10 preconceived ideas about life in Portugal versus reality

December 11, 2019

“A received idea is an opinion between the stereotype, the cliché and the common idea. It is widespread and sometimes false.” You may have preconceived ideas about life in Portugal that are at odds with reality. So, if you’re thinking of living in Portugal, it’s important to be well-informed and aware of the reality of the country or city you’ve chosen: its advantages and disadvantages.

Going abroad with the idea that “the grass is greener” can lead to disappointment. No, not everything in Portugal is “rosy”. The country has indisputable assets, and that’s what we like to emphasize the most, but like any country, it also has “weaknesses”. Let’s take a look at some of the preconceived ideas about life in Portugal that we regularly see, but which don’t always reflect reality.

Myth no. 1: “The cost of living in Portugal is much lower than in France”

We’ve heard a lot and still hear a lot that the cost of living in Portugal is much lower than in most other European countries. Yes, some things are much cheaper here in Portugal: restaurants, beauty treatments, clothing, furniture, leisure activities, many services, etc.

However, other things are also more expensive: cars, electricity, internet, telephony, health care, petrol, etc. So don’t expect a much lower cost of living, especially when you consider the salary/rent ratio. Real estate, as we’ll see in the next section, isn’t always that affordable, and wages in Portugal are among the lowest in Europe: minimum wage of €600 in 2019, rising to €635 on January 1, 2020(see table below), and national average wage of €890.

Portuguese minimum wage table by year. Source : www.economias.pt

If you would like to find out more about this subject, please read these articles:

Cost of living in Portugal: what budget do you need?

Working in Portugal: job offers, salaries, sectors ..

Myth n°2: “Real estate is much cheaper in Portugal”

Yes, it used to be true, but today we need to qualify this statement. 5 years ago, real estate was very attractive in Portugal, even in the big cities. In fact, in addition to the sunshine and the relaxed lifestyle, this was one of the subjects most often “highlighted” by the media. But today, the real estate market in Portugal has changed a little.

In Portugal’s medium-sized and large cities, don’t expect “cheap” real estate, either to buy or to rent. Prices have risen sharply(see table below). It’s important to find out about rents and property purchase prices before moving to a particular city in Portugal. Rent depends on a whole host of criteria, but since you’re a fan of figures, I’d say that for a one-bedroom apartment you’re looking at around €900 in the center of Lisbon and €600 in the center of Porto. The fact that real estate in Portugal is inexpensive is therefore part of the preconceived idea that life in Portugal is not always good. Don’t underestimate your real estate budget!

Price trend m2. Source : INE

If you’d like to find out more about renting in Portugal, read this article: Finding a rental in Portugal

Myth n°3: ” I know Portugal well, I’ve been to Lisbon on vacation once”

If you don’t know Portugal at all, if you only know one region, if you’ve been to Portugal several times but a long time ago, if you only know Portugal from books, guidebooks, blogs or people who’ve told you about it, etc., you’ve got the wrong idea. Get to know the country for yourself before you decide to live there.

Portugal is not just one region, one city, one 15-day vacation or one TV show. Portugal is a small but multifaceted country. In my opinion, it’s essential to get to know it from top to bottom. Every region, town and village is brimming with varied riches.

So, if you’re planning to move to Portugal, before you make that decision, take the time to discover the country. Living in Portugal and vacationing in Portugal are two different things. Depending on your plans, take the time to choose the region and city that suit you best, without taking into account any preconceived ideas you may have about life in Portugal.

Portugal’s regions, not to mention its many island treasures.

While you’re waiting to discover the country “for real”, take a look at the following articles about different regions in Portugal:

Myth No. 4: “Portugal is Europe, so there’s almost nothing to do if you want to move there”

Just because Portugal is in Europe doesn’t mean there are few or no administrative formalities to be completed. If you decide to move to Portugal, you’ll need to take several steps. Some in your own country, others in Portugal. These formalities must begin before you move to Portugal.

As for the formalities to be carried out in your country (in France for most of you reading this article), there are those to be carried out with your tax office, your health insurance company, change-of-address formalities, stopping your subscriptions, and so on. Before you arrive in Portugal, you can also start looking for a job and accommodation.

once you’ve arrived in Portugal, you’ll need to take a number of steps, such as obtaining a tax number (NIF), opening a bank account, legalizing your car, changing your driver’s license, health insurance, various subscriptions (telephone, internet, electricity, water, etc.)

To find out more about the administrative formalities to be carried out before your arrival in Portugal and once you’re here, I invite you to read these articles:

Tip #5: “I’ve got my European health insurance card, so I’ll be covered in Portugal”

If you’re moving to Portugal, don’t assume that you’ll keep your French social security rights or that the European social security card will suffice.

As far as rights are concerned, if you are retired, you can keep your French social security rights by completing form S1. You can therefore maintain your social security in France, while at the same time opening up your Portuguese social security rights. In the end, retirees have access to both compulsory schemes. If you are still working, you will not retain your French social security rights. You will be attached to the Portuguese social security system.

The European social security card is intended exclusively for short stays and vacations in the EU. It is not suitable for residents of Portugal. If you live in Portugal, you must use the Portuguese social security system for the public sector, and private health insurance if you wish to access private healthcare networks.

Finally, you should be aware that health care is more expensive in Portugal: medical care, examinations, medicines, health insurance, etc.

To find out more about healthcare in Portugal, read these articles:

Tip #6: “I speak French and English, so I don’t need to learn Portuguese to live in Portugal”

One of the biggest differences in your daily life in Portugal will obviously be the language! You’ll be arriving in a country where people speak a language other than your own. Be prepared to find it difficult to understand and make yourself understood(even if a good little mime always helps). But do you really need to speak Portuguese to settle successfully in Portugal? Some people think that English and French will suffice, but are they right?

First of all, I’d like to point out that the level of English in Portugal is much higher than in France and other southern European countries. Most Portuguese under the age of 40 speak perfect English. As I’ve explained in previous articles, TV and cinemas here in Portugal don’t dub foreign films and TV programs. So, from an early age, the Portuguese are used to hearing English spoken. Finding a job in the big cities if you speak French and English can be fairly straightforward, but for a “high-skilled” job in Portugal, speaking Portuguese is still essential in most companies.

As far as the French language is concerned, with Portugal’s French-speaking community growing steadily, you can make regular use of French if you frequent the French community.

So, to create a social network between “expatriates” (French-speaking, English-speaking), to take your first steps, to look for accommodation, to do your “basic” administrative formalities, to find a job that doesn’t require a “high qualification”, yes you can get by with French and English. On the other hand, if you really want to integrate with the Portuguese people, take care of all the administrative formalities on your own, apply for “high-level” jobs, etc., you’ll need a good command of Portuguese. Mastery of Portuguese will be important, if not unavoidable.

To find out more, read my article on learning Portuguese: 10 tips for learning Portuguese quickly

Myth n°7: “Food is cheap in Portugal”

Between cod, pasteis de nata, grilled chicken and so on, Portuguese gastronomy will probably seduce you! I must confess that I’ve never met anyone who’s said to me: “I don’t like Portuguese food”. What’s really appealing about this cuisine is its authenticity, with a majority of “typical” restaurants, “home-made” cuisine, fresh produce, and all this for a low price. Because, yes, it’s not a common misconception that restaurant food in Portugal is inexpensive.

In fact, for the Portuguese, restaurants are very important. Whereas in France, we tend to go to restaurants for “special occasions” and mainly at weekends. In Portugal, going every day is commonplace. You’ll soon get into the habit of eating out if you live in Portugal.

On the other hand, when it comes to the price of food in supermarkets, it’s not necessarily “cheaper”(obviously, it all depends on the composition of your basket). Fresh and local products are not very expensive, but it goes without saying that all imported products, including French brands(of which there are many), are obviously more expensive in Portugal than in France.

Meat dish at €8 for 1 person: hearty and inexpensive

To find out more, here are two articles on Portuguese gastronomy

Tip #8: ” The culture of going to the bakery is French”

You may have thought that the bakery culture was only French, but it’s not! And I think you’ll go to the bakery even more in Portugal than when you lived in France. So you see, in Portugal too, bakeries are very important to the Portuguese.

In France, it’s customary to go to the boulangerie in the morning or at snack time, buy croissants, a pastry or a baguette and then enjoy them once you’ve left the bakery. In Portugal, it’s customary to go to the bakery every day, sit down, have a cup of coffee and a sweet or savoury treat. The same goes for snack time(lanche in Portuguese). So don’t be surprised to come across one or more bakeries on every street corner, where you’ll always find tables and chairs where you can eat on the spot.

Pastelaria Padaria Sacolinha

Tip #9: “Theweather in Portugal is always fine and mild “

Perfect weather: probably one of the most recurrent misconceptions about life in Portugal. Yes, the weather in Portugal is mild all year round, and it’s one of the factors that attracts so many people to the country. We’re constantly told that there are around 300 days of sunshine a year, and that Portugal is considered one of the best weather countries in Europe. And yes! It’s not all that untrue! As I write this, I’m in the north of Portugal, it’s mid-October and 25 degrees. So, if you decide to live in Portugal, your wardrobe may be lighter than usual.

However, you shouldn’t go to Portugal thinking that it never rains or that it’s never cold. Weather is not an exact science. I’m often asked: “Tell me, what’s the weather like in March in Portugal? I don’t know how to answer that question, because it’s different from one year to the next. Since I’ve been living in Portugal, I’ve had both rainy Marchs at 15 degrees and sunny Marchs at 26 degrees. Also, you have to bear in mind that the weather varies from region to region. Portugal is a small country, but there are big differences in temperature and humidity between north and south, inland and coastal, mountains and valleys.

Finally, for those who don’t know, remember that in Portugal, you’ll need to bring your “pilou-pilou” pyjamas for the winter, as most homes don’t have central heating(note: new and renovated homes generally have reversible air-conditioning already installed).

Enjoy the beach and blue skies in November.

Tip #10: “Life is peaceful in Portugal “

One of the first things you notice when you move to Portugal is that life is peaceful. The famous expression “la douceur de vivre” (the gentle way of life) takes on its full meaning when you live in Portugal. A calm, “stress-free” way of life, a secure lifestyle that many of us are looking for. Even in the biggest cities like Lisbon and Porto, stress is much less of a burden than in other major cities in other countries. So expect a new pace of life.

But the downside is that this calm, stress-free lifestyle applies to everything. And that includes administrations, offices, institutions, etc. Things can take a while, or even a long time. This is a “southern” country. So you’ll have to be patient at times. You’ll also notice that many offices, administrations, etc. close their doors completely for lunch and close very early in the afternoon. A case in point: most banks in Portugal close to the public at 3:00 pm. It’s also very rare to be able to make an appointment in advance. So you’ll have to go to the bank, get a ticket(the famous ones you’ll find everywhere in Portugal as soon as you have to queue) and be patient(take a good book or a few crosswords, they go by faster!)

In conclusion

If you’re moving to Portugal, it’s important not to rely solely on “what they say” or on any preconceived ideas you may have about life in Portugal. To avoid disappointment, prepare well for your move, find out all you can about it, go there several times, talk to people who live there, and so on. Take your time to prepare for your new life.

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