Lisbon neighbourhood guide
Welcome to Lisbon! You have finally moved to the Portuguese capital, and it's time to pick one of the lovely, tile-decorated neighborhoods to call home. Freguesia is the official name in Portuguese to delimitate each council area, and bairros are unofficial denominations for neighborhoods, though they might not necessarily correspond to the freguesia areas. Confused? We explain!
Crime rate in Lisbon
Lisbon is one of the safest capitals in Europe, as well as one of the most popular tourist destinations at the moment. In fact, and as a whole, Portugal is an extremely safe country for visitors, having recently ranked 7th in the 2023 Global Peace Index. Organized crime and gang violence were definitely a thing back in the 90s, but today, the majority of concern is towards pickpocketing, especially in popular tourist areas and public transport. Still, just use common sense (as you would in any big city in the world), and the chances of running into any issues are pretty much non-existent.
Parking in Lisbon
The historic area of Lisbon is mainly composed of steep hills and narrow cobblestone streets, and its traditional buildings rarely have parking space included (a feature considered premium for the city center and reserved more popularly for new buildings in the suburbs). Residents usually have to park on the street with a resident's permit. If you have a car and are visiting a central area where you're not a resident, then you need to get a ticket from the nearest pay and display machine. Paid parking in Lisbon is managed by EMEL, arguably the most hated institution in the city, and their hourly rates depend on location. They came up with a color scheme, according to how busy the area is, charging as little as 0.80€/hour for Green Zones and up to 3.00€/hour for Black Zone. For the Green and Yellow (1.20€/hour) zones, it is sometimes possible to get a daily parking ticket for 2.00€ and 3.00€, respectively. As for the EMEL fines, they range from 30.00€ to 60.00€. However, if your vehicle needs to be blocked and towed, you can easily add 70.00€ to the tally in fees.
City Centre: Baixa, Chiado, Rossio & Cais do Sodré
When it comes to convenience, atmosphere and tradition, there's no place better than the neighborhoods of Baixa, Chiado, Rossio and Cais do Sodré. With loads of tourist attractions, these quarters are constantly buzzing with people and things to do — including traditional restaurants like A Brasileira, and the clubs and bars of Cais do Sodré. On the other hand, this is also the most expensive area to live in Lisbon, where a 1BD apartment can go for 2,500€/month. Besides, as these are some of the oldest areas in the Portuguese capital, apartments can be a bit of a mess, and there is a good chance that sound and temperature isolation will be subpar. Finally, as there are barely any locals living here, all services are usually catered to tourists, driving prices up.
Ethnic and cool: Martim Moniz, Intendente, Anjos, Alameda
This area runs along the green line of the local metro system and was once considered suspicious by the more traditional Portuguese natives, as it is highly diverse and multicultural, home to several immigrant communities. However, while back in the day, people from other countries used to rent an apartment and settle here, over-tourism and a rising cost of living have led to many greedy landlords turning their apartments into unofficial dormitories, where sometimes dozens of people have to share the same premises. Be that as it may, expect to hear different languages and be in touch with people from all over the world. It is also home to the hip, young clubs, such as Casa Independente.
Streets of history: Graça, Alfama & Bairro Alto
Steep hills, narrow cobblestone streets and amazing viewpoints make these neighborhoods perfect for expats looking for tradition and history in Lisbon. Beyond tile-decorated buildings with the ubiquitous washing line by the windows, expect a healthy dose of nightlife as well: fado at Alfama and Bairro Alto, and lots of bars in Graça, too. Much like Baixa, Chiado and Rossio, the number of locals living around this area is dwindling by the day, and most services cater to the tourism industry.
By the River: Belém & Alcântara
Belém and Alcântara are lovely spots by the river Tagus, full of historical attractions, such as the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. The area has a calm vibe -- even with the tourists -- and offers just a touch of nightlife since it's very close to LX Factory.
Fancy: Estrela, Príncipe Real, Alvalade & Avenidas Novas
Very close to the city center but with a quieter vibe, these neighborhoods offer prime real estate, standing as the areas where old-money families used to settle. It's a very green area, with plenty of gardens and parks, boutique shops and Michelin-starred restaurants.
Budget-friendlier: Odivelas, Loures & Amadora
Though these areas have become too expensive for the average Portuguese worker, despite having served as some of the most popular districts among the middle class for decades, the likes of Odivelas, Loures or Amadora can still offer a good bargain for budget-savvier expats (rent starting from 900€ for a small 1BD apartment).
