One of the most important factors to consider when moving abroad is the cost of living. Portugal is no exception. The cost of living in Portugal in 2023 is impacted a lot due to prevailing uncertainties across the globe. In this article, you shall get a complete overview of the cost of living in Portugal including housing, food, transport, and other expenses.
Understanding this is essential in planning your budget. If you are a student or moving to Portugal for work then this piece of information is going to help you a lot.
Housing
It varies differently depending on individual needs. If you want to live in a small city like Tomar, it is very affordable. But if you want to live in a popular neighborhood like Central Porto, a small third-floor studio apartment is going to cost you 1200 euros a month. This apartment may be without any lift or terrace. This general example will help you to understand the cost of living in a more luxurious apartment.
In a small village in the North, it will cost you 600 euros for a T2 house. But be aware, it has no central heating and it gets too cold. For 1800 Euros in Lisbon will get you a furnished T1 apartment in the popular Alfama district. There are cafes, live music, and beautiful narrow, and clean streets. In the more internal areas of district Porto estimating 15-20mins from the downtown Porto towards Matosinhos or towards Vila Nova De Gaia it will cost 1000-1300 euros for a T2 Apartment with Lift. Best bet would be to search on a relatively famous sites such as https://www.idealista.pt or https://www.remax.pt/ to look for houses and apartments.
FOOD COSTS
Food costs in Portugal are quite reasonable. The price of groceries is almost similar in other European countries. For one person, groceries may cost somewhere between 30-70 Euros per week depending upon individual shopping habits and dietary needs. In smaller towns and villages, the cost of a meal in a restaurant will cost you between 7-13 Euros for lunch. For dinner, it gets the double amount depending upon the quality and location of the restaurant.
Prato do Dia or a plate of lunch is between 7-10 Euros. Oftentimes, it includes wine, coffee, and dessert. In the US, 20-25% of the bill is often given in tip. In Portugal, tipping is not expected. It is still appreciated if you leave some amount on the table as a goodwill gesture.
CAFE CULTURE IN PORTUGAL
It is one of the most amazing things in Portugal. You can get coffee with a pastry for only 1 and a half Euros in a small village. In a bigger city, it can cost you 3-5 euros. You can enjoy a beer for just 0.60 cents to 2 Euros. A large special pizza from an upscale restaurant will cost you 20 Euros.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation is quite affordable and widely available. A monthly transportation pass in Lisbon or Porto can cost somewhere between 30 and 50 Euros. It depends on the type of pass, zone and mode of transportation. It is even cheaper in smaller cities and towns. It will hardly cost you 20 Euros or less. Uber and other rides are also very affordable compared to the rest of Europe.
It is very important to keep in mind that in smaller villages Uber is not available. So you can develop a relationship with any local taxi driver. He can pick and drop you at a reasonable price.You can purchase a decent car for 6000 euros and above. Remember, in Portugal, it’s still a manual transmission hence an automatic car can be pricy 15k Euros and above. Gas price has gone down. It is 1.75 euros a liter at the time of writing this article.
We will discuss about cars in Portugal in a dedicated article for the car lovers in Portugal.
TELEPHONE AND TV CHARGES
The cost of internet and IPTV in Portugal is relatively affordable and can be consider cheap then the rest of Europe. The Internet Service providers are Vodafone, MEO, and NOS and some newers ones like WOO, Yorn etc. It usually costs from 30-60 euro for mobile data, house fixed internet and IPTV and an IP Phone. Costs can be variable depending on the services signed up. Keep in mind that in Portugal, If a contract with ISP Companies is breached you will still have to pay for the rest of the months if not moved the contract to someone else In your circle.
