Lisboa

Cascais vs Sintra: cost of living compared

versus

Yearly saving in Sintra

€4,872/year

For a single person buying a home, Sintra works out cheaper. A home in Sintra costs €109,260 less.

You will

BuyRent

Household

SingleCoupleFamily

Transport

NonePassCar

Home size (m²)

60 m²

More adjustments

Water use (m³/month)DependantsIncome tax paid per year (€)Household gross monthly income (€)Home price (€)Taxable property value, VPT (€)Down payment (%)Term (years)Interest rate (%)I'm 35 or under and it's my first home (IMT Jovem)

CascaisSintra

Estimated home price · 60 m²€293,340Δ €109,260€184,080

On the day you buy

Down payment€29,334€18,408

Transfer tax (IMT)€10,076€2,713

Stamp duty · purchase€2,347€1,473

Stamp duty · loan€1,584€994

Total upfront€43,341€23,588

Monthly payment€1,016€638

Mortgage payments35 years at 3.00% · 90% financed

€12,192€7,651

€4,541less in Sintra

Property tax (IMI)¹VPT estimated at 50% of price

€513€276

€237less in Sintra

Water, sewage and wasteOfficial tariffs · 4 m³/month

€327€261

€66less in Sintra

ElectricityERSE regulated tariff · 1,469 kWh/year

€380€380

same in both

GasNatural gas, regulated tariff

€243€235

€8less in Sintra

Income tax refunded by the municipalityCascais gives back 0.5%, Sintra gives back 1.5%

€10€30

€20less in Sintra

Total per yearItems with data for both

€13,645€8,773

€4,872less in Sintra

¹ Property tax estimated using a taxable value (VPT) of 50% of market price. Enter the VPT from your property record for an exact figure.

Average rate on new housing loans: 3.00% (August 2026, Banco de Portugal).

Source: Portal das Finanças, taxas de IMI por município · 2025 · Source: Portal das Finanças, participação dos municípios no IRS · 2026 · Source: INE · 2nd quarter of 2026 · Energy: ERSE, October 2026

Beyond the cost

Mortgage payment ÷ 1 × local median gross salary

89%54%

35%better in Sintra

House price rise over 5 yearsMedian sale price (€/m²), over 5 years

+72%+108%

36 pointsrose more in Sintra

Crime rateRecorded crimes per 1 000 residents

24.5/100025.7/1000

1.2/1000better in Cascais

Average commuteOne way to work or school

24 min26 min

2 minbetter in Cascais

Average salary (gross)Average monthly earnings, by place of work

€1,532/month€1,531/month

€1/monthbetter in Cascais

Median salary (gross)Half of workers earn less than this, by place of work

€1,141/month€1,176/month

€35/monthbetter in Sintra

Purchasing power (Portugal = 100)Per-capita index

117.698.9

18.7better in Cascais

PharmaciesPer 1,000 people

0.20/10000.20/1000

same in both

Nearest emergency departmentAverage straight-line distance from where residents live to the nearest hospital emergency department

5.0 km4.1 km

0.9 kmbetter in Sintra

CrèchesPublic, non-profit (IPSS) and private crèches and childminders, children under 3 (above 100: more places than children)

65/10030/100

35/100better in Cascais

Crèche placesTotal crèche places (excluding childminders)

3,6043,958

354better in Sintra

Not-for-profit crèchesShare of places in public, IPSS and misericórdia crèches, free under Creche Feliz

69%51%

18%better in Cascais

Ageing indexOlder people per 100 young (lower = younger)

167127

40better in Sintra

Burnt land over 10 yearsShare of the land that burnt at least once in 10 years

7.6%1.2%

6.4%better in Sintra

Not part of the euro total. Crime: recorded crimes per 1 000 residents (2025). Commute: average one-way trip to work or school (2021).

Cascais and Sintra in the rankings

See where Cascais and Sintra rank on each indicator: home prices, salaries, emergency care, crèches…

Choose the indicator →

Better valueSintra

Cascais → Sintra →