I’m an American living in Portugal for the last three years. I invested in a property seven years ago which provided me legal residency, but I didn’t move here until after Covid. I have found just in the last two or three years prices have gone up dramatically in Porto and Lisbon as well as and especially, the Algarve. I’m very concerned that values are over inflated and due for a correction. Compared to the Costa Del sol, the Algarve is ridiculously expensive. You can buy a nicer property for less money in the Costa Del sol certainly. They say that Lisbon now exceeds prices in Madrid for residential real estate. That is very surprising given that 10 years ago there would be no way that Lisbon would be overvalued compared to Madrid. Although maybe it’s one of the few costs that is more expensive, housing is a critical expense one has and something you cannot avoid.
I enjoyed this video, Stuart. It would be great to see more. The prices seem very reasonable to me. With a beautiful environment as well, what's there to complain about. Thank you 😊
I think the reason why the younger digital nomads prefer Lisbon is because of the amount of (social) activities it has to offer compared to a smaller town. Older people, or even younger people with kids, would likely prefer to stay in a smaller town, away from the hustle and bustle. Like most things when choosing anything: it depends... 😅
Thanks for sharing… we live in Spain, but I was particularly surprised by the poor quality of the streets in Lisbon. Perhaps a few streets do not represent the whole city…?
No, they do and I’ve gone through quite a few tires due to bumpy drives when iin Lisbon. You can also get on a one-way road that gradually narrows to an old donkey and cart Road from another century, to the point you can’t get your car through and then you have to try to turn around and head back the other way. This has happened to me even in big cities like Gaia, but especially in the country. It can be really hair-raising if you’re up in a mountain and when you try to turn around the deep cliffs on either side. The roads in Porto are more modern and much smoother. And the main highways up and down the country are very good, but Lisbon roads suck as do the sidewalks. The sidewalks are not flat they undulate up and down often times they’re missing pieces and if you’re walking at night without any lighting, which is common, you easily couldn’t fail to recognize that you’re about to walk in a depression in the sidewalk and you can easily trip and fall.
This made for an interesting video Stu. I think most countries have seen significant inflation in the last few years. Here in the UK it was over 11% at one point. Thankfully it’s settled down. Anyway, Portuguese prices, even in the big cities are reasonable by our standards. Even in Lisbon I’d be hard pushed to spend more on a meal than I would here and I live in the North and not the more expensive South of the UK. I’m not in a big city either. I certainly have noticed the cost of my holidays to Portugal have significantly increased from pre-Covid; things like hotels and flights however. I guess the issue for locals is the increasing costs relative to their salaries. I have a friend who lives close to Lisbon and she tells me Portuguese salaries are about half what Spanish ones are. Maybe others can confirm that. Other friends have moved from the UK and continued in their existing jobs working remotely. That is probably the ideal scenario. I’m not sure how things like energy costs, income tax, healthcare costs and council taxes and the like compare to ours. That may well make for an interesting video.
An Australian here who has lived in Gaia since 1990. Porto is a victim of its success as a trendy tourist destination. Avoid Porto centre at all cost. Fortunately, I bought an old village house in the Dão decades ago and will move after renovation. The trade off for me is a safer society (look at youth crime in Australia😢) and I save money by ordering in bulk from Spain delivered free.
Rent yields for price per property in Portugal are still pretty low. That said, I like that people think Portugal isn't affordable for visitors. Fewer visitors or expats, the better the prices. Maybe?
I can attest to this first hand. Here in Nazare the average price for groceries is higher than in most parts of Spain during summer. Wow Lisbon is much cheaper than here in summer.
Hi Stu Certainly the prices look good compared to Spain, we almost moved to Madeira, eating out, excellent choices and not expensive, Pingo doce had a restaurant with many dishes to choose from, they charged by the weight. Property prices were not cheap but we decided to move to Santa Cruz de Tenerife as we had roots there and found Portuguese difficult to learn even though we speak Spanish and it is similar. Stu
Interesting property prices have doubled on the coast in the last 10 years. Our 2 bed property on the Costa Blanca hasn't changed in value in the last 20 years, despite similar new builds being a lot more expensive.
I wish it wasn’t so far from the states. The slow pace and absence of crowds (from where you’re filming) is so attractive. Thank you Stuart. Your videos are really enjoyable.
A couple of other comments: it’s difficult to know whether property is priced well or not until you see it. Because those properties you mentioned sound very inexpensive, but you don’t know what kind of condition those properties are in. Some of them are hovels, many are in need of significant restoration. Also, it might be a peaceful beautiful place for you, but in these small towns inland, there is nothing going on. Nada. Extremely rural atmosphere. Lastly I’ve always said that the pastel de natas are overrated. Give me a French tart anytime.
Definitely Portugal is cheaper. The Americans though, have to use more US dollars now that the Euro is stronger. The US dollar is weakening against many currencies and the Euro is leveling the exchange playing field. Yes. Portuguese small towns are a bargain.
Thanks for the upload. Definitely a supply v demand problem but what makes it compelling is that in raw numbers I think more people leave Portugal than enter (under the age of 40) but those that come in… I guess many have strong purchasing power and that is swaying the market as well as tourism.
I've looked at property prices mainly in central (inland) Portugal, and price has definitely gone up and the properties I've looked at (under 100K) are really not worth it as most will need substantial renovation. I've also looked at properties in certain parts of Italy which are still very affordable and you get good housing stock in return.
Real estate Algarve is probably way more expensive than something like Murcia or Alicante region, cars and certain things are also more expensive in Portugal. But if you move away from the cities and the coast, Portugal can be a bargain imho. On the other hand, if you are really rich, Portugal doesn't have the nasty wealth tax as Spain does. It really depends from the personal taste and circumstances.
It’s very difficult to live here in Portugal with a medium salary, let alone minimum wage. I am a somewhat privileged middle class person and I live okay because I work from home pretty much all the time. If I had to commute from where I live to the office I would be living paycheck to paycheck. Not a great country to live in if you’re trying to level yourself up (financially speaking). People my age (30s) are gone to north of Europe, probably won’t come back in the next years. I used to like to go to Porto, now I really hate it: traffic is horrible, there’s tourists everywhere and tourist oriented shops everywhere. It’s like going to an amusement park. I love my country but it’s only great for the sunshine, security and food… well I guess that’s enough to keep me here.
Mil gracias por el video Stuart, got few days in Lisbon November 2025.got a cruise booked they are repositioning the vessel transalantic, end up in Brazil and Argentina
Very reasonable Stu, however, it’s debatable if you are in the countryside or city, the amenities are important to me, especially medical and good food stores, car or public transport. But I’m an old person who is looking for peace and happiness 😊
La pregunta : cuanto gana un jubilado promedio australiano o norteamericano? Para comprar una vivienda de 200mil€ ? O alquilar. El jabon de fregar platos es caro, yo lo compro en Bcn a menos de 3€ y generalmente marca blanca aloe vera no llega a 2 €.😊 Ah! Me gusta más el idioma gallego que el portugués. El Gallego es más musical y cristalino.😊 El portugués es mas espeso, hablo del idioma.😂 Y la musica portuguesa más triste y melancólica. 😊
I’m an American living in Portugal for the last three years. I invested in a property seven years ago which provided me legal residency, but I didn’t move here until after Covid. I have found just in the last two or three years prices have gone up dramatically in Porto and Lisbon as well as and especially, the Algarve. I’m very concerned that values are over inflated and due for a correction. Compared to the Costa Del sol, the Algarve is ridiculously expensive. You can buy a nicer property for less money in the Costa Del sol certainly. They say that Lisbon now exceeds prices in Madrid for residential real estate. That is very surprising given that 10 years ago there would be no way that Lisbon would be overvalued compared to Madrid. Although maybe it’s one of the few costs that is more expensive, housing is a critical expense one has and something you cannot avoid.
I enjoyed this video, Stuart. It would be great to see more. The prices seem very reasonable to me. With a beautiful environment as well, what's there to complain about. Thank you 😊
I think the reason why the younger digital nomads prefer Lisbon is because of the amount of (social) activities it has to offer compared to a smaller town. Older people, or even younger people with kids, would likely prefer to stay in a smaller town, away from the hustle and bustle. Like most things when choosing anything: it depends... 😅
Enjoyable segment.
I was expecting Puigdemont do be hiding in one the villages...enjoying a 75cent coffee.
Enjoyed that Stu. Thanks.
I’m not a coffee drinker, but that tart looked amazing.
Thanks for sharing… we live in Spain, but I was particularly surprised by the poor quality of the streets in Lisbon. Perhaps a few streets do not represent the whole city…?
No, they do and I’ve gone through quite a few tires due to bumpy drives when iin Lisbon. You can also get on a one-way road that gradually narrows to an old donkey and cart Road from another century, to the point you can’t get your car through and then you have to try to turn around and head back the other way. This has happened to me even in big cities like Gaia, but especially in the country. It can be really hair-raising if you’re up in a mountain and when you try to turn around the deep cliffs on either side. The roads in Porto are more modern and much smoother. And the main highways up and down the country are very good, but Lisbon roads suck as do the sidewalks. The sidewalks are not flat they undulate up and down often times they’re missing pieces and if you’re walking at night without any lighting, which is common, you easily couldn’t fail to recognize that you’re about to walk in a depression in the sidewalk and you can easily trip and fall.
This made for an interesting video Stu. I think most countries have seen significant inflation in the last few years. Here in the UK it was over 11% at one point. Thankfully it’s settled down. Anyway, Portuguese prices, even in the big cities are reasonable by our standards. Even in Lisbon I’d be hard pushed to spend more on a meal than I would here and I live in the North and not the more expensive South of the UK. I’m not in a big city either. I certainly have noticed the cost of my holidays to Portugal have significantly increased from pre-Covid; things like hotels and flights however. I guess the issue for locals is the increasing costs relative to their salaries. I have a friend who lives close to Lisbon and she tells me Portuguese salaries are about half what Spanish ones are. Maybe others can confirm that. Other friends have moved from the UK and continued in their existing jobs working remotely. That is probably the ideal scenario. I’m not sure how things like energy costs, income tax, healthcare costs and council taxes and the like compare to ours. That may well make for an interesting video.
Spectacular ocean lanscape 💕
An Australian here who has lived in Gaia since 1990. Porto is a victim of its success as a trendy tourist destination. Avoid Porto centre at all cost. Fortunately, I bought an old village house in the Dão decades ago and will move after renovation. The trade off for me is a safer society (look at youth crime in Australia😢) and I save money by ordering in bulk from Spain delivered free.
Rent yields for price per property in Portugal are still pretty low. That said, I like that people think Portugal isn't affordable for visitors. Fewer visitors or expats, the better the prices. Maybe?
I can attest to this first hand. Here in Nazare the average price for groceries is higher than in most parts of Spain during summer. Wow Lisbon is much cheaper than here in summer.
Hi Stu Certainly the prices look good compared to Spain, we almost moved to Madeira, eating out, excellent choices and not expensive, Pingo doce had a restaurant with many dishes to choose from, they charged by the weight. Property prices were not cheap but we decided to move to Santa Cruz de Tenerife as we had roots there and found Portuguese difficult to learn even though we speak Spanish and it is similar. Stu
Interesting property prices have doubled on the coast in the last 10 years. Our 2 bed property on the Costa Blanca hasn't changed in value in the last 20 years, despite similar new builds being a lot more expensive.
I really enjoyed this vlog Stu. I love Portugal and often think about moving there. Good to see it is still affordable.
I wish it wasn’t so far from the states. The slow pace and absence of crowds (from where you’re filming) is so attractive. Thank you Stuart. Your videos are really enjoyable.
A couple of other comments: it’s difficult to know whether property is priced well or not until you see it. Because those properties you mentioned sound very inexpensive, but you don’t know what kind of condition those properties are in. Some of them are hovels, many are in need of significant restoration. Also, it might be a peaceful beautiful place for you, but in these small towns inland, there is nothing going on. Nada. Extremely rural atmosphere. Lastly I’ve always said that the pastel de natas are overrated. Give me a French tart anytime.
Definitely Portugal is cheaper. The Americans though, have to use more US dollars now that the Euro is stronger. The US dollar is weakening against many currencies and the Euro is leveling the exchange playing field. Yes. Portuguese small towns are a bargain.
Very nice video. Loved all 3 locations. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the upload. Definitely a supply v demand problem but what makes it compelling is that in raw numbers I think more people leave Portugal than enter (under the age of 40) but those that come in… I guess many have strong purchasing power and that is swaying the market as well as tourism.
Stu, enjoyed this. I think I’m going to make a trip to Portugal next year.
I've looked at property prices mainly in central (inland) Portugal, and price has definitely gone up and the properties I've looked at (under 100K) are really not worth it as most will need substantial renovation. I've also looked at properties in certain parts of Italy which are still very affordable and you get good housing stock in return.
Are prices really cheaper when their salaries are lower than in Spain? Mainly when you mentioned the prices of real estate!!!
Real estate Algarve is probably way more expensive than something like Murcia or Alicante region, cars and certain things are also more expensive in Portugal. But if you move away from the cities and the coast, Portugal can be a bargain imho. On the other hand, if you are really rich, Portugal doesn't have the nasty wealth tax as Spain does. It really depends from the personal taste and circumstances.
It’s very difficult to live here in Portugal with a medium salary, let alone minimum wage. I am a somewhat privileged middle class person and I live okay because I work from home pretty much all the time. If I had to commute from where I live to the office I would be living paycheck to paycheck. Not a great country to live in if you’re trying to level yourself up (financially speaking). People my age (30s) are gone to north of Europe, probably won’t come back in the next years.
I used to like to go to Porto, now I really hate it: traffic is horrible, there’s tourists everywhere and tourist oriented shops everywhere. It’s like going to an amusement park.
I love my country but it’s only great for the sunshine, security and food… well I guess that’s enough to keep me here.
A tourist in Portugal in peak season watch you don't get squirted with water while eating your dinner.
When I was a kid we used to buy clothes and stuff in Portugal as it was 3 times cheaper than Spain but not anymore I'm afraid
@stuart same in Andalucia, excellent coffee just 10 kms from the coast 1.5€ cafe con leche doble.
After drama all the time on the American/ Canadian channels your videos are super Zen. Thank you Stuart
Mil gracias por el video Stuart, got few days in Lisbon November 2025.got a cruise booked they are repositioning the vessel transalantic, end up in Brazil and Argentina
Very reasonable Stu, however, it’s debatable if you are in the countryside or city, the amenities are important to me, especially medical and good food stores, car or public transport. But I’m an old person who is looking for peace and happiness 😊
My sentiments exactly, but i also need other things to satisfy my interests.
Prices are good.
€2.80 for a custard tart, and coffee ☕️ is excellent, you did well Stu, ENJOY!. 😂
Wowsees! €3.80/€4 for a coffee here in Dublin. But I guess it’s all relative to average salaries/minimum wage?
You speak portuguese well. Congratulations
Definitely cheaper than Canada!
Lovely video
Thank you so much for sharing
#TRAVELING ✨️👍 #PASTELDENATA 🥧
Portugal is not cheap...but the salaries are still very low....
La pregunta : cuanto gana un jubilado promedio australiano o norteamericano? Para comprar una vivienda de 200mil€ ? O alquilar.
El jabon de fregar platos es caro, yo lo compro en Bcn a menos de 3€ y generalmente marca blanca aloe vera no llega a 2 €.😊
Ah! Me gusta más el idioma gallego que el portugués. El Gallego es más musical y cristalino.😊
El portugués es mas espeso, hablo del idioma.😂
Y la musica portuguesa más triste y melancólica. 😊
serious question how far into the digital agenda are Portugal and Spain
Stuart you're not going to buy a shoe box in Sydney for €250,00 I wish I was 30 years younger
i paid 20 euro for a haircut in Braga
Digital I’d vaccine passports!?? No thanks .
correct answer = obviously not.