A city of 31 thousand residents sold more new off-plan construction in Brazilian Reais than Balneário Camboriú in 2025. This single data point explains the headline-grabbing nickname. The remaining figures explain why investors must approach it with diligence.
Run the numbersOff-plan or fixed income? Compare the same money in Porto BeloCDI: 13.65% a year (Central Bank of Brazil, 01/10/2026)Open the calculatorIs Porto Belo the next Balneário Camboriú?
In total sales volume and new launches, Porto Belo has already surpassed Balneário Camboriú: R$3.8 billion compared to R$2.4 billion in sales during 2025, according to DWV data. However, Balneário Camboriú has nearly five times as many permanent residents, an established average price per square meter tracked by official indices, and a far more mature real estate ecosystem. Porto Belo remains a young, rapidly growing market seeing a massive influx of new inventory without an official price index.
Porto Belo population growth and city stats
Population expansion is verified by IBGE official census data:
| Municipality | 2010 Census | 2022 Census | 2026 Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porto Belo | 16,083 | 27,688 | 32,615 |
| Itapema | 45,797 | 75,940 | 88,842 |
| Balneário Camboriú | 108,089 | 139,155 | 154,525 |
Source: IBGE, 2022 Census and adjusted 2010 figures (table 4709) and 2026 population projections (table 6579), extracted via IBGE aggregates API on 10/04/2026.
From 2010 to 2022, Porto Belo grew by 72%. The municipality covers an area of 93.7 km², with a density of 295.6 inhabitants per km² in 2022 (IBGE). It is a compact coastal town absorbing residential high-rises engineered for a significantly larger metropolitan audience.
2025 sales and real estate launches
This is where market sentiment is strongest, but also where data confusion often occurs, as different analytical platforms measure distinct metrics.
| Indicator (2025) | Porto Belo | Itapema | Balneário Camboriú | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales volume (Sold GDV) | R$3.8 bn | R$4.1 bn | R$2.4 bn | DWV, via Gazeta do Povo (02/05/2026) |
| Sales GDV growth vs 2024 | +43% | -6.5% | +30% | DWV, via Portas (01/30/2026) |
| Units launched | 18,899 | 12,623 | 3,239 | DWV, via Portas (01/30/2026) |
| Launched GDV | R$12.7 bn | R$9 bn | R$9.6 bn | Brain, cited by Vokkan (2026) |
Additional reports from DWV published by Gazeta da Semana on 02/13/2026 report 3,602 units sold in Porto Belo in 2025 (1,058 of them in Q4 alone), representing a Gross Development Value (GDV/VGV) of R$4.04 billion. The discrepancy with the R$3.8 billion figure boils down to reporting dates and scope. Meanwhile, major newspaper Estadão (01/30/2026) cited the R$3.8 billion figure under "new launches." Always verify the original methodology before relying on headline figures.
For context, industry association Abrainc recorded 9,100 new residential units sold in Porto Belo in 2024 (25.6% of Santa Catarina's total volume), pacing ahead of neighboring Itapema and Balneário Camboriú (reported by Exame on 09/27/2025). Methodology varies, so Abrainc numbers cannot be directly compared to DWV figures.
Key growth drivers in Porto Belo
Four central factors explain the city's rapid real estate acceleration:
- 2020 Master Plan revision. Updated zoning allowed building heights ranging from 7 to 105 meters and a floor area ratio of up to 8, according to Estadão (01/30/2026).
- Land availability. Balneário Camboriú and Itapema suffer from severe land scarcity; Porto Belo still features large undeveloped parcels, enabling master-planned communities like Vivapark and All Resort.
- Accelerated permitting. The municipality issued roughly 910 construction permits since 2020, city officials told Estadão. Between 2020 and July 2023 alone, 566 permits totaled 2.1 million m² of approved construction, according to the Municipal Planning Secretariat (Visor Notícias, 08/17/2023).
- External investor demand. The Sienge Real Estate Demand Index placed Porto Belo as the 3rd most attractive market for luxury off-plan properties in Santa Catarina, driven by rapid absorption of new launches (Estadão, 01/30/2026).
Major master-planned developments driving growth
- Vivapark Porto Belo, a master-planned neighborhood by developer Vokkan, designed by urbanist Jaime Lerner, featuring luxury residential towers by multiple builders. Explore off-plan apartments in VivaPark.
- All Resort Club Residence, an expansive resort development by All Wert featuring a lit golf course, a Rafa Nadal tennis center, an artificial beach, and Terra All Resort. Explore All Resort Porto Belo.
- Balneário Perequê, the beachfront neighborhood concentrating the majority of new residential launches, including Oporto (10 towers, 864 apartments) and Dubai Mall (1,248 units plus a commercial shopping center). Explore off-plan apartments in Perequê.
What about the price per square meter?
Porto Belo is not currently monitored by FipeZap, Brazil's primary 56-city property price index. For adjacent markets, the September 2026 report reveals:
| City | Avg Price (R$/m²) | 12-Month Change |
|---|---|---|
| Balneário Camboriú | 15,369 | +3.38% |
| Itapema | 15,340 | +4.37% |
| Itajaí | 13,453 | +5.25% |
| 56-City Index Average | 10,015 | +5.51% |
Source: FipeZap Index report, September 2026. Data measures asking prices for new and existing residential properties.
Over the same period, consumer inflation measured by IPCA stood at 4.45% (11 months through August plus September preview, IBGE). This indicates that in Balneário Camboriú (+3.38%) and Itapema (+4.37%), asking prices grew below national inflation over those 12 months.
In Porto Belo, pricing data relies on developer announcements for pre-construction launches. At Vivapark, average prices reached R$17,000 per m² for 3-suite en-suite apartments and R$22,000 per m² for commercial floorplates in January 2026 (Estadão). In Balneário Perequê, one developer quoted R$35,000 per m² in August 2025 (Visor Notícias). Based on public metrics, it cannot be argued that luxury property in Porto Belo is inherently cheaper than in Balneário Camboriú.
What the statistics don't reveal
Substantial supply pipeline. The 18,899 units launched in 2025 will complete construction over coming years, many delivering around the same timeframe. These units will actively compete for the same resale buyers and seasonal vacation rental guests.
Developer-reported appreciation figures. High yield claims, such as the 246.5% appreciation reported for initial Vivapark launches (Vokkan, September 2025) or 94.6% over 42 months for a project by Thozen (Gazeta da Semana, 02/13/2026), are self-reported by developers rather than verified by independent indices. They reflect past performance in selected success stories.
Infrastructure under construction. Urban planning professors from UFSC and Udesc interviewed by Estadão highlight potential infrastructure risks, including urban heat islands, traffic bottlenecks, coastal water quality, and high seasonality (crowded summer months followed by quiet off-seasons). City Hall noted ongoing municipal investments in 2025, including modernizing the water treatment plant, building new schools, and expanding roadway master plans.
Buying off-plan real estate is an investment that carries risk. Historic market metrics offer no guaranteed capital appreciation upon handover of the keys.
Takeaways for foreign investors
The label "the next Balneário Camboriú" stems from a clear fact: Porto Belo logged higher overall sales volume than BC in 2025. Making a sound investment in the area requires three fundamentals:
- Compare apples to apples. Evaluate private area square-meter pricing against directly comparable condos at a similar distance from the beach, rather than relying on city-wide averages.
- Analyze the delivery pipeline. Track how many pre-construction projects in the immediate neighborhood are scheduled for completion in your target handover year.
- Vet the developer before choosing the building. A valid development registration (registro da incorporação), segregated assets protection (patrimônio de afetação), and a solid track record of completed projects matter far more than promotional renders.
Your next practical step: select two or three developments matching your budget and request current price lists, contract summary of terms (quadro-resumo), and construction schedules. To navigate this process alongside local market experts, schedule an online investment consultation or book a show unit visit and construction site tour.
Porto Belo doesn't need to be the next Balneário Camboriú to represent a solid real estate opportunity; it simply needs to be evaluated with accurate data.
Sources
- IBGE Aggregates API: 2010 Census (table 202), 2022 Census (tables 4709 and 4714), and 2026 Population Estimates (table 6579)
- Estadão, 01/30/2026 (updated 02/02/2026), "Nova Balneário Camboriú? Com projetos bilionários, Porto Belo vira nova aposta do alto padrão em SC"
- Gazeta do Povo, 02/05/2026, "Porto Belo supera Balneário Camboriú em vendas de imóveis" (DWV data)
- Portas, 01/30/2026, "Litoral Norte de SC soma R$ 13,4 bi em VGV em 2025" (DWV data)
- Gazeta da Semana, 02/13/2026, "Porto Belo (SC) supera cidades líderes em valorização e tem empreendimentos que quase dobram de valor" (DWV and Thozen data)
- Vale Europeu Notícias, 04/16/2026, 2025 DWV real estate sales ranking
- Vokkan, "Primeira expansão do Vivapark Porto Belo é concluída" (Brain Inteligência Estratégica data)
- Exame, 09/27/2025, "Bairro planejado em Santa Catarina vende R$ 1 bilhão em 14 meses" (Abrainc 2024 and Vivapark data)
- FipeZap Index, September 2026 report (residential sales)
- Visor Notícias, 08/17/2023, "Porto Belo ultrapassa Balneário Camboriú em novas construções"
- Visor Notícias, 08/29/2025, "Porto Belo entra no ranking das cidades mais procuradas por imóveis de médio e alto padrão"
- Mesorregional, 09/10/2023, Oporto project details
- Noticenter, April 2025, Dubai Mall project announcement
- Google "People Also Ask" queries for "porto belo nova balneario camboriu", "porto belo valorizacao imobiliaria", "metro quadrado porto belo", and "morar em porto belo sc" (Live SERP DataForSEO, Brazil, 10/04/2026)