Well, here’s some fresh fuel for the eternal Porto–Lisbon rivalry. Porto wins this round because… people in Lisbon are more likely to be unhappy with life in their city. According to a new survey, 76% of residents in the Porto metropolitan area are satisfied with their city, compared with 58% in the Lisbon metropolitan area. Lisbon has the lowest score in the country, while the national average is 70%. The figures come from the Cities Barometer by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation (FFMS, Portugal’s largest private research foundation). The survey was conducted between March and May 2026, with 1,247 people taking part.
Lisbon trails Porto on most of the indicators. The biggest gaps are in these areas:
✷ Public transport. People in Lisbon use public transport more often (44% of respondents versus 34% in Porto), but rate it more poorly. Some 42% of passengers complain about unreliability and delays, compared with 16% in Porto. When it comes to comfort and cleanliness, the figures are 39% versus 19%.
✷ Healthcare. Satisfaction with primary healthcare (centros de saúde — public local health centres) stands at 39% among Lisbon residents and 60% among Porto residents. For specialist and emergency care, the figures are 35% and 49%, respectively.
✷ Childcare. Some 39% of Lisbon residents are satisfied with preschool education, compared with 53% in Porto.
✷ The urban environment. In the Lisbon metropolitan area, 34% of residents are unhappy with noise levels (22% nationwide), 22% with air quality (13%), and 43% with street cleanliness (26%). According to the report’s authors, Porto’s figures are closer to the national average.
✷ Safety and neighbours. Only 49% of people in Greater Lisbon feel comfortable walking alone at night, compared with 61% nationwide. Residents of the Lisbon metropolitan area are also the least likely to feel part of their local community or expect help from their neighbours.
Housing is where the picture is reversed. Finding a good-quality home at a reasonable price is considered difficult by 88% of residents in the Porto metropolitan area and 82% in the Lisbon metropolitan area.
Here’s the full report in Portuguese.
