Leiria vs Guarda: which Centro town suits you?
Leiria has warmer winters, fewer frosts and more grocery stores on foot; Guarda has a closer airport, lower rents and cheaper homes to buy.
Leiria
128,640 peopleChoose Leiria if you want
- Retirees: Hospital 0.2 km away, 14°C January highs, 10 pharmacies within a 15-minute walk
- Warmer winters (14°C January highs, against 8°C)
- Fewer frosts (1 frost days a year, against 40)
- More grocery stores within a 15-minute walk (22, against 10)
Guarda
40,126 peopleChoose Guarda if you want
- A shorter trip to an airport (57 km, against 111 km)
- Lower rents in the municipality (€4.17/m² a month, against €6.42/m²)
- Cheaper homes to buy in the municipality (€917/m², against €1,990/m²)
Side by side
Bold marks the better value where one is clearly better and both values are precise.
Climate
Town-level · ERA5-Land 1991-2020| Measure | Leiria | Guarda |
|---|---|---|
| January high | 14°C | 8°C |
| January low | 7°C | 0°C |
| July high | 27°C | 27°C |
| Days above 35°C a year | 2 | 2 |
| Nights above 20°C a year | 3 | 3 |
| Frost days a year | 1 | 40 |
| Days with rain a year | 103 | 101 |
| Daylight on 21 December | 9 h 21 min | 9 h 16 min |
| Sea in August | – | – |
Daily life within a 15-minute walk
| Measure | Leiria | Guarda |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery stores | 22 | 10 |
| Pharmacies | 10 | 8 |
| Doctors and clinics | 23 | 8 |
| Cafés | 52 | 25 |
| Restaurants | 128 | 56 |
Getting around
| Measure | Leiria | Guarda |
|---|---|---|
| Nearest train station | 2.3 km | 2.8 km |
| Nearest bus station | 0.3 km | 0.4 km |
| Nearest hospital | 0.2 km | 1.1 km |
| Nearest beach | 18 km | – |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | 111 km | 57 km |
Housing and safety (whole municipality)
| Measure | Leiria | Guarda |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent per m², per month | €6.42/m² | €4.17/m² |
| Sale price per m² | €1,990/m² | €917/m² |
| Sale price change, 5 years | +92% | +38% |
| Crimes recorded per 1,000 residents | 26.8 | 24.2 |
People
| Measure | Leiria | Guarda |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 128,640 | 40,126 |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.7% | 20.2% |
| Under 15 | 14.1% | 12.4% |
| Born in another country | 19.1% | 10.1% |
Natural hazards
| Measure | Leiria | Guarda |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquakes of M5+ within 100 km since 1900 | 0 | 0 |
Month by month
Town-level · ERA5-Land 1991-2020| High | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leiria | 14° | 15° | 18° | 19° | 21° | 24° | 27° | 27° | 25° | 22° | 17° | 15° |
| Guarda | 8° | 9° | 12° | 14° | 18° | 23° | 27° | 27° | 22° | 16° | 11° | 8° |
Leiria is warmer by 1°C or more in 10 months; in the other months the highs are within 1°C. Leiria in November · Guarda in November
Leiria or Guarda: common questions
Which is warmer in winter, Leiria or Guarda?
Leiria, with an average January high of 14.2°C against 7.5°C.
Which has more shops within walking distance?
Leiria: 22 grocery stores within a 15-minute walk of the centre, against 10 in Guarda.
Which is closer to an airport?
Leiria is 111 km from Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS); Guarda is 57 km from Aerodromo Goncalves Lobato (Viseu Airport) (VSE), in a straight line.
Cite or link
hexplace (2026). Leiria vs Guarda: climate, homes and daily life compared. https://hexplace.org/portugal/compare/leiria-vs-guarda/