According to a report by idealista, there were several incentives that emerged on the market to encourage the search for and purchase of homes, from falling interest rates to IMT exemptions for young people. But, although the problem of access to housing has already been well identified, the year ends with few legislative initiatives that are really worth promoting the supply of houses for sale in the short and medium term (such as the new land law).

It is in this context that buying a house continues to become more expensive in the country, with house prices rising 10.4% in December 2024 compared to the same month in 2023 (+3.4% in quarterly terms). Thus, buying a house in Portugal now has a median cost of 2,827 euros per square meter (euros/m2) at the end of December 2024, a new historic high in the idealista price index series.

When analysing the evolution of prices of houses for sale in the last year, it is obvious that houses to buy have become more expensive in the 20 district capitals, with Vila Real (21.2%), Évora (17.9%) and Leiria (15.4%) lead the list.

There was also an increase in the value of houses in the last year in Coimbra (14.7%), Setúbal (13.7%), Beja (13.7%), Ponta Delgada (13.3%), Viseu (13.2%), Bragança (13%), Santarém (13%), Braga (12.1%), Funchal (11.1%), Faro (9%), Porto (7.3%), Portalegre (5.6%), Lisbon (5.1%), Guarda (4.7%), Castelo Branco (3.8%), Aveiro (3.2%) and Viana do Castelo (3.2%).

Lisbon continues to be the city where it is most expensive to buy a house: 5,718 euros/m2. Porto (3,705 euros/m2) and Funchal (3,542 euros/m2) occupy second and third place, respectively. Next come Faro (3,157 euros/m2), Aveiro (2,576 euros/m2), Setúbal (2,568 euros/m2), Évora (2,372 euros/m2), Ponta Delgada (2,124 euros/m2), Coimbra (2,093 euros/m2), m2), Braga (1,975 euros/m2), Viana do Castelo (1,949 euros/m2), Leiria (1,632 euros/m2), Viseu (1,587 euros/m2) and Vila Real (1,403 euros/m2).

The most economical cities to buy a house are Guarda (845 euros/m2), Portalegre (860 euros/m2), Castelo Branco (896 euros/m2), Bragança (1,052 euros/m2), Beja (1,088 euros/m2) and Santarém (1,340 euros/m2).