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Living in Penela

Penela is in Portugal; its population was 5,983 in 2021. In 2023, the foreign population was 542.

Cheaper rent than 65% of Portuguese cities that publish it, lower unemployment than 74% of Portuguese cities that publish it and less recorded crime than 78% of Portuguese cities that publish it.

Which Portugal-wide rules apply when you move to Penela?

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 Penela.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Penela?

Average net cold rent is 5.45 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): 5.45 EUR/m²/month · www.ine.pt11

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Penela yet.

Net rent across major citiesPenela highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Penela highlighted€16.50Cascais€15.42Oeiras€13.43Almada€13.00Amadora€11.98Matosinhos€11.73Loures€11.33Seixal€11.24Sintra€10.61Vila Nova de Gaia€10.15Porto€8.57Braga€5.45Penelanet rent, € / m² / month
MetricValuePeriodSource
Average net rent (nettokalt)5.45 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.1926 Aug 2026www.ine.pt11Official

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 327 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 5.45 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

The unemployment rate was 1.77% in June 2026.

What is the unemployment rate in Penela?

The unemployment rate is about 1.8 % (June 2026).

  • Unemployment rate: 1.77 % · IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202613
Unemployment across cities in PortugalUnemployment in Penela is 1.8%. Of 251 cities with data, 118 have unemployment of 2 to under 3%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Portugal per band6 cities: 0% to under 1%60–176 cities: 1% to under 2%761–2Penela 1.8%118 cities: 2% to under 3%1182–341 cities: 3% to under 4%413–44 cities: 4% to under 5%44–52 cities: 5% to under 6%25–61 city: 6% to under 7%16–71 city: 7% to under 8%17–81 city: 9% to under 10%19–101 city: 12% to under 13%112–13

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate1.77 %country median 2.3%30 Jun 2026IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202613Independent

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Penela. 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 Penela. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Physicians per 100,000 residents320 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 Penela 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 Penela?

Police recorded 2,250 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: 2,250 incidents per 100k · INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20224
Recorded crime across major citiesPenela highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Penela highlighted5,240Porto3,580Almada3,330Amadora2,910Matosinhos2,800Loures2,700Cascais2,640Sintra2,570Vila Nova de Gaia2,440Braga2,380Oeiras2,250Penela2,170Seixalrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents2,250 incidents per 100kcountry median 2,71531 Dec 2022INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20224Official

Mobility and administration

The nearest airport was VSE, 87.6 km away in June 2026.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportVSE13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv9Official
Distance to nearest airport87.6 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv9Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Penela. 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.

Portuguesevaries
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–B2varies
Open official information
Open the full Portugal section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Penela.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Penela average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND29°5°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Penela average monthly precipitation, mm03570105140114817585652691550115122111JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Penela annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit154020.0PM1010409.0NO₂µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM10 across cities in PortugalWhere Penela lands among 47 measured cities
annual PM10, µg/m³ · measured cities in Portugal per band17–818–929–10110–11111–12212–13113–14314–15315–16216–17417–18618–19719–20620–21Penela 20.0222–23223–24124–25128–29139–40

annual PM10, µg/m³ · cities per band

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — PT NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Instituto Geofísico de Coimbra)1Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean20 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — PT PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Instituto Geofísico de Coimbra)2Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by monthJan 15 · Feb 16.4 · Mar 19.1 · Apr 20.5 · May 23.3 · Jun 26.3 · Jul 28.5 · Aug 29.1 · Sep 27.4 · Oct 23.2 · Nov 18 · Dec 15.6 °C31 Dec 1991IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação COIMBRA (Bencanta) (nº 707)7Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 5.2 · Feb 5.5 · Mar 7.8 · Apr 9.4 · May 11.8 · Jun 14.2 · Jul 15.6 · Aug 15.7 · Sep 14.1 · Oct 11.9 · Nov 8.3 · Dec 6.2 °C31 Dec 1991IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação COIMBRA (Bencanta) (nº 707)7Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 10.1 · Feb 11 · Mar 13.5 · Apr 14.9 · May 17.6 · Jun 20.3 · Jul 22 · Aug 22.4 · Sep 20.7 · Oct 17.6 · Nov 13.2 · Dec 10.9 °C31 Dec 1991IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação COIMBRA (Bencanta) (nº 707)7Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 113.5 · Feb 81 · Mar 75.4 · Apr 84.6 · May 64.7 · Jun 26 · Jul 8.9 · Aug 14.8 · Sep 49.9 · Oct 114.5 · Nov 121.5 · Dec 111.3 mm31 Dec 1991IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação COIMBRA (Bencanta) (nº 707)7Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Portugal

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Portugal cities
Murça5,952 residentsVidigueira5,932 residentsMonchique6,045 residentsMadalena6,049 residentsAljezur5,884 residentsAlandroal5,843 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 134.8 km² in 2021. Population density was 44.4 people per km² in 2021.

How many people live in Penela?

The published population was 5,983 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro)3

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Penela residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport90.9%Foreign residents 9.1%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area134.8 km²2021INE — Portal municipal (quadro)3Official
Foreign residents542 people2023Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value.12Independent
Population density44.38 people/km²2021Reproducible derived density from the same-period INE populationTotal divided by areaKm2; no external density number was substituted.10Official
Population5,983 people2021INE — Portal municipal (quadro)3Official

International community in Penela

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
Total5,440100.0%
Portuguesa4,89490.0%
Estrangeira54610.0%
Europa2835.2%
Outros países - Europa1843.4%
África1542.8%
Reino Unido1432.6%
União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020)991.8%
América771.4%
Angola651.2%
Moçambique571.0%
Show 34 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
França541.0%
Brasil521.0%
Ásia320.6%
Outros países - Ásia210.4%
Alemanha150.3%
Outros países - África140.3%
Suíça140.3%
Ucrânia140.3%
África do Sul130.2%
Estados Unidos da América120.2%
Países Baixos (Reino dos)90.2%
Moldávia80.1%
Bangladeche60.1%
Outros50.1%
Argentina40.1%
Bélgica40.1%
Canadá40.1%
Índia40.1%
Venezuela40.1%
Cabo Verde30.1%
Espanha30.1%
Dinamarca20.0%
Finlândia20.0%
Itália20.0%
Luxemburgo20.0%
Roménia20.0%
Outros países - América10.0%
Chéquia10.0%
Guiné-Bissau10.0%
Irlanda10.0%
Nepal10.0%
Polónia10.0%
Suécia10.0%
São Tomé e Príncipe10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source6

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
Total5,440100.0%
Portuguesa5,11294.0%
Estrangeira3286.0%
Europa2113.9%
Outros países - Europa1683.1%
Reino Unido1412.6%
América651.2%
Brasil521.0%
União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020)430.8%
Ásia320.6%
África200.4%
Show 29 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Outros países - Ásia200.4%
Ucrânia160.3%
Países Baixos (Reino dos)120.2%
França100.2%
Estados Unidos da América90.2%
Outros países - África70.1%
Bangladeche70.1%
Moçambique70.1%
Alemanha60.1%
Outros60.1%
Índia40.1%
Canadá30.1%
Irlanda30.1%
Moldávia30.1%
Angola20.0%
Bélgica20.0%
Suíça20.0%
Dinamarca20.0%
Itália20.0%
Suécia20.0%
África do Sul20.0%
Outros países - América10.0%
Cabo Verde10.0%
Espanha10.0%
Finlândia10.0%
Guiné-Bissau10.0%
Nepal10.0%
Polónia10.0%
Roménia10.0%

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

Is Penela 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 worker71%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 62–80%
Skilled employee76%strong on work, weak on education · range 68–84%
Student64%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 55–73%
Family70%strong on family, weak on education · range 62–78%
Retirement64%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 54–74%
Foreign residents542 people2023Independent source · Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value.
Population5,983 people2021Official source · INE — Portal municipal (quadro)
Average net rent (nettokalt)5.45 EUR/m²/month26 Aug 2026Official source · www.ine.pt
Unemployment rate1.77 %30 Jun 2026Independent source · IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026
NO₂ — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA air quality statistics — PT NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Instituto Geofísico de Coimbra)
PM10 — annual mean20 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA air quality statistics — PT PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Instituto Geofísico de Coimbra)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-26

Common questions

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

How many people live in Penela?

The published population was 5,983 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro).

How much does it cost to rent in Penela?

Average net cold rent is 5.45 EUR/m² per month (2026-Q1), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 382 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.ine.pt.

How safe is Penela?

Police recorded 2,250 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 Penela?

The unemployment rate is about 1.8 % (June 2026). Source: IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.

How many foreign residents live in Penela?

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

Is Penela a good place to live?

Penela 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.

How many people born in Europa live in Penela?

The official country of birth distribution records 283 people (5.2%) 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, September 12). Penela, Portugal: rent, jobs, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/penela/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_penela-portugal-rent-jobs-safety_55182aa52dec,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Penela, Portugal: rent, jobs, safety},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/penela/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Penela, Portugal: rent, jobs, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/penela/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

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. EEA air quality statistics — PT NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Instituto Geofísico de Coimbra) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  2. EEA air quality statistics — PT PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Instituto Geofísico de Coimbra) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  3. INE — Portal municipal (quadro) INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-14
  4. 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
  5. Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014632 nationality ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
  6. Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014633 country of birth ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
  7. IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação COIMBRA (Bencanta) (nº 707) IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 · ipma.pt · checked 2026-07-31
  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 3 more sources
  1. www.ine.pt ine.pt · checked 2026-08-26
  2. Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value. pordata.pt · checked 2026-07-15
  3. 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.