What €600–€700 a Month Really Buys You in Portugal (2026 Reality Check)

We had a client reach out recently with a very specific ask.

They were hoping to rent a T1 apartment in one of Portugal’s larger cities for around €600–€700 a month.
They’d done their research. Or so they thought.

The source?
YouTube.

And this is where we need to pause and gently reset expectations.

Let’s Be Honest About That Budget

€600–€700 used to stretch further in Portugal.
It still does in very specific situations, but not in the way many videos suggest.

If you are seeing content that says you can easily rent a modern, legal, long-term apartment in Lisbon, Porto, Setúbal, or similar cities at that price… that information is out of date, incomplete, or missing key context.

So what does €600–€700 actually buy you in 2026?

In the Big Cities (Lisbon, Porto, Setúbal)

At this budget, you are likely looking at:

• A room, not a full apartment

• A studio in poor condition, often far from the centre

• A property with no proper contract (a major visa issue)

• Short-term or informal arrangements

• Older buildings with limited insulation, heating, or basic comforts

And crucially:
👉 Very few options that are legal, registered with Finanças, and suitable for visa purposes

This is where many people get caught out.

In Smaller Cities & Towns

Here’s where the picture changes, but not magically.

€600–€700 can still work if you are open to:

• Smaller cities such as Coimbra, Guarda, Castelo Branco, parts of the interior

• Older properties rather than renovated, Instagram-ready flats

• Locations slightly outside the historic centre

• Limited supply and high competition

Even then, expectations still matter. You may get a basic T1 or a compact T0, but not with all the extras many videos imply. We placed a Client in Coimbra earlier this year, his T0 (studio) costs €725 a month. Brand new and modern. You can get an apartment for that in Coimbra if you look in the right places, but expect it to be old, noisy, cold and damp.

(Our lovely client Nikolas and his TO in Coimbra - great location, brand new for €725)

The YouTube Problem (Said Kindly)

A lot of relocation content online mixes together:

• Prices from 2018–2021

• Short-term or seasonal rentals

• Owner-to-owner deals that aren’t replicable

• Listings that were never visa-compliant in the first place

None of that helps when you are trying to build a real life, not just a good story.

The Bigger Truth

Your budget isn’t “wrong”. But location, size, condition, and legality all compete with each other.

If you want:

• A big city

• A long-term contract

• Visa-compliant paperwork

• A private apartment

Something has to give. Usually, it’s either budget or location.

Why We Manage Expectations Early

This is exactly why we talk things through before anyone starts viewing properties.

Not to crush dreams.
But to stop people wasting months chasing rentals that simply don’t exist anymore.

Portugal is still achievable.
Just not on the version of Portugal that lives on old YouTube videos.

If you want help understanding what your budget really unlocks today, and where it will work best, that’s the kind of conversation we have every week.

And it saves people a lot of stress.