If you buy a house in Portugal, whether to live there permanently or for a holiday, you will have to face the costs of daily life in this southern European country. How cheap or expensive is it to live in Portugal? What are you paying for your groceries from the supermarket? How much money have you lost if you order a drink on a terrace? And what does it cost to eat at a restaurant in Portugal?
The website Numbeo.com makes useful lists of what everyday life in different countries costs. The Cost of Living Index calculates the cost of consumer goods by country, groceries, museum visits and transportation. Portugal takes on the Cost of Living Index 2018 place in the middle bracket. Life in Portugal is just slightly more beneficial than in Spain or Greece, and even a lot cheaper than in Germany, Italy, Netherlands, France or the Scandinavian countries.
In the Groceries Index, which looks only at daily shopping, Portugal is placed in the middle bracket. Bread, fruit and vegetables are usually not expensive. Do your shopping not only in the supermarket but also in the local markets. Almost every town and city in Portugal has its own market, where you often can buy regional products for small prices.
Portugal is known for its strong coffee culture. No matter how small a village is, it always has a pastry or coffee shop where you can enjoy a good cup of coffee with usually a deliciously sweet cake. Do not be alarmed by the bill, as it is so cheap here.
Later on in the day, if you want a drink on a terrace in the sun, why not enjoy a nice cold drink? This is also not very expensive. According to the Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer of 2018 in the Algarve, which is considered as the most chosen beach destination of Europe, you pay for a bottle of beer, a can of coca-cola, or a glass of wine an average of 1,20€.
Eating at a restaurant in Portugal is not that much more expensive than cooking at home. The Portuguese themselves regularly go out to dinner too. In many restaurants, you can get the dish of the day (prato do dia), which is an inexpensive daily choice on the menu.
You can also taste the delicious fish and meat dishes that the Portuguese kitchen is famous for, such as the famous dishes with cod. According to the website Numbeo.com, a three-course meal for two people in an average restaurant is currently around 30€.
However, in the typical Portuguese restaurants, the "prato do dia" is available for around 7.50€ for a main course, drink and a dessert. In Portugal the tip is not to be forgotten: it is common in Portugal to leave a tip of about 10 percent of the bill.
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