Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Tens vontade de regressar, só que sempre que viajas, é caro. - You want to return, except that whenever you travel, it is expensive.

In Portuguese, sempre que (whenever) triggers the future subjunctive only when you are talking about a hypothetical future event. Because this sentence states a general, ongoing truth or habit (whenever you travel in general, it is expensive), we use the present indicative viajas.

What nuance does só que add that just saying mas wouldn't?

Só que translates to 'except that' or 'the only thing is'. It introduces a specific complication or obstacle to what was just said. While mas would work, só que perfectly captures the feeling of 'you really want to, but there is this one catch.'

Is there a difference between saying Tens vontade de regressar and Queres regressar?

Yes. Queres regressar simply means 'you want to return.' The phrase ter vontade de means 'to have the urge to' or 'to feel like.' It makes the desire sound more like a strong internal longing or craving rather than just a practical preference.

Why is it é caro (masculine) when the earlier noun vontade is feminine?