Living in Estrela, Lisbon (2026)

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

What is it like to live in Estrela?

Estrela is built around the neoclassical basilica and the Jardim da Estrela, with a playground, a pond and a bandstand. Lapa, just below, is an enclave of embassies, palaces and large old flats with views over the river. Residents are diplomats, well-off Portuguese families and a large foreign community. It is one of the calmest central areas.

Who is Estrela for?

How much is rent in Estrela in 2026?

A one-bedroom flat in Estrela is advertised at about 1,270 to 1,560 EUR a month, and a three-bedroom at about 2,120 to 2,600 EUR. That is 23.6 EUR per square metre (idealista price report, Estrela 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 Estrela freguesia (922 new contracts in 2025) was 1,200 EUR a month, or 20 EUR per square metre (INE, Statistics Portugal, 12 months to June 2026, Estrela freguesia), the 2nd 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 Estrela?

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 Estrela?

Homes in Estrela sold at a median of 5,833 EUR per square metre (INE median sale price, 12 months to March 2026), the 7th most expensive of the 19 places we compare. On the same benchmark sizes:

• One bedroom, 60 m²: 315,000 to 385,000 EUR
• Three bedrooms, 100 m²: 525,000 to 642,000 EUR

That figure covers the Estrela freguesia, which holds Estrela, Lapa, Madragoa and Santos.

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

Budget roughly 6.6% to 6.9% on top of the price. On a typical 584,000 EUR three-bedroom flat in Estrela that is about 38,000 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 584,000 EUR three-bedroom flat in Estrela, the middle of the band above:

• IMT and stamp duty (0.8%): about 38,000 EUR
• Casa Pronta deed and registration, and a lawyer if you hire one: roughly 1,200 to 2,900 EUR
• Buying outright: about 622,000 EUR in total
• With a non-resident mortgage at 70%: about 217,000 EUR of your own money

So the costs on top come to roughly 6.6% to 6.9% 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 Estrela?

Estrela is served by trams 28E and 25E, buses and the Rato metro station on the Yellow line, with the CP Cascais line at Santos. Lapa, higher up the hill towards the river, relies on buses and taxis. Rossio is 15 to 20 minutes away.

Not really. Estrela is workable without a car for everyday life, though you will notice the ride into the centre more than in the Baixa.

Is Estrela good for families?

Yes. Estrela is one of the areas families actually choose. Green space: parks, gardens or hills on every side. Noise: properly quiet.

Can you live in Estrela in English?

Easily. Estrela 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 Estrela compare with Campo de Ourique?

Two calm residential neighbourhoods west of the centre, with gardens, markets and trams, and few tourists. Families like both.

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.

Estrela or Campo de Ourique?

Campo de Ourique is the self-contained grid with the market and independent shops, a bit cheaper (22.6 EUR/m2 asking against 23.6); Estrela and Lapa are leafier and grander, with the garden, the embassies and river views, and are better connected by the Santos train and Rato metro. Living in Campo de Ourique →

What should you know before moving to Estrela?

• The median sale price in Estrela was 5,833 EUR/m2 in the 12 months to March 2026, up 6.4% on a year earlier. (INE)
• Estrela 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 Assembleia da República (Portugal's parliament) and many embassies are in the freguesia. (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa)

How does Estrela 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 Estrela 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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