When looking at the top 10 municipalities that have the highest rates of effort when buying a house across the country, the Algarve dominates, according to data from idealista.

Lagos is the city where it is most difficult to buy a house, with the effort rate reaching 150%. The next municipalities with the highest after are Loulé (137%), Albufeira (128%), and Silves (127%), also with effort rates above 100%, which means that the average salary of families living in these municipalities will not be enough to cover the payment of the house. Further down, in 7th and 8th positions, are Faro (99%), and Portimão (91%).

In this ranking, Cascais appears in fifth place, with an effort rate when purchasing a house of 114% of the average family income in the municipality. Next is Funchal (105%) and Lisbon (101%). At the end of the list is the municipality of Nazaré, district of Leiria, where families spend 88% of their average income to pay for their house.

The average income per household, the price of housing and the cost of financing are the factors that determine the effort that a family makes to acquire a house, in addition to requiring sufficient savings to make a down payment on real estate credit.

Municipalities with the lowest effort rates

On the other hand, there are municipalities where the effort rate to buy a house is significantly lower. Idanha-a-Nova (Castelo Branco district) and Vouzela (Viseu district) top the list, with families allocating just 15% of their income to purchasing a house in the summer of 2024.

Next are Moura, in the district of Beja (19%); Soure, in Coimbra (19%); Guard (19%); and Baião, in Porto (21%), in addition to Abrantes, in Santarém (22%). With a slightly higher effort rate, there are Vila Viçosa, in Évora (24%); Macedo de Cavaleiros, in Bragança (25%); and Monção, in Viana do Castelo (25%).