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Living in Castelo Branco

In Castelo Branco, average gross earnings are €1,295 a month (2024), rents in new contracts average €5.34 per m² a month (2026) and unemployment is 3.3% (2026).

In 2023, the foreign population was 3,819. There were 570 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2024. The unemployment rate was 3.31% in June 2026. Castelo Branco had a population of 56,109 in 2021.

Last checked 2026-09-2316 sources

Population56,109people2021Official source · INE — Portal municipal (quadro)
Average gross salary1,295EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · INE — Ganho médio mensal (€), indicator 0012649 (Quadros de Pessoal)
Average net rent5.34EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.20 — 14% belowOfficial source · www.ine.pt
Unemployment rate3.31%country median 2.3% — 42% aboveIndependent source · IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026
Recorded crime3,280incidents per 100kcountry median 2,730 — 20% aboveOfficial source · INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022

Cheaper rent than 66% of Portuguese cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 86% of Portuguese cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 73% of Portuguese cities that publish it.

Which Portugal-wide rules apply when you move to Castelo Branco?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in PortugalNational rates and thresholds that apply in Castelo Branco.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Castelo Branco?

Average net cold rent is 5.34 EUR/m² per month (2026-Q1), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 5.34 EUR/m²/month · www.ine.pt12
What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Castelo Branco recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€30
Mobile plan, 10 GB€15
Net rent across major citiesCastelo Branco highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Castelo Branco highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Lisbon€17.42
Cascais€16.50
Oeiras€15.42
Almada€13.43
Braga€8.57
Castelo Branco€5.34
Show the other 6 cities
Amadora€13.00
Matosinhos€11.98
Loures€11.73
Sintra€11.24
Vila Nova de Gaia€10.61
Porto€10.15
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited29.99 EUR/month30 Sept 2026MEO fixed fibre7Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB15 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Vodafone Portugal mobile plan11Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)5.34 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.2026 Aug 2026www.ine.pt12Official

Is Castelo Branco a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker59%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 50–68%
Skilled employee65%strong on work, weak on education · range 57–73%
Student57%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 48–66%
Family54%strong on family, weak on education · range 46–62%
Retirement57%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 47–67%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 320 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 5.34 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2026-Q1

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Castelo Branco?

The unemployment rate is about 3.3 % (June 2026).

  • Unemployment rate: 3.31 % · IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202616
Unemployment across cities in PortugalUnemployment in Castelo Branco is 3.3%. Of 279 cities with data, 131 have unemployment of 2 to under 3%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average gross earnings1,295 EUR/month31 Dec 2024INE — Ganho médio mensal (€), indicator 0012649 (Quadros de Pessoal)1Official
Unemployment rate3.31 %country median 2.3%30 Jun 2026IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202616Independent

What does a salary buy in Castelo Branco?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Portugal median gross pay: €1,099 (2022-12-31).
Left over each month€555of €920 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions.€920
Rent, 60 m²€5.34/m² · official · ine.pt · 2026-08-26− €320
Internet€30 · official · MEO fixed fibre · 2026-09-30− €30
Mobile plan€15 · official · Vodafone Portugal mobile plan · 2026-09-30− €15
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€555
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Castelo Branco Salary needed to live in Castelo Branco

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Castelo Branco. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional — Public employment service

Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP)

Job SearchRegistrationTraining
Register Search jobs
Open the Portugal service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Castelo Branco. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Physicians per 100,000 residents570 per 100,0002024Official INE Statistics of Health Personnel indicator 0012837: physicians per 1,000 inhabitants by municipality of residence. Exact municipality row selected by INE DICO geocod; value converted to the requested per-100k unit.8Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Castelo Branco when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Castelo Branco?

Police recorded 3,280 incidents per 100,000 (2022). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

  • Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 3,280 incidents per 100k · INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20223
Recorded crime across major citiesCastelo Branco highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Castelo Branco highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Porto5,240
Lisbon5,090
Almada3,580
Amadora3,330
Castelo Branco3,280
Matosinhos2,910
Loures2,800
Cascais2,700
Sintra2,640
Vila Nova de Gaia2,570
Braga2,440
Oeiras2,380
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents3,280 incidents per 100kcountry median 2,73031 Dec 2022INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20223Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportVSE13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv9Official
Distance to nearest airport105.8 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv9Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Castelo Branco. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

PLA search route through Portal da Oferta Formativa — State Language Course

AIMA / Portal da Oferta Formativa

For migrants seeking Portuguese as a non-native language.

PortugueseCost varies
Open official information

Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA) — State Language Course

AIMA / DGEstE public-school network / IEFP / Centros Qualifica

For migrants aged 16 or older whose mother tongue is not Portuguese, residence-permit holders, people with pending residence/protection/NISS evidence.

PortugueseCEFR A1–B2Cost varies
Open official information
Open the full Portugal section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Castelo Branco.

Find courses near Castelo Branco

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 8.3°C in January and 24.9°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 87.6 mm in January and 6.9 mm in July.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
MetricValuePeriodSource
Average daytime high by monthJan 12.3 · Feb 14.2 · Mar 17.4 · Apr 19.4 · May 23.4 · Jun 28.7 · Jul 32.5 · Aug 32.5 · Sep 27.9 · Oct 21.7 · Nov 15.8 · Dec 12.7 °C31 Dec 2020IPMA climate normal — mean monthly maximum air temperature, Castelo Branco, 1991-20206Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 4.2 · Feb 5 · Mar 7.3 · Apr 8.8 · May 11.7 · Jun 15 · Jul 17.4 · Aug 17.7 · Sep 15.4 · Oct 12.1 · Nov 7.8 · Dec 5.1 °C31 Dec 2020IPMA climate normal — mean monthly minimum air temperature, Castelo Branco, 1991-20206Official
Average temperature by monthJan 8.3 · Feb 9.6 · Mar 12.3 · Apr 14.1 · May 17.6 · Jun 21.9 · Jul 24.9 · Aug 25.1 · Sep 21.7 · Oct 16.9 · Nov 11.8 · Dec 8.9 °C31 Dec 2020IPMA climate normal — mean monthly air temperature, Castelo Branco, 1991-20206Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 87.6 · Feb 66.5 · Mar 70.9 · Apr 65.1 · May 53.8 · Jun 17.4 · Jul 6.9 · Aug 6.7 · Sep 39.4 · Oct 114.9 · Nov 110.7 · Dec 104.5 mm31 Dec 2020IPMA climate normal — mean monthly precipitation, Castelo Branco, 1991-20206Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 1,438.2 km² in 2021. Population density was 39 people per km² in 2021.

How many people live in Castelo Branco?

The published population was 56,109 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro)2

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area1,438 km²2021INE — Portal municipal (quadro)2Official
Foreign residents3,819 people2023Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value.15Independent
Population density39.01 people/km²2021Reproducible derived density from the same-period INE populationTotal divided by areaKm2; no external density number was substituted.10Official
Population56,109 people2021INE — Portal municipal (quadro)2Official

International community in Castelo Branco

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Resident population at the 19 April 2021 Census reference date; total sex (HM) and total age; source-native indicator universe · 2021-04-19

Published groupPeopleShare
Total52,272100.0%
Portuguesa48,12692.1%
Estrangeira4,1467.9%
Europa1,7933.4%
União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020)1,3602.6%
África1,2572.4%
França9981.9%
América8011.5%
Brasil6811.3%
Angola6391.2%
Outros países - Europa4330.8%
Show 44 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Moçambique3110.6%
Ásia2930.6%
Reino Unido1770.3%
Ucrânia1320.3%
Índia1300.2%
Alemanha1220.2%
Cabo Verde990.2%
Suíça950.2%
Guiné-Bissau880.2%
Roménia740.1%
Outros países - Ásia640.1%
Espanha610.1%
Outros países - África510.1%
Paquistão450.1%
Venezuela400.1%
África do Sul400.1%
Países Baixos (Reino dos)380.1%
China350.1%
Estados Unidos da América300.1%
São Tomé e Príncipe290.1%
Outros países - América270.1%
Bélgica150.0%
Canadá150.0%
Nepal150.0%
Federação da Rússia140.0%
Luxemburgo110.0%
Moldávia110.0%
Bulgária100.0%
Argentina80.0%
Suécia80.0%
Itália60.0%
Polónia60.0%
Bangladeche40.0%
Outros40.0%
Finlândia30.0%
Irlanda30.0%
Oceânia20.0%
Outros países - Oceânia10.0%
Austrália10.0%
Chéquia10.0%
Estónia10.0%
Grécia10.0%
Lituânia10.0%
Malta10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source5

Citizenship

Resident population at the 19 April 2021 Census reference date; total sex (HM) and total age; source-native indicator universe · 2021-04-19

Published groupPeopleShare
Total52,272100.0%
Portuguesa50,51396.6%
Estrangeira1,7593.4%
América6021.2%
Europa5981.1%
Brasil5491.1%
União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020)3060.6%
África2930.6%
Outros países - Europa2920.6%
Ásia2660.5%
Reino Unido1660.3%
Show 42 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Índia1170.2%
Ucrânia980.2%
Angola950.2%
França910.2%
Guiné-Bissau790.2%
Roménia610.1%
Outros países - Ásia550.1%
Cabo Verde550.1%
Paquistão400.1%
China360.1%
Alemanha360.1%
Países Baixos (Reino dos)290.1%
Espanha280.1%
Outros países - África240.0%
Estados Unidos da América220.0%
Outros países - América180.0%
Itália170.0%
Moçambique170.0%
São Tomé e Príncipe160.0%
Nepal140.0%
Suíça130.0%
Bulgária100.0%
Federação da Rússia90.0%
Bélgica80.0%
Suécia70.0%
África do Sul70.0%
Argentina60.0%
Polónia50.0%
Bangladeche40.0%
Canadá40.0%
Irlanda40.0%
Moldávia30.0%
Venezuela30.0%
Outros30.0%
Estónia20.0%
Finlândia20.0%
Chéquia10.0%
Dinamarca10.0%
Grécia10.0%
Lituânia10.0%
Luxemburgo10.0%
Malta10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source4

Alternatives for people set on Castelo Branco

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Amarante as a Castelo Branco alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 168 km, better on 4 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,010 Amarante vs 3,280 Castelo Branco−39%
  • Rent: €4.63/m² Amarante vs €5.34/m² Castelo Branco−13%
  • Nearest airport: 29.9 km Amarante vs 105.8 km Castelo Branco−72%
  • Unemployment: 2.9% Amarante vs 3.3% Castelo Branco−14%
  • Residents: 52,264 Amarante vs 56,109 Castelo Branco−7%
Full comparisonMore about Amarante

Cities near Castelo Branco

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Idanha-a-Nova 24.5 km away
Rent
3.23 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26

Alternative cities in Portugal

Other cities in Portugal to compare with Castelo Branco, nearest in population first.

All Portugal cities
Paços de Ferreira56,340 residentsPortimão55,614 residentsAlcobaça55,597 residentsOvar55,398 residentsPombal55,217 residentsFelgueiras58,065 residents

How does Castelo Branco compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Castelo Branco's.

Open the full comparison

Castelo Branco in rankings

#22 of 30 in Cheapest cities to rent in Portugal

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 18, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: PLNM (Português Língua Não Materna). How to enrol a child (gov.pt).

A country-wide rule for Portugal; Castelo Branco's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Put Castelo Branco's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Castelo Branco?

The published population was 56,109 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro).

How much does it cost to rent in Castelo Branco?

Average net cold rent is 5.34 EUR/m² per month (2026-Q1), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 374 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.ine.pt.

How safe is Castelo Branco?

Police recorded 3,280 incidents per 100,000 (2022). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022.

What is the unemployment rate in Castelo Branco?

The unemployment rate is about 3.3 % (June 2026). Source: IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.

How many foreign residents live in Castelo Branco?

3,819 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value..

Is Castelo Branco a good place to live?

Castelo Branco may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Castelo Branco?

Idanha-a-Nova is near Castelo Branco. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Portuguesa live in Castelo Branco?

The official country of birth distribution records 48,126 people (92.1%) in the source-defined population for 2021-04-19. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Castelo Branco, Portugal: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 4ab4d3bbd9f05fa4a095fa7db0755ae3]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/castelo-branco/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_castelo-branco-portugal-population-rent-salary-jobs_c2d80d3b2ca6,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Castelo Branco, Portugal: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {4ab4d3bbd9f05fa4a095fa7db0755ae3},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/castelo-branco/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Castelo Branco, Portugal: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/castelo-branco/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 4ab4d3bbd9f05fa4a095fa7db0755ae3; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. INE — Ganho médio mensal (€), indicator 0012649 (Quadros de Pessoal) INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-09-23
  2. INE — Portal municipal (quadro) INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-14
  3. INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022 INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-31
  4. Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014632 nationality ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
  5. Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014633 country of birth ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
  6. IPMA climate normal — mean monthly maximum air temperature, Castelo Branco, 1991-2020 IPMA climate normal · ipma.pt · checked 2026-07-26
  7. MEO fixed fibre meo.pt · checked 2026-09-15
  8. Official INE Statistics of Health Personnel indicator 0012837: physicians per 1,000 inhabitants by municipality of residence. Exact municipality row selected by INE DICO geocod; value converted to the requested per-100k unit. ine.pt · checked 2026-07-15
  9. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  10. Reproducible derived density from the same-period INE populationTotal divided by areaKm2; no external density number was substituted. ine.pt · checked 2026-07-15
Show 6 more sources
  1. Vodafone Portugal mobile plan vodafone.pt · checked 2026-09-15
  2. www.ine.pt ine.pt · checked 2026-08-26
  3. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  4. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  5. Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value. pordata.pt · checked 2026-07-15
  6. IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026 IEFP · iefp.pt · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.