Living in the capital can prove challenging due to high housing prices, a key aspect of the country's housing affordability crisis. This is why municipalities on the outskirts of Lisbon continue to lead the demand for homes for sale, offering the best of both worlds: proximity to the capital and homes available for purchase at lower prices. And the demand for homes in the outskirts appears to be expanding even further, with the municipalities of Leiria gaining prominence.

idealista analysed the 50 most sought-after municipalities for home purchases in Portugal in the second quarter of 2025. Once again, it became clear that municipalities in Greater Lisbon lead the list – there are 12 municipalities in the capital's district and eight in Setúbal, for a total of 20. The top 10 positions are occupied by municipalities on the outskirts of Lisbon, where housing prices are more affordable.

The most sought-after municipality for home purchases is Moita, in the Setúbal district, followed by Amadora, Alenquer, Vila Franca de Xira, and Sintra (all in Lisbon), according to idealista data for the second quarter of 2025. Lisbon was the 12th municipality that generated the most interest from buyers.

Only after this point does the demand for homes for sale begin to become more dispersed throughout Portugal. Paredes, the first municipality in the Porto district, ranks 13th. Besides this, Porto has only five other municipalities among the most searched: Valongo, Maia, Gondomar, Matosinhos, and Vila do Conde. The municipality of Porto is outside the top 50 most sought-after municipalities for home purchases, ranking 59th.

Faro is also not included in this housing demand ranking. In fact, there are only four Algarve municipalities, which are mostly at the bottom of the list measuring interest in homes for sale: Vila Real de Santo António (24th), Portimão (38th), Tavira (47th), and Albufeira (50th). This is no surprise, given that the median house price exceeds 400,000 euros in these four.

On the other hand, the district of Leiria – located less than two hours from Lisbon – stands out, with seven municipalities among the most sought-after for home purchases: Caldas da Rainha, Peniche, Marinha Grande, Leiria, Pombal, Alcobaça, and Óbidos. Leiria is actually the third district with the most municipalities in this top 50, behind only Lisbon and Setúbal. Teleworking, proximity to the capital, and more affordable housing prices help explain this representation of the western coast.

The most recent data from idealista suggests that the trend of searching for homes for sale in the peripheral municipalities of Lisbon, Porto, and Faro will continue to gain relevance and scope in the first half of 2025, as these municipalities have more affordable housing prices than in urban centers.