Aveiro Portugal: The Best Place to Live in 2026?
We’ve travelled across Portugal helping clients relocate — and one city has quietly crept up our list until it’s now number one.
Aveiro.
Known to some as “the Venice of Portugal”, the nickname doesn’t really do it justice. Yes, it has canals and colourful houses, but Aveiro is much more than that. It’s a city that blends coast, culture, and calm — all at a pace that feels genuinely liveable.
sign pointing to Aveiro
The Perfect Location
Aveiro sits halfway between Porto and Coimbra, right where the lagoon meets the Atlantic. You can be at the beach in ten minutes, in Porto in under an hour, or off to Lisbon with barely any effort. It’s coastal, connected and compact — a mix that’s surprisingly rare in Portugal.
Lifestyle and Feel
The city feels clean, relaxed and quietly confident. Traditional blue-tiled buildings sit alongside modern glass apartments, and somehow it all works. You can walk or cycle almost everywhere, and there’s always life in the plazas and cafés without the chaos of bigger cities.
Housing and Cost of Living
Compared with Lisbon, Porto, or Cascais, Aveiro still offers genuine value. Apartments range from roughly €900–€1,200 for a T1, with larger homes available just outside the centre in areas like Ílhavo or Gafanha da Nazaré. Eating out costs much the same as in central Portugal — unless you’re in a touristy spot — and utilities remain manageable.
Connections and Convenience
Aveiro’s public transport is one of the best in the country. You can reach Porto Airport in 45 minutes, hop on a direct train to Coimbra in under 40, and you rarely need a car for day-to-day life.
Food and Community
The city is famous for its sweet ovos moles, but there’s also a thriving café culture and an excellent mix of restaurants — from seafood on the canal to vegetarian cafés tucked down quiet streets. With the university bringing young energy, Aveiro feels lived-in rather than touristy.
Outdoor Living
From the salt flats and flamingos to Costa Nova’s striped beach houses, nature is never far away. It’s flat, so cycling is huge, and the weather offers proper seasons without extremes — mild winters, warm summers, and that Atlantic breeze keeping things comfortable.
Would We Move Here?
If we were starting from scratch, Aveiro would be top of our list. It’s our number one place to live in Portugal right now, and the spot we can genuinely see ourselves retiring to one day.
Aveiro offers something rare — a balance between lifestyle, affordability, and connection that’s increasingly hard to find.
👉 Watch our full video: We Finally Found the Perfect Place to Live in Portugal — And It’s Not Lisbon or Porto. https://youtu.be/fG3uclYS3z8
And if you’re planning your own move, explore our relocation services or book a consultation to find your perfect location.
