How much a container home costs in Portugal
A T1 (1 bedroom) built from two 40 ft High Cube containers (2×40) costs between €54,550 and €73,802, VAT included and without land. It is the smallest container home the câmara municipal (town hall) can accept as a dwelling.
Price by model
Figures from the Contentar cost engine, with public prices from October 2026. Balanced finish, one-trip containers, urban plot with water, power and sewage at the boundary. With IVA (Portuguese VAT) at 23%, a ±15% margin, without land.
| Model | Area | Range ±15% | €/m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1×20 (annex) | 14 m² | €23,565 to €31,883 | €1,980 |
| 1×40 (studio, annex) | 28 m² | €31,941 to €43,215 | €1,342 |
| 2×40 (T1 (1 bedroom)) | 56 m² | €54,550 to €73,802 | €1,146 |
| 3×40 (T2 (2 bedrooms)) | 84 m² | €77,158 to €104,390 | €1,081 |
| 4×40 (T3 (3 bedrooms)) | 112 m² | €99,766 to €134,978 | €1,048 |
The 1×20 is the cheapest in total and the most expensive per m². The project, bathroom, transport and connections cost almost the same in a small house and a large one. The 1×20 and the 1×40 are below the minimum area of a house: they work as annexes, not as dwellings.
The container is the cheapest part
A one-trip 40 ft High Cube costs €4,900 including VAT. In the 2×40, the two containers are 15% of the bill. The rest is building work and paperwork:
- Transport and crane. Crane lorry from the depot to the plot. Goes up with distance and difficult access.
- Foundations. Concrete pads or piles. Depends on the soil and the slope.
- Cuts and reinforcement. Opening the walls and welding steel frames. Each wall removed between containers costs more.
- Insulation and cladding. Thermal insulation, membrane and interior and exterior cladding, per m².
- Windows and doors. Thermally broken frames with double glazing.
- Electrics. Consumer unit, circuits, lighting and certification.
- Bathroom and plumbing. Full bathroom, internal water and waste pipes, hot water.
- Flooring. Floating or vinyl floor over the original floor.
- Kitchen. Units, worktop and appliances.
- Furniture. Bed, sofa, table, storage, lighting and textiles, with delivery and assembly.
- Project, permits and fees. Architecture, engineering projects and municipal fees.
What pushes the bill up or down
- Finish. Budget multiplies the finish lines by 0.78 and Premium by 1.45. Container, transport, foundations, cuts and project do not change.
- Used container. A used grade A 40 ft costs €2,650. You save €2,250 per container, but only after an inspection.
- Plot without utilities. Without water, power and sewage at the boundary, allow another €6,500 for connections, or a septic tank and a borehole.
- Land not yet confirmed. A prior information request (PIP) to the câmara adds about €1,800.
- Walls opened between containers. Each joint needs cuts and reinforcement: another €1,600 per joint.
Why “from” is misleading
Many adverts show the price without IVA, transport, foundations or connections. That is 23% IVA plus several thousand euros that only appear in the quote. The land is never included.
There is one exception worth money. If the house is licensed as your own permanent home, DL 97/2026 lets you ask the tax authority (AT) to refund the difference between 23% and 6% IVA on building contracts. It does not apply to buying the container or the furniture. The figures on this page do not deduct that refund.
Work out the cost for your case: number of containers, finish, used container and land.
Work out my cost See the Contentar guide · €19Indicative estimates, not quotes. Always confirm with whoever does the work.