Rooms for Rent Are No Longer Just for Displaced Students

Given the high cost of buying and renting housing in Portugal, more and more people are seeking shared homes to live in—such as young professionals at the start of their careers, single or separated individuals, or those facing financial difficulties. In this context, many property owners have decided to focus on this type of housing business, leading to a significant increase in the supply of rooms for rent. At the beginning of 2025, the stock of available rooms rose by 91% compared to the end of last year (when the annual increase was 56%), according to an analysis by idealista, Portugal’s real estate marketplace. However, despite the increase in available rooms, prices have gone up 4% in one year.

Where Has the Supply of Rooms for Rent Increased the Most?

When analyzing the supply of rooms for rent by district capitals and autonomous regions, the data shows a sharp increase over the past year, with six cities seeing growth above 50%.

The largest increase was seen in Coimbra (364%), followed by Porto (137%), Lisbon (128%), Viseu (72%), Portalegre (65%), and Guarda (53%). Other cities with notable growth, although below 50%, include Bragança (36%), Braga (18%), Aveiro (18%), Viana do Castelo (17%), Setúbal (10%), and Leiria (2%).

In Santarém, the supply of rooms remained stable (0%) between early 2025 and the same period last year.

On the other hand, some cities experienced a drop in the supply of rooms for rent, including Évora (-40%), Ponta Delgada (-37%), Vila Real (-27%), Faro (-26%), Castelo Branco (-24%), and Funchal (-21%), according to idealista data.

Supply of Rooms for Rent by District Capital
Change from Q1 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year (%)

District Capital Supply Change (%)
Coimbra 364%
Porto 137%
Lisbon 128%
Viseu 72%
Portalegre 65%
Guarda 53%
Bragança 36%
Braga 18%
Aveiro 18%
Viana do Castelo 17%
Setúbal 10%
Leiria 2%
Santarém 0%
Funchal -21%
Castelo Branco -24%
Faro -26%
Vila Real -27%
Ponta Delgada -37%
Évora -40%

Room Rental Prices Also Increased

Despite the increase in supply, room rental prices rose in 13 of the 19 district capitals and autonomous regions analyzed. The sharpest increase was in Funchal, where room prices are now 50% higher than during the same period last year.

Room rents also increased significantly in Faro (33%), Aveiro (32%), Setúbal (30%), Évora (23%), Braga (17%), Viana do Castelo (17%), and Portalegre (14%). More moderate price increases were seen in Coimbra (10%), Ponta Delgada (10%), Porto (5%), Vila Real (4%), and Leiria (3%). Prices remained stable in Santarém and Viseu.

Conversely, some cities saw room rental prices decrease: Castelo Branco (-23%), Bragança (-15%), Lisbon (-8%), and Guarda (-5%).

Lisbon continues to be the most expensive city for renting a room, with prices around €500 per month, followed by Funchal (€450/month), Porto (€420/month), Faro and Ponta Delgada (both €400/month), Aveiro (€397/month), Setúbal (€390/month), Évora (€370/month), Braga and Viana do Castelo (€350/month), Coimbra (€330/month), and Leiria and Santarém (€300/month).

On the other end of the spectrum, the most affordable cities to rent a room are Guarda (€190/month), Bragança (€200/month), Castelo Branco (€230/month), Portalegre (€250/month), Vila Real (€250/month), and Viseu (€260/month).

Room Rental Prices by District Capital
Median price in March 2025 | Year-on-year variation (%)

District Capital Price (€/month) Change (%)
Funchal 450 50%
Faro 400 33%
Aveiro 397 32%
Setúbal 390 30%
Évora 370 23%
Braga 350 17%
Viana do Castelo 350 17%
Portalegre 250 14%
Ponta Delgada 400 10%
Coimbra 330 10%
Porto 420 5%
Vila Real 250 4%
Leiria 300 3%
Santarém 300 0%
Viseu 260 0%
Guarda 190 -5%
Lisbon 500 -8%
Bragança 200 -15%
Castelo Branco 230 -23%

Who Is Looking for Rooms to Rent?

The data in this analysis shows that room rentals are no longer a housing option exclusively for students, but have also become a solution for young people entering the job market—and sometimes even later in life.

The current rental market reality in major Portuguese cities makes it difficult for many single or separated individuals to afford a full home, making room rentals a more financially viable option.

At the same time, house sharing continues to appeal to many young people looking to gain independence and move out of their parents' homes—a trend likely to grow in the coming years.

Room Rental Data
Source: Freepik

Methodology

This analysis only considered cities with a stable presence on idealista during the analyzed period and with a minimum of 30 listings.

idealista has become a reference for those looking to share a home, thanks to its ease of use and quality information. One popular feature on the platform allows users to search for a flatmate and begin the housing search together, which has proven successful among both Portuguese and foreign users relocating to Portugal and looking for a room before arrival. One of its main advantages is the variety of available language options: in addition to Portuguese, the platform supports English, German, French, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Dutch, Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Danish, Chinese, and Greek.