Living in Cascais, Lisbon (2026)

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

What is it like to live in Cascais?

Cascais is a fishing town turned resort, with a marina, a pedestrian old centre, beaches within walking distance and the Boca do Inferno coast. Estoril, next door, has the casino, the sea-front gardens and a more old-fashioned, villa-lined feel. Many foreign families, remote workers and retirees live here for the sea, the schools and the quality of life, and commute to Lisbon by train.

Who is Cascais for?

How much is rent in Cascais in 2026?

A one-bedroom flat in Cascais is advertised at about 1,090 to 1,330 EUR a month, and a three-bedroom at about 1,820 to 2,220 EUR. That is 20.2 EUR per square metre (idealista price report, Cascais municipality average, March 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 Cascais e Estoril freguesia (1,875 new contracts in 2025) was 1,105 EUR a month, or 18.4 EUR per square metre (INE, Statistics Portugal, 12 months to June 2026, the Cascais e Estoril freguesia), the 10th highest of the 19 places we compare. The whole Cascais municipality was 16.83 EUR/m2. 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).

The asking sample for Cascais is thin, so treat the band as a rough guide.

Is rent capped in Cascais?

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 Cascais.

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 Cascais?

Homes in Cascais sold at a median of 5,459 EUR per square metre (INE median sale price, 12 months to March 2026), the 9th most expensive of the 19 places we compare. On the same benchmark sizes:

• One bedroom, 60 m²: 295,000 to 360,000 EUR
• Three bedrooms, 100 m²: 491,000 to 600,000 EUR

That figure covers the Cascais e Estoril freguesia. The whole Cascais municipality was 4,687 EUR/m2.

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

Budget roughly 6.5% to 6.8% on top of the price. On a typical 546,000 EUR three-bedroom flat in Cascais that is about 34,000 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 546,000 EUR three-bedroom flat in Cascais, the middle of the band above:

• IMT and stamp duty (0.8%): about 34,000 EUR
• Casa Pronta deed and registration, and a lawyer if you hire one: roughly 1,200 to 2,900 EUR
• Buying outright: about 581,000 EUR in total
• With a non-resident mortgage at 70%: about 202,000 EUR of your own money

So the costs on top come to roughly 6.5% to 6.8% 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 Cascais?

The CP Cascais line runs from Cascais and Estoril to Cais do Sodré in about 40 minutes, with frequent trains. Rossio is 45 to 55 minutes door to door with a metro change at Cais do Sodré. Most families drive on the A5.

You will want one. Cascais has a train or bus link to Lisbon, so commuting works without a car, but shopping, schools and weekends get easier with one.

Is Cascais good for families?

Yes. Cascais is one of the areas families actually choose. Green space: plenty of green space. Noise: calm most of the time.

International schools nearby: St Dominic's International School (São Domingos de Rana), St Julian's School (Carcavelos, 10 to 15 minutes by car) and CAISL (Linhó, Sintra, about 20 minutes by car).

Can you live in Cascais in English?

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

How does Cascais compare with Carcavelos or Oeiras?

The coastal towns on the Cascais train line, 20 to 40 minutes west of Lisbon, where most international schools are.

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.

Cascais or Carcavelos?

Cascais has the old town, the marina and the charm, at the highest price (5,459 EUR/m2 to buy); Carcavelos is more practical, with the big surf beach, St Julian's and Nova SBE, and ten minutes closer to Lisbon by train. Living in Carcavelos →

Cascais or Oeiras?

Cascais is the resort town with the beaches and charm, 40 minutes from Lisbon; Oeiras is a more practical, corporate municipality 15 to 25 minutes out, with lower official rents (15.75 EUR/m2 against 18.42 in Cascais e Estoril) and sale prices (4,297 against 4,687 for the whole Cascais municipality). Living in Oeiras →

What should you know before moving to Cascais?

• The median sale price in the Cascais e Estoril freguesia was 5,459 EUR/m2 in the 12 months to March 2026, up 5.8% on a year earlier. (INE)
• The median rent of new contracts was 18.42 EUR/m2 in the Cascais e Estoril freguesia and 16.83 in the whole Cascais municipality in the 12 months to June 2026. (INE)
• The CP Cascais line reaches Cais do Sodré in about 40 minutes. (CP)

How does Cascais 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 Cascais 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.

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