World Heritage Site. This makes Évora, one of the cheapest places to live in Portugal, an interesting choice. The city, which is in the Alentejo region, has a lot of historical sites and museums, good health care services, business infrastructure, cheap rents, and public transportation.
Portimão
Portimao is among the cheapest cities in Portugal and is in the country’s hottest part. So, it is the best place to live on the Portuguese coast if you require to be close to the most beautiful beaches. The city is growing and getting more and more popular. But even though it is a small town, it has all types of services, hospitals, businesses, and fun things to do. Living in the Algarve is like being on vacation every day of the year.
Viana do Castelo
Viana do Castelo is a fairly developed city on the northern coast of Portugal. It has about 88,000 people and a direct train line to Porto. The city has a beautiful old town, and fishing is one of the most popular things to do there. The low cost of living and decent infrastructure make it a good choice for people who require to live in one of the cheapest and best cities in Portugal.
Aveiro
The low living costs and other benefits of the city of Aveiro, in the middle of Portugal and the capital of the same-named district, have attracted new people to move there. It is also on the coast and has about 78,000 people and great infrastructure. Not only does it have a lot of students, but it is the cheapest place to live in Portugal, which has led to many immigrant families moving there.