Living in Arroios, Lisbon (2026)

What does it cost to live in Arroios? The key numbers

What is it like to live in Arroios?

Arroios runs along the long Avenida Almirante Reis, from Intendente and Anjos up to Alameda. It is one of the most mixed parts of Lisbon, with Portuguese, Indian, Bangladeshi, Brazilian and African communities, many restaurants, cafés and small galleries, and a growing number of young foreign renters. It is on the Green line and a short ride from Rossio. Streets differ a lot, and parts of Intendente are still rough.

Who is Arroios for?

How much is rent in Arroios in 2026?

A one-bedroom flat in Arroios is advertised at about 1,220 to 1,490 EUR a month, and a three-bedroom at about 2,030 to 2,490 EUR. That is 22.6 EUR per square metre (idealista price report, Arroios freguesia average, June 2026) on a 60 m² and a 100 m² flat, plus or minus 10%.

The official figure is lower: the official median rent of new contracts, applied to a 60 m² flat, in the 12 months to June 2026 in the Arroios freguesia (1,573 new contracts in 2025) was 1,000 EUR a month, or 16.7 EUR per square metre (INE, Statistics Portugal, 12 months to June 2026, Arroios freguesia), the 15th highest of the 19 places we compare. It is lower than the asking price because it covers every new contract signed over the 12 months, including older and smaller flats, and landlords usually advertise above the rent they finally agree. INE publishes it per square metre, so we scale it to 60 m². Arriving now, budget against the asking price.

A room in a shared flat costs about 550 EUR a month across Lisbon (idealista room-rental report, Q2 2026).

Is rent capped in Arroios?

Partly. Portugal has no rent control zones and no rent index: for a flat that has not been let in the last five years, the landlord can ask any starting rent in Lisbon.

For a flat that was let under a contract in the previous five years, the Mais Habitação law (Lei 56/2023) says the new rent cannot be more than the last rent plus 2%, plus any yearly updates the last contract left unused, but only where the last rent was above the state's Arrendamento Acessível ceiling for that kind of flat; below that ceiling the rent can be agreed freely. That limit is written to run to the end of 2029, but a Government bill that Parliament passed in principle on 30 September 2026 would scrap it for new contracts, and it is not law yet. 56% for 2027.

How much does it cost to buy in Arroios?

Homes in Arroios sold at a median of 4,776 EUR per square metre (INE median sale price, 12 months to March 2026), the 16th most expensive of the 19 places we compare. On the same benchmark sizes:

• One bedroom, 60 m²: 258,000 to 315,000 EUR
• Three bedrooms, 100 m²: 430,000 to 525,000 EUR

That figure covers the Arroios freguesia, which holds Anjos, Intendente, Almirante Reis and Alameda.

What do you pay on top of the price when buying in Arroios?

Budget roughly 4.6% to 5.2% on top of the price. On a typical 287,000 EUR one-bedroom flat in Arroios that is about 12,000 EUR of IMT and stamp duty (0.8%) plus 1,200 to 2,900 EUR in fees, before any mortgage.

Buying a home in Portugal carries two taxes, both paid before you sign the deed: IMT (Imposto Municipal sobre as Transmissões, the transfer tax) and stamp duty (Imposto do Selo) of 0.8% of the price. IMT depends on the price and on what the home is for. For a home you will live in permanently, 2026 IMT is zero up to 106,346 EUR, then 2% (to 145,470), 5% (to 198,347), 7% (to 330,539) and 8% (to 660,982), each worked out with a fixed amount deducted; from 660,982 to 1,150,853 EUR it is a flat 6% of the whole price, and above that a flat 7.5%. A second home or an investment follows a steeper table that starts at 1%. Buyers aged 35 or under who buy a permanent home pay no IMT or stamp duty up to 330,539 EUR (IMT Jovem), and the normal rates only on the part above it, up to 660,982 EUR.

Non-residents pay more. Since 25 May 2026, a buyer who is not a Portuguese tax resident pays a flat 7.5% IMT on a home from the first euro, with no exemptions, unless they were resident in Portugal at some earlier time. On 600,000 EUR that is 45,000 EUR of IMT, against about 34,200 EUR on the permanent-home table. The difference can be claimed back if you become a Portuguese tax resident within two years of buying, or let the home on the decree's affordable-rent terms. The worked examples below use the permanent-home table, which is what a resident, or someone about to become one, pays (Autoridade Tributária, Lei 73-A/2025 and Decreto-Lei 97/2026, checked October 2026). On top come the Casa Pronta deed-and-registration fee, 375 EUR for a cash purchase and 700 EUR with a mortgage, and a lawyer if you hire one.

On a 287,000 EUR one-bedroom flat in Arroios, the middle of the band above:

• IMT and stamp duty (0.8%): about 12,000 EUR
• Casa Pronta deed and registration, and a lawyer if you hire one: roughly 1,200 to 2,900 EUR
• Buying outright: about 300,000 EUR in total
• With a non-resident mortgage at 70%: about 101,000 EUR of your own money

So the costs on top come to roughly 4.6% to 5.2% of the price. Non-resident lenders generally lend 60–70% of value.

IMT and stamp duty are paid before you sign the deed, with the payment slips from the Portal das Finanças or at the Casa Pronta counter, not afterwards. Rates checked October 2026. This is market information and not tax, legal or financial advice. Confirm anything here with a lawyer before you sign.

How do you get around from Arroios?

Arroios is on the Green line at Arroios, Anjos and Intendente, with the Red line at Alameda, and Avenida Almirante Reis has frequent buses. Rossio is 6 to 10 minutes away by metro, or a 20 to 25-minute walk.

No. Arroios works entirely without a car: metro, bus and bike cover daily life, and parking would cost you more than it saves.

Is Arroios good for families?

Not especially. Families do live in Arroios, but small flats, noise and little green space make it harder than the uptown or suburban options.

Can you live in Arroios in English?

Easily. Arroios has one of the largest international populations in Lisbon and you will hear English every day. Bureaucracy and contracts still run in Portuguese.

Is Arroios safe to live in?

Mostly yes, with a mixed picture. Most of Arroios is an ordinary, lively residential district, but the streets around Intendente and parts of Martim Moniz have a history of street drug dealing and petty crime, which the city has been working to reduce. Look at your exact street at night before you sign.

How does Arroios compare with Avenidas Novas, Alvalade or Parque das Nações?

The residential belt north and east of the centre, on the metro: more practical than picturesque, and cheaper per square metre than the old town.

Asking rent: idealista price report, June 2026, freguesia averages inside the city; for the towns the latest month we could read, named on each town's page. Official rent: INE, Statistics Portugal, 12 months to June 2026, by freguesia and municipality. Sale: INE median sale price, 12 months to March 2026. Minutes: our estimate, door to Rossio by public transport. Exact source and date for each figure are on each area's page.

Arroios or Avenidas Novas?

Arroios is multicultural and creative along Avenida Almirante Reis, at 4,776 EUR/m2 to buy; Avenidas Novas is more formal and corporate around Saldanha, at 6,000. Both are central and on the metro. Living in Avenidas Novas →

Arroios or Alvalade?

Alvalade is calm, planned and family-oriented, near the university, at 5,041 EUR/m2 to buy; Arroios is livelier, more mixed and more creative, closer to Rossio, and cheaper to buy (4,776 EUR/m2) with a rougher edge around Intendente. Living in Alvalade →

Arroios or Parque das Nações?

Opposite in character. Arroios is old, mixed and central; Parque das Nações is new, planned and far from the old centre, with a lot more space, parking and international schools, and at a much higher price to buy. Living in Parque das Nações →

What should you know before moving to Arroios?

• The median sale price rose 14.0% in the year to March 2026, to 4,776 EUR/m2, among the lowest of the central freguesias. (INE)
• Arroios is in relative containment for Alojamento Local, so new holiday lets need the city's authorisation (map updated April 2026). (Lisbon municipal AL regulation)
• The Green metro line stops at Arroios, Anjos and Intendente, and reaches Rossio in under ten minutes. (Metro de Lisboa)

How does Arroios rate on noise, transport, space and the rest?

The same twelve measures on all 19 Lisbon pages, so two can be read side by side. Our own ratings, not official statistics.

Where can you read news about Arroios in English?

Lisbon Expat Daily summarises Lisbon's local press in English every day: rent rules, transport changes, works and closures, and what is on in each bairro. Read today's edition, or get it by email for free below.

Where to go next