Living in Velas
In Velas, average gross earnings are €1,236 a month (2024) and rents in new contracts average €5.93 per m² a month (2026).
Velas had 5,398 residents in 2021 and is a city in Portugal. In 2023, the foreign population was 136. There were 280 physicians per 100,000 people in 2024.
Which Portugal-wide rules apply when you move to Velas?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in Velas?
Average net cold rent is 5.93 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): 5.93 EUR/m²/month · www.ine.pt12
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 29.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | MEO fixed fibre6Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 15 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Vodafone Portugal mobile plan11Official · national market |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 5.93 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.20 | 26 Aug 2026 | www.ine.pt12Official |
Is Velas 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.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 356 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 5.93 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.
Work and income
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average gross earnings | 1,236 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | INE — Ganho médio mensal (€), indicator 0012649 (Quadros de Pessoal)1Official |
What does a salary buy in Velas?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft 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€5.93/m² · official · ine.pt · 2026-08-26 | − €356 |
| 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 | €519 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Velas. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Velas. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 280 per 100,000 | 2024 | 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.7Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Velas 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 guideSafety
How safe is Velas?
Police recorded 3,430 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: 3,430 incidents per 100k · INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20223
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 3,430 incidents per 100kcountry median 2,730 | 31 Dec 2022 | INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20223Official |
Mobility and administration
The nearest airport was SJZ, 3.3 km away, with 2 listed destinations in June 2026.
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Velas. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
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.
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.
Population and city profile
The city covered 117.4 km² in 2021. Population density was 46 people per km² in 2021.
How many people live in Velas?
The published population was 5,398 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro)2
By nationality
National passport97.5%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 117.4 km² | 2021 | INE — Portal municipal (quadro)2Official |
| Foreign residents | 136 people | 2023 | Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value.13Independent |
| Population density | 45.99 people/km² | 2021 | Reproducible derived density from the same-period INE populationTotal divided by areaKm2; no external density number was substituted.10Official |
| Population | 5,398 people | 2021 | INE — Portal municipal (quadro)2Official |
International community in Velas
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 4,936 | 100.0% |
| Portuguesa | 4,691 | 95.0% |
| Estrangeira | 245 | 5.0% |
| América | 126 | 2.6% |
| Europa | 55 | 1.1% |
| Estados Unidos da América | 53 | 1.1% |
| África | 49 | 1.0% |
| Brasil | 42 | 0.9% |
| União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020) | 40 | 0.8% |
| Canadá | 28 | 0.6% |
| Angola | 24 | 0.5% |
Show 29 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Outros países - Europa | 15 | 0.3% |
| Ásia | 14 | 0.3% |
| Cabo Verde | 11 | 0.2% |
| Alemanha | 11 | 0.2% |
| China | 10 | 0.2% |
| França | 9 | 0.2% |
| Países Baixos (Reino dos) | 6 | 0.1% |
| Suíça | 5 | 0.1% |
| Outros países - Ásia | 4 | 0.1% |
| Reino Unido | 4 | 0.1% |
| Moçambique | 4 | 0.1% |
| Polónia | 4 | 0.1% |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | 4 | 0.1% |
| Guiné-Bissau | 3 | 0.1% |
| Suécia | 3 | 0.1% |
| Outros | 3 | 0.1% |
| Outros países - África | 2 | 0.0% |
| Outros países - América | 2 | 0.0% |
| Chéquia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Espanha | 2 | 0.0% |
| Federação da Rússia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Oceânia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Outros países - Oceânia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Áustria | 1 | 0.0% |
| Itália | 1 | 0.0% |
| Eslováquia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Ucrânia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Venezuela | 1 | 0.0% |
| África do Sul | 1 | 0.0% |
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 4,936 | 100.0% |
| Portuguesa | 4,837 | 98.0% |
| Estrangeira | 99 | 2.0% |
| América | 46 | 0.9% |
| Europa | 37 | 0.7% |
| União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020) | 28 | 0.6% |
| Brasil | 25 | 0.5% |
| Estados Unidos da América | 13 | 0.3% |
| Ásia | 12 | 0.2% |
| China | 10 | 0.2% |
| Outros países - Europa | 9 | 0.2% |
Show 21 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Alemanha | 9 | 0.2% |
| Canadá | 8 | 0.2% |
| Países Baixos (Reino dos) | 6 | 0.1% |
| Polónia | 4 | 0.1% |
| África | 3 | 0.1% |
| França | 3 | 0.1% |
| Reino Unido | 3 | 0.1% |
| Outros países - Ásia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Áustria | 2 | 0.0% |
| Suíça | 2 | 0.0% |
| Suécia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Outros | 2 | 0.0% |
| Outros países - África | 1 | 0.0% |
| Oceânia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Outros países - Oceânia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Angola | 1 | 0.0% |
| Cabo Verde | 1 | 0.0% |
| Chéquia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Itália | 1 | 0.0% |
| Federação da Rússia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Ucrânia | 1 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source4
Alternatives for people set on Velas
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 Velas alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 1735 km, better on 2 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Residents: 52,264 Amarante vs 5,398 Velas+868%
- Nearest airport: 29.9 km Amarante vs 3.3 km Velas+806%
- Rent: €4.63/m² Amarante vs €5.93/m² Velas−22%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,010 Amarante vs 3,430 Velas−41%
Alternative cities in Portugal
Other cities in Portugal to compare with Velas, nearest in population first.
How does Velas compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Velas's.
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; Velas's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Velas?
The published population was 5,398 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro).
How much does it cost to rent in Velas?
Average net cold rent is 5.93 EUR/m² per month (2026-Q1), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 415 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.ine.pt.
How safe is Velas?
Police recorded 3,430 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.
How many foreign residents live in Velas?
136 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value..
Is Velas a good place to live?
Velas 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 Portuguesa live in Velas?
The official country of birth distribution records 4,691 people (95.0%) 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). Velas, Portugal: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version dfd093da0fcc5400c4cf505efe91b4b6]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/velas/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_velas-portugal-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_67d28963be78,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Velas, Portugal: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {dfd093da0fcc5400c4cf505efe91b4b6},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/velas/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Velas, Portugal: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/velas/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version dfd093da0fcc5400c4cf505efe91b4b6; 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
- INE — Ganho médio mensal (€), indicator 0012649 (Quadros de Pessoal) INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-09-23
- INE — Portal municipal (quadro) INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-14
- 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
- Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014632 nationality ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
- Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014633 country of birth ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
- MEO fixed fibre meo.pt · checked 2026-09-15
- 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
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- 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
- Vodafone Portugal mobile plan vodafone.pt · checked 2026-09-15
- www.ine.pt ine.pt · checked 2026-08-26
- Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value. pordata.pt · checked 2026-07-15
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.