01
Cost of living
$1,166/mo
PT · LISBONLocal facts
Living in Lisbon.
Portugal's capital and largest city on the Atlantic: the country's deepest jobs, services and international-school market, a mild oceanic-Mediterranean climate with ~10 comfortable months, and clean air by European-capital standards — at the highest rents in Portugal, well above the national average though cooling since 2025.
VerifiedUpdated
Population 658,236
· Europe/Lisbon· Portugal rules apply
INE — Estimativas de População Residente, município de Lisboa (indicator 0012918, geocode 1A01106)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- INE annual resident-population estimate for the concelho (municipality) of Lisboa, most recent reference year 2025 (HM total, all ages, 658,236). The 2024 estimate was 665,141; the population of the municipality proper has drifted slightly down while the metro area grows. Municipality only — the Lisbon metropolitan area (Área Metropolitana de Lisboa) holds ~2.9M.
PT · LISBON
01
At a glance
The headline numbers for Lisbon — each with its own source and freshness. A live official figure is not the same as a survey estimate or a 30-year climate normal.
6.9/10
02
Rent, 1–3 bed
$1,162–$3,144
/mo
03
Freelancer tax
30%
Safety
9.6/100.68/100k
Air quality
no verified data
Internet
3.8/1040 Mbps
English
9.0/10Very high
Private health
9.6/10$650/yr
What the tags meanofficial — live figure from a government or authorityopen data — open dataset (Eurostat, EEA, M-Lab, UdSC…)survey — survey or index estimatecurated — SettleMetric-assembled estimate — open the source for the method
02
What it costs you per month
A planning estimate: real asking rent plus a cost-of-living basket scaled to your household. Not a quote.
Household
Lifestyle
Location
Estimated total
$2,326/mo
≈ $27,912 / year
Where it goes
- Rent (1-bed)$1,162
- Food & non-alcoholic beverages$240
- Transport$208
- Utilities (electricity, gas, water) & upkeep$166
- Restaurants & eating out$153
- Household goods & equipment$81
- Health (out-of-pocket)$77
- Information & communication$70
- Personal care & misc goods$63
- Recreation, sport & culture$53
- Alcohol & tobacco$31
- Clothing & footwear$22
- Living costs$1,164
Rent from the asking-rent matrix below. Living costs scale a one-person basket ($1,164/mo) by household size and lifestyle; the equivalence factors are our assumption. Schooling and one-off setup are excluded.
03
Cost of living
What a single person spends each month — food, utilities, transport, eating out and the rest — excluding rent.
INE — Household Budget Survey 2022/2023 (COICOP-2018 structure), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- INE 2022/2023 COICOP-2018 expenditure shares (food 13.0%, transport 11.3%, restaurants & accommodation 8.3%, furnishings 4.4%, health 4.2%, information & communication 3.8%, personal care/misc 3.4%, recreation 2.9%, alcohol/tobacco 1.7%, clothing 1.2%; housing 41.7% split into ~9% utilities/upkeep kept and rent excluded) applied to the CPI-uplifted single-person monthly total (€1,618) and converted at 1.1399 USD/EUR. Categories sum to the ~$1,166/mo excl-rent aggregate. National average.
- Notes
- Structure is the all-household COICOP-2018 split (INE does not publish a full single-person COICOP table); applied to the single-person total as a transparent approximation. Housing utilities are kept; rent/imputed rent is excluded per the cost-of-living definition.
01Food & non-alcoholic beverages240 USD
02Transport208 USD
03Utilities (electricity, gas, water) & upkeep166 USD
04Restaurants & eating out153 USD
05Household goods & equipment81 USD
06Health (out-of-pocket)77 USD
07Information & communication70 USD
08Personal care & misc goods63 USD
09Recreation, sport & culture53 USD
10Alcohol & tobacco31 USD
11Clothing & footwear22 USD
Portugal's household-budget basket for a single person, excluding rent. Non-rent costs vary little between cities — the city-specific part is rent, shown under Housing below.
01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)country-level1,166USD/month, single person, excluding rent6.9
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Lower is betterUSD/month, single person, excluding rentre-verified every 365 days
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- INE 2022/2023 single-person (<65) household average spending €18,121/year = €1,510/month (incl. housing); CPI-uplifted to mid-2026 (×≈1.072 over 2024–2026 HICP) → €1,618/month; the rent/imputed-rent portion of the COICOP-2018 housing division (41.7% of the basket) removed while keeping utilities, then summed by category and converted at 1.1399 USD/EUR (ECB 2026-07-02) → ≈ $1,166/month excluding rent. Cross-checked against Eurostat comparative price level for household consumption (Portugal 2024 = 85.0, EU27=100 — ~15% below the EU average).
- Notes
- National average; Lisbon runs higher. Derived by summing the itemized cost-breakdown categories; see cost-breakdown for the split.
04
Housing
What it costs to rent, by apartment type and location.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Base: idealista Lisboa city-wide asking rent €21.8/m² (May 2026). Applied typical dwelling sizes (studio 35 m², 1BR 55 m², 2BR 80 m², 3BR 110 m²) and a central/outside multiplier (central historic/central parishes ×1.15, outer parishes ×0.85), converted at 1.1399 USD/EUR (ECB 2026-07-02). E.g. 1BR center = 55×21.8×1.15×1.1399 ≈ $1,572.
- Notes
- ALL cells are DERIVED — idealista's public report gives only a single city-wide €/m² for Lisboa, not a room-count × district matrix (idealista's granular per-district report pages returned HTTP 403 on fetch). Both the dwelling sizes and the ±15% central/outside spread are transparent assumptions, not observed values; treat the matrix as indicative and re-derive from a directly fetched idealista Lisboa district report next cycle. Only the city-wide €21.8/m² base is directly observed.
| Apartment | Central | Outside centre |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 1,000 USD/mo | 739 USD/mo |
| 1-bedroom | 1,572 USD/mo | 1,162 USD/mo |
| 2-bedroom | 2,286 USD/mo | 1,690 USD/mo |
| 3-bedroom | 3,144 USD/mo | 2,323 USD/mo |
05
Climate
Temperature and rainfall through the year, plus air quality.
IPMA — Normal Climatológica 1991-2020, Lisboa / Instituto Geofísico (estação 535)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- IPMA (national meteorological service) 1991–2020 standard normals, station Lisboa/Instituto Geofísico (WMO station 535, lat 38.7191N, lon 9.1497W, alt 77m), version 1.0 of 2024. TN = média da temperatura mínima diária, TX = média da temperatura máxima diária, Prec = média da precipitação total mensal. Series is homogeneous (hybrid observed + WRF-modelled) per WMO-No. 1203.
Average day/night temperature (lines, left axis) and total rainfall (bars, right axis) for each month — 1991–2020 normals. Hover a month for exact figures.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime high °C | 15.1° | 16.4° | 18.9° | 20.4° | 23.1° | 26.1° | 28.2° | 28.8° | 26.6° | 22.8° | 18.1° | 15.4° |
| Nighttime low °C | 8.6° | 9.1° | 11.0° | 12.3° | 14.4° | 16.8° | 18.2° | 18.8° | 17.6° | 15.3° | 11.8° | 9.4° |
| Rainfall mm | 104 | 78 | 69 | 72 | 58 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 39 | 111 | 134 | 109 |
01Climate comfort10pleasant months/year9.0
What this measures
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Higher is betterpleasant months/yearre-verified every 3650 days
Curated by SettleMetric
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (IPMA Lisboa/Instituto Geofísico 1991-2020)
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Jan (15.1°C, 103.8mm), Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov (18.1°C, 133.9mm), Dec = 10. Only Jul (TX 28.2°C) and Aug (TX 28.8°C) miss, exceeding the 28°C max cap; no month exceeds the 150mm precipitation cap.
02Air quality (PM2.5)no verified data—
What this measures
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Lower is betterµg/m³, annual mean PM2.5re-verified every 730 days
No exact annual-mean value could be verified from an official source this cycle: the EEA city air quality viewer and EEA PM2.5 dashboard are JavaScript apps that returned no extractable number via fetch, and the CCDR-LVT (regional environment authority) 2024 report presents the Olivais urban-background PM2.5 annual mean only as a chart image (Figure 17/18), not as extractable text. Verified context: the EEA viewer ranks Lisbon 38th of European capitals and places it in the 'fair' band (5–10 µg/m³), cleaner than Madrid (8.9), Paris (10.5) and Berlin (11); CCDR-LVT confirms 2024 PM2.5 at the Lisbon urban-background station (Olivais, part of the national IEM background network with Mem Martins and Laranjeiro) was 'muito inferior' to the 25 µg/m³ EU limit/target and has declined since 2017. Set to null pending a browser-read of the exact EEA viewer value (~8 µg/m³ expected) or the CCDR-LVT Figure 17 number next cycle — do not record a scored figure from memory.
06
Safety
How safe daily life is, from official crime statistics.
01Homicide ratecountry-level0.7intentional homicides per 100,000/year9.6
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Lower is betterintentional homicides per 100,000/yearre-verified every 730 days
Open data
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, 2024 (Eurostat crim_off_cat). Portugal has trended down since 2013 (1.37) to 0.68 in 2024 — among the lowest in the EU.
Eurostat — police-recorded offences by category (crim_off_cat, ICCS, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded offences per 100,000 inhabitants, 2024 (ICCS categories: theft 0502, burglary 0501, robbery 0401, drug offences 0601, sexual violence 0301, serious assault 020111). Intentional homicide (0.68, same Eurostat 2024 series) is the scored safety headline shown separately. Recording practices and legal definitions differ between countries, so read the levels as context, not a league table.
01Theft722per 100k
02Burglary147per 100k
03Robbery88.4per 100k
04Drug offences53.7per 100k
05Sexual violence30.4per 100k
06Serious assault6.7per 100k
Police-recorded offences per 100,000 inhabitants, 2024 (ICCS categories: theft 0502, burglary 0501, robbery 0401, drug offences 0601, sexual violence 0301, serious assault 020111). Intentional homicide (0.68, same Eurostat 2024 series) is the scored safety headline shown separately. Recording practices and legal definitions differ between countries, so read the levels as context, not a league table.
OSCE ODIHR Hate Crime Reporting — Portugal (official police-recorded)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- OSCE ODIHR 2024: 421 offences reported by police, but Portuguese law enforcement does not record the bias motivation, and ODIHR notes these figures mainly consist of discrimination and incitement incidents that fall OUTSIDE the OSCE hate-crime definition — so no racist/xenophobic sub-figure is available and the 421 is not comparable to other countries’ hate-crime counts.
421
recorded by police
OSCE ODIHR 2024: 421 offences reported by police, but Portuguese law enforcement does not record the bias motivation, and ODIHR notes these figures mainly consist of discrimination and incitement incidents that fall OUTSIDE the OSCE hate-crime definition — so no racist/xenophobic sub-figure is available and the 421 is not comparable to other countries’ hate-crime counts.
07
Infrastructure
Internet speed and how parcels get to your door.
01Domestic delivery qualitycountry-levelGood7.0
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Rated by category—re-verified every 730 days
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- National operator CTT offers next-day ('Expresso Para Amanhã') and 2-day express nationwide, with the Collectt pickup network (CTT shops + Payshop agents + Locky 24/7 parcel lockers) and real-time tracking. Private carriers DPD, GLS, DHL, UPS, Chronopost and Seur operate nationwide. Rated 'good' — 1–3 day delivery is the norm and lockers exist in cities, but locker density and universal next-day are below the best-in-class (e.g. Poland's InPost).
02International delivery easecountry-levelMinor friction7.0
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Rated by category—re-verified every 365 days
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market, all major carriers). Non-EU imports: the €150 duty-free threshold was removed on 2026-07-01 — a temporary flat €3/item duty applies to ≤€150 consignments (until the 2028 EU Customs reform); import VAT has applied from €0 since 2021 (IOSS collects it at checkout). Predictable but no longer duty-free — hence minor-friction.
03Internet speedcountry-level40Mbps, median fixed download3.8
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Higher is betterMbps, median fixed downloadre-verified every 365 days
Open data
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Portugal
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- M-Lab NDT daily country medians for Portugal cluster at ≈ 39–42 Mbps (2024). Recorded as 40 Mbps. WebFetch truncates the JSON to ~mid-January, so the full-year median should be re-aggregated from the M-Lab BigQuery dataset next cycle.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Portuguese fibre retail speeds are far higher) — comparable only within this criterion. Value should be re-verified against the full 2024/2025 M-Lab aggregate.
08
Healthcare
What comprehensive private medical cover costs.
01Private healthcare costcountry-level650USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old9.6
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Lower is betterUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldre-verified every 365 days
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover (outpatient + hospitalization) for a healthy 35-year-old run ≈ €35–60/month across the main Portuguese insurers (Médis, Multicare, AdvanceCare/AdvanceCare-network, Allianz, Generali Tranquilidade). Midpoint ≈ €47.5/month ≈ €570/year ≈ $650 at 1.1399 USD/EUR (range ≈ $547–$752). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notes
- Residents are covered by the public SNS; private insurance is optional/supplementary. Cheaper outpatient-only plans start ≈ €10–20/month but exclude hospitalization — this figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen for cross-country comparability. Insurers repriced ~+10% for 2026.
09
Money & crypto
Crypto rules and how freely personal money moves.
01Crypto regulationcountry-levelLegal friendly10.0
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Rated by category—re-verified every 180 days
Official source
Autoridade Tributária — Criptoativos: conceito fiscal e tributação (folheto informativo)
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Legal for individuals; regulated under EU MiCA/CARF. Since Law 24-D/2022: capital gains on crypto held ≥365 days are tax-EXEMPT (declared in Anexo G1); gains on assets held <365 days are taxed at a 28% autonomous rate (Category G, option to aggregate); crypto-to-crypto swaps are deferred (not taxed at the swap). Frequent/professional trading may be reclassified as Category B (general rates). Classified legal-friendly for the explicit long-term-holding exemption; short-term gains are still fully taxed.
02Financial control levelcountry-levelLow10.0
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Rated by category—re-verified every 365 days
Official source
ASAE — cash-payment limits (Art. 63.º-E Lei Geral Tributária); euro-area free movement of capital
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: euro-area member, no currency or capital controls, EUR fully convertible; free movement of capital guaranteed by the EU Treaty (Art. 63 TFEU). Non-resident bank accounts routinely available. Standard EU CRS/DAC reporting via banks; no FBAR-style personal foreign-account self-declaration for individuals. Cash-payment limit €2,999.99 for residents (natural persons) and €9,999.99 for non-residents not acting as merchants (Art. 63.º-E LGT) — a limit on cash, not on bank money movement. Rated 'low' state control over personal money flows.
10
Language
How far English gets you in daily life and services.
01English proficiencycountry-levelVery high9.0
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Rated by category—re-verified every 730 days
Research
EF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band)
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). Portugal ranks 6th of 123 countries (score 612, 'Very High'). English is broadly workable in cities, tourism, tech and services; less consistent in local government/administration.
11
Education
International schooling options for families.
01International schools11accredited international schools, count7.7
What this measures
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Higher is betteraccredited international schools, countre-verified every 730 days
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated count of internationally-accredited schools in the Lisbon metro (Lisboa, Cascais, Sintra, Oeiras). Directly verified against their accreditor networks: Lycée Français Charles Lepierre (AEFE directly-managed establishment, aefe.gouv.fr) and Deutsche Schule Lissabon (German Auslandsschule under ZfA/Auswärtiges Amt, auslandsschulwesen.de). IB World Schools identified in the metro by name from IB 'by country' data and corroborating sources: St. Julian's (Carcavelos), St. Dominic's International (São Domingos de Rana), Carlucci/CAISL (Sintra), United Lisbon International, TASIS Portugal (Sintra), International Sharing School–Taguspark (Oeiras), Oeiras International School, PaRK International, plus The Lisboan (Cambridge + IB). Count = 11 named, accreditor-attributable schools.
- Notes
- ±3 uncertainty. The live IB World Schools finder and the Cambridge 'Find a Cambridge school' registry both returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch this cycle, so individual IB/Cambridge authorizations were confirmed from official-adjacent sources rather than each read directly against the accreditor's live registry; AEFE and the German school were verified directly. Portugal has ~16 IB World Schools in total, most clustered in the Lisbon metro, so the true metro count of all-accreditor international schools is likely somewhat higher than 11 (aggregator guides list 30+ 'international' schools, but many lack a recognised accreditor). Re-verify each authorization against the IB and Cambridge registries from a browser next cycle.
12
Demographics
Who else lives here — the share of foreign residents and the largest national communities, from official statistics.
Openness to foreignerscountry-levelOpenGallup MAI 6.65/9 · 2016
What this measures
How accepting the resident population is of migrants and foreigners — the inverse of xenophobia, a real concern for someone relocating. Our own five-band reading (very-open / open / moderate / reserved / low) informed primarily by the Gallup Migrant Acceptance Index (0–9 scale: three questions on migrants living in the country, becoming neighbours, and marrying into the family; 2019 wave), cross-checked where available with the World Values Survey wave 7 / European Values Study 2017 question on whether people would not want immigrants or foreign workers as neighbours (a higher share = more hostile). Banding guide against the Gallup 0–9 score: ≥7.0 very-open, 5.5–7.0 open, 4.0–5.5 moderate, 2.5–4.0 reserved, below 2.5 low (the 2019 global average of 5.21 sits in 'moderate'). Country level only: no credible city-level survey of attitudes to foreigners exists, so on city pages the country reading is shown as country context. Gallup is a research source cited with attribution, not republished in bulk; the raw index score/year and any cross-check figure are carried inside each value. Value shape: { band, gallupMai?, gallupYear?, unwantedNeighborPct?, unwantedNeighborSource? }. Display-only: attitudinal, survey-based and ~2019 vintage, so it is shown as honest context and never folded into the composite score.
Reference data—re-verified every 1825 days
Research
- Data as of
- Aug 23, 2017
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Gallup MAI 6.65/9 (2016/2017 wave; Gallup published no exact 2019 per-country figure) — well above the global average and among the more accepting EU states; Portugal also topped the EU on Gallup’s separate “good place for migrants to live” measure (87%). Band: open.
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- AIMA reported 1,544,168 foreign residents with a valid residence title at end-2024; INE's 2024 resident-population release put foreigners at 14% of the ~11.4M total. Basis: valid residence titles (administrative register) — this is broader than Eurostat's usual-residence population count (Eurostat migr_pop1ctz put foreign citizens at ~1.16M / ~10.7% on 2025-01-01), reflecting recent large-scale regularizations.
- Notes
- Portugal's foreign share roughly quadrupled since 2017. AIMA's residence-title basis (14%) is used as the headline because it best reflects people actually living in Portugal; the Eurostat usual-residence basis (~10.7%) is the conservative alternative. Direct fetch of the AIMA PDF was blocked by a TLS certificate error on the AIMA host, so the figures were read via official AIMA reporting relayed by a Portuguese outlet and cross-checked against INE's statement — re-verify from the AIMA PDF from a browser next cycle.
Largest communities of foreign residents1,544,168 total
AIMA — Migration and Asylum Report 2024 (foreign residents by nationality)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- AIMA end-2024 foreign-resident register by nationality; totalForeign = 1,544,168; shares = count ÷ total. Top 10 shown (they cover ~64.6% of foreign residents).
- Notes
- Brazil dominates (31.4%). Ukraine includes temporary-protection holders who also hold residence documents. Figures read via official AIMA reporting relayed by a Portuguese outlet because the AIMA PDF host returned a TLS certificate error on direct fetch — re-verify from the AIMA PDF next cycle.
01Brazil31.4%484,596
02India6.4%98,616
03Angola6%92,348
04Ukraine5.1%79,232
05Cape Verde4.2%65,507
06Bangladesh3.6%55,199
07Italy2.6%40,021
08China2%30,734
09France1.9%29,009
10Spain1.4%22,130
Brazil dominates (31.4%). Ukraine includes temporary-protection holders who also hold residence documents. Figures read via official AIMA reporting relayed by a Portuguese outlet because the AIMA PDF host returned a TLS certificate error on direct fetch — re-verify from the AIMA PDF next cycle.
13
How you can stay
How you can legally enter and stay. These apply across Portugal.
All requirements & citizenship filter- 01D8 — Digital Nomad residence visa (remote work)Digital nomad visaAll except EU citizensincome ≥ 3,680 EUR/monthRemote professional activity (employed or self-employed) performed for entities/clients located OUTSIDE Portugal4 mo +→ PR path
- 02D8 — Temporary-stay visa for remote work (under 1 year)Digital nomad visaAll except EU citizensincome ≥ 3,680 EUR/monthRemote professional activity for entities outside Portugal, for a stay of under one year1 yr +
- 03D2 — Independent worker / entrepreneur (incl. Startup Visa)Business visaAll except EU citizensincome ≥ 920 EUR/monthNon-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen setting up or investing in a business, or providing independent services, in Portugal4 mo +→ PR path
- 04D7 — Passive income / retirement residence visaTemporary residenceAll except EU citizensincome ≥ 920 EUR/monthNon-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen with stable, regular passive income ≥ the minimum wage4 mo +→ PR path
- 05EU Blue Card (highly-qualified employment)Temporary residenceAll except EU citizensEmployment contract with a Portuguese employer in a highly-qualified role2 yrs +→ PR path
- 06EU/EEA/Swiss citizens — registration of residenceSpecial programEU citizensNo visa or permit needed; full labour-market access and business on the same terms as Portuguese citizens5 yrs +→ PR path
- 07Visa-free stay (Schengen 90/180)Visa-free stayUS citizens, UK citizens, Ukrainian citizensPassport of an Annex II visa-exempt country (EU Reg. 2018/1806); for Ukraine and other Eastern Partnership states, biometric passports only3 mo
14
What you'd pay in taxes
The tax schemes a freelancer can choose from. Rules are national, the same in Lisbon as anywhere in Portugal.
Full schemes & calculator- 01Regime simplificado — other services (0.35 coefficient)15% of revenue (min 0, max 16,552/year) + 65% of revenue (deductible from revenue)21.0%burden at €60k
- 02IFICI — 20% flat tax for research & innovation (NHR successor)15% of revenue (min 0, max 16,552/year) + 25% of revenue (deductible from revenue)30.0%burden at €60k
- 03Regime simplificado — IT & professional services (0.75 coefficient)15% of revenue (min 0, max 16,552/year) + 25% of revenue (deductible from revenue)34.4%burden at €60k
- 04Contabilidade organizada — organized accounting (actual expenses)15% of revenue (min 0, max 16,552/year) (deductible from profit) + progressive on profit: 13% up to 8,342, 16% up to 12,587, 21% up to 17,838, 24% up to 23,089, 31% up to 29,397, 35% up to 43,090, 43% up to 46,566, 45% up to 86,634, 48% above38.8%burden at €60k
See what you would keep
Your income against Portugal's real tax schemes — the same engine as the full calculator.
- 1 Regime simplificado — other services (0.35 coefficient)47,428 EURnet/year21.0% burden
- 2 IFICI — 20% flat tax for research & innovation (NHR successor)42,012 EURnet/year30.0% burden
- 3 Regime simplificado — IT & professional services (0.75 coefficient)39,360 EURnet/year34.4% burden
- 4 Contabilidade organizada — organized accounting (actual expenses)36,702 EURnet/year38.8% burden
15
Who is Lisbon for?
The same place reads differently depending on why you move. Each lens pulls the facts that matter most for that plan — with sources, and the trade-offs stated plainly.
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
Works in your favour
English proficiencyVery high
EF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). Portugal ranks 6th of 123 countries (score 612, 'Very High'). English is broadly workable in cities, tourism, tech and services; less consistent in local government/administration.
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)$1,166/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- INE 2022/2023 single-person (<65) household average spending €18,121/year = €1,510/month (incl. housing); CPI-uplifted to mid-2026 (×≈1.072 over 2024–2026 HICP) → €1,618/month; the rent/imputed-rent portion of the COICOP-2018 housing division (41.7% of the basket) removed while keeping utilities, then summed by category and converted at 1.1399 USD/EUR (ECB 2026-07-02) → ≈ $1,166/month excluding rent. Cross-checked against Eurostat comparative price level for household consumption (Portugal 2024 = 85.0, EU27=100 — ~15% below the EU average).
- Notes
- National average; Lisbon runs higher. Derived by summing the itemized cost-breakdown categories; see cost-breakdown for the split.
Domestic delivery qualityGood
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- National operator CTT offers next-day ('Expresso Para Amanhã') and 2-day express nationwide, with the Collectt pickup network (CTT shops + Payshop agents + Locky 24/7 parcel lockers) and real-time tracking. Private carriers DPD, GLS, DHL, UPS, Chronopost and Seur operate nationwide. Rated 'good' — 1–3 day delivery is the norm and lockers exist in cities, but locker density and universal next-day are below the best-in-class (e.g. Poland's InPost).
Watch-outs
Freelancer tax burden30%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pt-ifici-20 (IFICI 20% flat, NHR successor) at €60,000 revenue: social security 21.4%×70%×60,000 = €8,988; category-B simplified taxable income 0.75×60,000 = €45,000; IFICI IRS 20%×45,000 = €9,000; total €17,988 → 29.98% ≈ 30.0%. IFICI requires being a new resident (not resident in Portugal in the prior 5 years) in an eligible activity (IT/ICT qualifies) — realistic for an incoming remote worker. Without IFICI the same profile under the simplified 0.75 regime (progressive IRS) is ~34.4%.
Internet speed40 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Portugal
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- M-Lab NDT daily country medians for Portugal cluster at ≈ 39–42 Mbps (2024). Recorded as 40 Mbps. WebFetch truncates the JSON to ~mid-January, so the full-year median should be re-aggregated from the M-Lab BigQuery dataset next cycle.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Portuguese fibre retail speeds are far higher) — comparable only within this criterion. Value should be re-verified against the full 2024/2025 M-Lab aggregate.
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
Works in your favour
International schools11
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated count of internationally-accredited schools in the Lisbon metro (Lisboa, Cascais, Sintra, Oeiras). Directly verified against their accreditor networks: Lycée Français Charles Lepierre (AEFE directly-managed establishment, aefe.gouv.fr) and Deutsche Schule Lissabon (German Auslandsschule under ZfA/Auswärtiges Amt, auslandsschulwesen.de). IB World Schools identified in the metro by name from IB 'by country' data and corroborating sources: St. Julian's (Carcavelos), St. Dominic's International (São Domingos de Rana), Carlucci/CAISL (Sintra), United Lisbon International, TASIS Portugal (Sintra), International Sharing School–Taguspark (Oeiras), Oeiras International School, PaRK International, plus The Lisboan (Cambridge + IB). Count = 11 named, accreditor-attributable schools.
- Notes
- ±3 uncertainty. The live IB World Schools finder and the Cambridge 'Find a Cambridge school' registry both returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch this cycle, so individual IB/Cambridge authorizations were confirmed from official-adjacent sources rather than each read directly against the accreditor's live registry; AEFE and the German school were verified directly. Portugal has ~16 IB World Schools in total, most clustered in the Lisbon metro, so the true metro count of all-accreditor international schools is likely somewhat higher than 11 (aggregator guides list 30+ 'international' schools, but many lack a recognised accreditor). Re-verify each authorization against the IB and Cambridge registries from a browser next cycle.
Homicide rate0.68/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, 2024 (Eurostat crim_off_cat). Portugal has trended down since 2013 (1.37) to 0.68 in 2024 — among the lowest in the EU.
Private healthcare cost$650/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover (outpatient + hospitalization) for a healthy 35-year-old run ≈ €35–60/month across the main Portuguese insurers (Médis, Multicare, AdvanceCare/AdvanceCare-network, Allianz, Generali Tranquilidade). Midpoint ≈ €47.5/month ≈ €570/year ≈ $650 at 1.1399 USD/EUR (range ≈ $547–$752). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notes
- Residents are covered by the public SNS; private insurance is optional/supplementary. Cheaper outpatient-only plans start ≈ €10–20/month but exclude hospitalization — this figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen for cross-country comparability. Insurers repriced ~+10% for 2026.
Air quality (PM2.5)no verified data
EEA European city air quality viewer / CCDR-LVT regional air-quality report 2024
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- No exact annual-mean value could be verified from an official source this cycle: the EEA city air quality viewer and EEA PM2.5 dashboard are JavaScript apps that returned no extractable number via fetch, and the CCDR-LVT (regional environment authority) 2024 report presents the Olivais urban-background PM2.5 annual mean only as a chart image (Figure 17/18), not as extractable text. Verified context: the EEA viewer ranks Lisbon 38th of European capitals and places it in the 'fair' band (5–10 µg/m³), cleaner than Madrid (8.9), Paris (10.5) and Berlin (11); CCDR-LVT confirms 2024 PM2.5 at the Lisbon urban-background station (Olivais, part of the national IEM background network with Mem Martins and Laranjeiro) was 'muito inferior' to the 25 µg/m³ EU limit/target and has declined since 2017. Set to null pending a browser-read of the exact EEA viewer value (~8 µg/m³ expected) or the CCDR-LVT Figure 17 number next cycle — do not record a scored figure from memory.
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
Works in your favour
Crypto regulationLegal friendly
Autoridade Tributária — Criptoativos: conceito fiscal e tributação (folheto informativo)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Legal for individuals; regulated under EU MiCA/CARF. Since Law 24-D/2022: capital gains on crypto held ≥365 days are tax-EXEMPT (declared in Anexo G1); gains on assets held <365 days are taxed at a 28% autonomous rate (Category G, option to aggregate); crypto-to-crypto swaps are deferred (not taxed at the swap). Frequent/professional trading may be reclassified as Category B (general rates). Classified legal-friendly for the explicit long-term-holding exemption; short-term gains are still fully taxed.
Financial control levelLow
ASAE — cash-payment limits (Art. 63.º-E Lei Geral Tributária); euro-area free movement of capital
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: euro-area member, no currency or capital controls, EUR fully convertible; free movement of capital guaranteed by the EU Treaty (Art. 63 TFEU). Non-resident bank accounts routinely available. Standard EU CRS/DAC reporting via banks; no FBAR-style personal foreign-account self-declaration for individuals. Cash-payment limit €2,999.99 for residents (natural persons) and €9,999.99 for non-residents not acting as merchants (Art. 63.º-E LGT) — a limit on cash, not on bank money movement. Rated 'low' state control over personal money flows.
Watch-outs
Freelancer tax burden30%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pt-ifici-20 (IFICI 20% flat, NHR successor) at €60,000 revenue: social security 21.4%×70%×60,000 = €8,988; category-B simplified taxable income 0.75×60,000 = €45,000; IFICI IRS 20%×45,000 = €9,000; total €17,988 → 29.98% ≈ 30.0%. IFICI requires being a new resident (not resident in Portugal in the prior 5 years) in an eligible activity (IT/ICT qualifies) — realistic for an incoming remote worker. Without IFICI the same profile under the simplified 0.75 regime (progressive IRS) is ~34.4%.
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
Works in your favour
Homicide rate0.68/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, 2024 (Eurostat crim_off_cat). Portugal has trended down since 2013 (1.37) to 0.68 in 2024 — among the lowest in the EU.
Climate comfort10/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (IPMA Lisboa/Instituto Geofísico 1991-2020)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Jan (15.1°C, 103.8mm), Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov (18.1°C, 133.9mm), Dec = 10. Only Jul (TX 28.2°C) and Aug (TX 28.8°C) miss, exceeding the 28°C max cap; no month exceeds the 150mm precipitation cap.
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)$1,166/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- INE 2022/2023 single-person (<65) household average spending €18,121/year = €1,510/month (incl. housing); CPI-uplifted to mid-2026 (×≈1.072 over 2024–2026 HICP) → €1,618/month; the rent/imputed-rent portion of the COICOP-2018 housing division (41.7% of the basket) removed while keeping utilities, then summed by category and converted at 1.1399 USD/EUR (ECB 2026-07-02) → ≈ $1,166/month excluding rent. Cross-checked against Eurostat comparative price level for household consumption (Portugal 2024 = 85.0, EU27=100 — ~15% below the EU average).
- Notes
- National average; Lisbon runs higher. Derived by summing the itemized cost-breakdown categories; see cost-breakdown for the split.
Air quality (PM2.5)no verified data
EEA European city air quality viewer / CCDR-LVT regional air-quality report 2024
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- No exact annual-mean value could be verified from an official source this cycle: the EEA city air quality viewer and EEA PM2.5 dashboard are JavaScript apps that returned no extractable number via fetch, and the CCDR-LVT (regional environment authority) 2024 report presents the Olivais urban-background PM2.5 annual mean only as a chart image (Figure 17/18), not as extractable text. Verified context: the EEA viewer ranks Lisbon 38th of European capitals and places it in the 'fair' band (5–10 µg/m³), cleaner than Madrid (8.9), Paris (10.5) and Berlin (11); CCDR-LVT confirms 2024 PM2.5 at the Lisbon urban-background station (Olivais, part of the national IEM background network with Mem Martins and Laranjeiro) was 'muito inferior' to the 25 µg/m³ EU limit/target and has declined since 2017. Set to null pending a browser-read of the exact EEA viewer value (~8 µg/m³ expected) or the CCDR-LVT Figure 17 number next cycle — do not record a scored figure from memory.
16
Video reviews
Hand-picked YouTube tours and living-here guides — each one checked to still play.
Cost of living in Lisbon: full price breakdown
Nomad Nest · Monthly costs item by item
17
Compare Lisbon
- Lisbon vs Porto
- Lisbon vs Barcelona (Spain)
- Lisbon vs Madrid (Spain)
- Lisbon vs Tbilisi (Georgia)
- Lisbon vs Rome (Italy)
- Lisbon vs New York City (United States)
- Lisbon vs Montréal (Canada)
Full country picture:
Portugal overview