City comparison
Cascais vs Lisbon: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Cascais is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €50 a month less than Lisbon, mostly because of rent. Both are in Portugal, so the visa rules, taxes and healthcare system are the same: the choice comes down to cost, climate and lifestyle.
Choose Cascais for
- Family life
- Calm, slower pace
- English-friendliness
- Safety
- Lower living costs
Choose Lisbon for
- Culture
- Nightlife
- Affordability
- Sunny, warm climate
Cascais vs Lisbon at a glance
| Cascais | Lisbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Portugal | Portugal |
| Single budget / month | €2,050 | €2,100 |
| Couple budget / month | €3,050 | €3,050 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,300 | €1,400 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 15°C / 60°F | 16°C / 60°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 25°C / 77°F | 28°C / 82°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 3,089 | 2,875 |
| City size | Mid-size city | Capital / metropolis |
| Coastal | Yes | Yes |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Cascais or Lisbon?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €2,050 a month for one person in Cascais and €2,100 in Lisbon, rent included. For a couple it’s €3,050 vs €3,050, and for a family of four €4,300 vs €4,500.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,300 in Cascais against €1,400 in Lisbon, while a monthly transit pass costs - vs €40. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 15°C (60°F) in Cascais and 16°C (60°F) in Lisbon. In summer it’s roughly 25°C vs 28°C. Cascais gets about 3,089 hours of sunshine a year and Lisbon about 2,875.
3,089 hours of sunshine a year · 636 mm of rain a year · Source: Monte Estoril 1931-1960 normals (IPMA) via the Wikipedia climate table; older normals, so treat as approximate
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15°C / 59°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| Feb | 16°C / 60°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| Mar | 17°C / 63°F | 11°C / 51°F |
| Apr | 19°C / 67°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| May | 21°C / 69°F | 13°C / 56°F |
| Jun | 24°C / 74°F | 16°C / 60°F |
| Jul | 26°C / 78°F | 17°C / 63°F |
| Aug | 26°C / 79°F | 17°C / 63°F |
| Sep | 25°C / 77°F | 17°C / 62°F |
| Oct | 22°C / 72°F | 15°C / 58°F |
| Nov | 18°C / 65°F | 12°C / 53°F |
| Dec | 16°C / 60°F | 9°C / 49°F |
2,875 hours of sunshine a year · 794 mm of rain a year · Source: IPMA 1991-2020 normals (Lisbon, Instituto Geofisico D. Luis) with DWD sunshine, via the Wikipedia climate table
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15°C / 59°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| Feb | 16°C / 62°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| Mar | 19°C / 66°F | 11°C / 52°F |
| Apr | 20°C / 69°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| May | 23°C / 74°F | 14°C / 58°F |
| Jun | 26°C / 79°F | 17°C / 62°F |
| Jul | 28°C / 83°F | 18°C / 65°F |
| Aug | 29°C / 84°F | 19°C / 66°F |
| Sep | 27°C / 80°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Oct | 23°C / 73°F | 15°C / 60°F |
| Nov | 18°C / 65°F | 12°C / 53°F |
| Dec | 15°C / 60°F | 9°C / 49°F |
Daily life
Cascais is a mid-size city on the coast; Lisbon is a capital / metropolis on the coast. Cascais is the seaside town where many of Lisbon's international families live: beaches, good schools and a train to the capital in under an hour. It is one of the most expensive places to rent in Portugal. Lisbon is the best-connected and most international city in Portugal, with sunshine, a big nomad scene and direct flights to the US. It is also the most expensive Portuguese city and the one with the tightest housing, so budget for rent first.
Living in Cascais: the upsides and downsides
- Beaches and a seaside promenade on the train line to Lisbon
- International schools and a large English-speaking community
- Very safe and family-friendly
- Downside: Rents above Lisbon's by some measures
- Downside: Summer weekends get crowded
Living in Lisbon: the upsides and downsides
- Direct flights to many US and Canadian cities
- Largest English-speaking and nomad community in Portugal
- Sunny, mild winters and beaches within 30 to 45 minutes
- Downside: Rents have risen faster than local salaries
- Downside: Hilly streets and cobbles make parts of the city tiring on foot
Visas and residency
Both cities are in Portugal, so you’d use the same residence routes either way:
- Portugal D2 Visa (Independent Worker and Entrepreneur) - Freelance visa, open
- Portugal D7 Visa (Passive Income Visa) - Passive income visa, open, €920/mo income
- Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa - Digital nomad visa, open, €3,680/mo income
- Portugal Golden Visa (ARI Investor Residence) - Golden visa, open, €500,000 investment
Read the full guides: living in Cascais and living in Lisbon.
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Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 56 cities we cover. Methodology.