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Portugal

Prices overall are about 0.60 of United States prices at market exchange rates, Portugal ranks 7th of 163 on the Global Peace Index 2026, and people living abroad rank it 7th of 31 countries for ease of settling in. Remote workers and people living on a pension or passive income can apply for residence visas, and holders of temporary residence for at least five years can request permanent residence. [C1] [S1] [Q1] [K1] [R1]

Capital
Lisbon
Currency
Euro
Language
Portuguese
Time zones
Europe/Lisbon, Atlantic/Madeira, Atlantic/Azores
Settings
By the sea, In a city, In a small town, In the countryside, In the mountains [G1] [G2] [G3] [G4] [G5] [G6]
Weather
Mild, never too hot, Four seasons [W1] [W2] [W3] [W4] [W5]

The Fernshore Index

How it grades, factor by factor.

Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.

Cities

Cities in Portugal.

Each city page shows which figures are its own and which are the country's.

Topics

The detail on Portugal.

Guides

Portugal, by passport.

Each guide is written for citizens of one country.

For your situation

Portugal for different circumstances.

Compare

Side by side with another country.

The same measures for both places, with no ranking.

Questions about Portugal.

How do prices in Portugal compare with the United States?

Prices overall in Portugal are about 0.60 of United States prices at market exchange rates (World Bank price level index, 2025). That is an economy-wide average, not a budget for one household, and it does not show what rent, food or any single item costs.

Price level index (GDP), Portugal, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026

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How much income do I need for Portugal's digital nomad (remote work) visa?

The visa portal asks for average monthly income over three months of at least four times the minimum wage in 2026. To be safe, show more than €3,700 a month. US checklists list no separate savings balance. Rules vary by consulate and the wage changes each year.

Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal); Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026, Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT); Residency visa, remote work (D9 checklist), Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Checked 15 October 2026

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How much income do I need for Portugal's D7 visa (retirement or passive income)?

The visa portal sets means of subsistence from the minimum wage in 2026: 100% for one adult, 50% for a second adult, 30% for each child. Its passive income page gives no separate euro figure. To be safe, one adult should show more than €1,000 a month. Consulates may ask for more.

Means of subsistence, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal); Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal); Residence visa in Canada, Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto. Checked 15 October 2026

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Can I get permanent residence in Portugal?

Holders of a temporary residence permit for at least five years can request permanent residence, says the government service page, updated 1 September 2026. The page warns it may be out of date and points to the AIMA portal, so check AIMA's current rules before you plan around it.

Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask), Portuguese Government (gov.pt), service of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 15 October 2026

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Is Portugal safe?

The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Portugal 7th of 163 countries, with a score of 1.427. It is a national measure, not a rating of any city or neighbourhood. Fernshore has no city-level safety measure for Portugal, so how safe a particular street feels is unknown here.

Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026

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Can I get by in English in Portugal?

The EF English Proficiency Index 2025 scores Portugal 612, 6th among the countries ranked. It is a private test-taker index, not a census, and it does not show how much English a particular office, clinic or landlord uses. Portuguese is the national language.

EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Portugal, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026

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Sources

Where each figure comes from.

Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.

  1. [C1] Price level index (GDP), Portugal, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 60.37 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  2. [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 7th of 163 countries (score 1.427).
  3. [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 7th of 31 countries.
  4. [K1] Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists remote work (digital nomads) with proof of average monthly income over three months of at least four times the monthly minimum wage, and a fixed residency for retirement or passive income; no age minimum, job offer or deposit is stated. The page gives no euro figure and no validity period.
  5. [R1] Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask), Portuguese Government (gov.pt), service of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 1 September 2026: holders of a temporary residence permit for at least 5 years; the page warns it may be out of date and points to the AIMA portal.
  6. [G1] Estratégia Nacional para o Mar 2021-2030, Governo de Portugal (portugal.gov.pt). Checked 15 October 2026. Says Portugal has a coastline of about 2,500 km.
  7. [G2] Serra da Estrela (Biosphere Reserve), UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. Checked 15 October 2026. Rises to 1,993 m, the highest point in mainland Portugal.
  8. [G3] O que nos dizem os Censos sobre os lugares estatísticos (Census 2021), Statistics Portugal (INE), Censos 2021. Checked 15 October 2026. 622 places of 2,000 to 50,000 people hold 43.5% of the population; Lisbon is the largest place (545,142) and Porto the next (231,800).
  9. [G4] Rural population (% of total population), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 38.5% of the population is rural (national definitions).
  10. [G5] Agricultural land (% of land area), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 41.3% of land area.
  11. [G6] Lisboa: municipal statistics, Statistics Portugal (INE). Checked 15 October 2026. Resident population estimate 575,739 (2024), municipality of Lisbon.
  12. [W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Braga / Merelim, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Braga, the main city for Portugal's climate grade. Monthly highs 14.1 to 28.7 °C; April to September are 18 to 30 °C with under 150 mm of rain (6 comfortable months).
  13. [W2] Climate normals 1991–2020, Coimbra / Bencanta, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Coolest month's high 15.0 °C and warmest 29.1 °C; mean temperatures differ by 12.3 °C across the year.
  14. [W3] Climate normals 1991–2020, Porto / Pedras Rubras, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Highs 14.0 to 24.8 °C; mean temperatures differ by 10.0 °C across the year.
  15. [W4] Climate normals 1991–2020, Faro, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Highs 16.3 to 29.4 °C; mean temperatures differ by 12.3 °C across the year.
  16. [W5] Climate normals 1991–2020, Lisboa / Instituto Geofísico, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Highs 15.1 to 28.8 °C; mean temperatures differ by 12.0 °C across the year.
  17. [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal: 83 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory API on 15 October 2026.
  18. [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 11th of 31 countries.
  19. [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 45.24 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  20. [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Portugal, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 612, global ranking #6; the 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.
  21. [K3] Temporary stay documents: remote work, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Temporary stay visa for remote work: work contract, employer declaration or service contract, fiscal residence, and income of four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months; no age minimum stated. The page gives no stay length.
  22. [V1] Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026, Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT). Checked 15 October 2026. €920 a month from 1 January 2026 (Decree-Law 139/2025); four times is €3,680. The 2027 figure is expected to rise, so the test needs reconfirming for 2027.
  23. [V2] Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar, European Central Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 15 October 2026: 1.1208 US dollars per euro (14 October 1.1195); €44,160 is about US$49,500.
  24. [V3] Visa information, Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C.. Checked 15 October 2026. US applicants: the list of national visa forms includes 'Resident Visa - Retirees, Living on Income and Religious Purposes' and 'Resident Visa - Remote Work'.
  25. [V4] Residence visa in Canada, Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto. Checked 15 October 2026. Canadian applicants served by Toronto: residence visas include digital nomads and retirees or people living on passive income (D7).
  26. [V5] Where should you lodge a visa application, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Australia: Consulate General in Sydney or Embassy in Canberra; New Zealand: Embassy in Canberra.

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