Living in Graça, Lisbon (2026)

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

What is it like to live in Graça?

Graça is higher and calmer than the riverside old town. It has the Miradouro da Graça and the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, a Tuesday and Saturday flea market nearby, neighbourhood cafés and long-time Lisbon families as well as newer renters. It is still hilly and the buildings are old, but it feels more like a place to live than a place to visit.

Who is Graça for?

How much is rent in Graça in 2026?

A one-bedroom flat in Graça is advertised at about 1,210 to 1,480 EUR a month, and a three-bedroom at about 2,020 to 2,460 EUR. That is 22.4 EUR per square metre (idealista price report, São Vicente 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 São Vicente freguesia (829 new contracts in 2025) was 1,106 EUR a month, or 18.4 EUR per square metre (INE, Statistics Portugal, 12 months to June 2026, São Vicente freguesia), the 9th 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 Graça?

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 Graça?

Homes in Graça sold at a median of 4,954 EUR per square metre (INE median sale price, 12 months to March 2026), the 13th most expensive of the 19 places we compare. On the same benchmark sizes:

• One bedroom, 60 m²: 268,000 to 327,000 EUR
• Three bedrooms, 100 m²: 446,000 to 545,000 EUR

That figure covers the São Vicente freguesia, which holds Graça and the area around the Panteão Nacional.

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

Budget roughly 4.7% to 5.3% on top of the price. On a typical 298,000 EUR one-bedroom flat in Graça that is about 13,000 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 298,000 EUR one-bedroom flat in Graça, the middle of the band above:

• IMT and stamp duty (0.8%): about 13,000 EUR
• Casa Pronta deed and registration, and a lawyer if you hire one: roughly 1,200 to 2,900 EUR
• Buying outright: about 311,000 EUR in total
• With a non-resident mortgage at 70%: about 105,000 EUR of your own money

So the costs on top come to roughly 4.7% to 5.3% 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 Graça?

Graça sits on the hill east of the Baixa. Tram 28E climbs through it, and the Green line stops at Martim Moniz and Intendente, a 10 to 15-minute walk downhill. Rossio is 10 to 20 minutes away depending on whether you walk down or catch the tram.

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

Is Graça good for families?

It works. Families live well in Graça, though it is not built around them. Green space: a park or two. Noise: calm most of the time.

Can you live in Graça in English?

Mostly. Graça has a sizeable international community, so English speakers are easy to find, but shops, doctors and landlords default to Portuguese.

How does Graça compare with Alfama or Baixa?

Lisbon's old centre: the hills east of the Baixa and the flat grid beneath them. All three are on foot and by tram, and none has much space.

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.

Graça or Alfama?

Alfama is down by the river, more touristy and more of a maze; Graça is higher up the same hill, calmer and more local, with the Feira da Ladra at its foot. Asking rents are lower in São Vicente (22.4 EUR/m2) than in Santa Maria Maior (25.0). Living in Alfama →

Graça or Baixa?

The Baixa is the flat, central transport hub with the crowds; Graça is a calmer hillside neighbourhood a steep walk or a tram ride away, with more residents and fewer visitors. Both sit near 5,000 EUR/m2 to buy. Living in Baixa →

What should you know before moving to Graça?

• The Feira da Ladra flea market runs every Tuesday and Saturday on the Campo de Santa Clara, at the foot of Graça. (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa)
• The median sale price rose 7.2% in the year to March 2026, to 4,954 EUR/m2 in São Vicente. (INE)
• São Vicente is in relative containment for Alojamento Local: new holiday lets need the city's authorisation (map updated April 2026). (Lisbon municipal AL regulation)

How does Graça 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 Graça 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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