On December 31, 2020, I retired from 33 years of video production (KTVA Productions), 28 years of mobile notary services (Notaries with Integrity) and over 20 years of service as a wedding minister in Portland, Oregon. I got married on March 20, 2021 to Tammy Harris and after much work and planning we moved to Portugal on December 7, 2022. Both of us agree that neither one of us would be here without the love and support of the other.
Cost of living:
Overall, I say that it is a bit cheaper to live here. Many of the publications exaggerate the savings of living in Portugal versus living in the US, primarily to promote their real estate or immigration-assistance services. A few years ago, that may have been more valid. I do agree that I could not have retired as comfortably in the US as here in Portugal. In fact, I would probably still be working!
Stuff:
Inflation has hit everywhere and Europe has been strongly impacted. Portugal imports most items. Hardware and tools are more expensive. Fuel is more expensive. Auto parts are more expensive. We buy a lot of stuff from Amazon.es (Spain). There is a modern shopping center in Tavira and a very large mall with an IKEA and many brand-name "factory" stores in Loule, 30 minutes away. There is even a Costco about 100 miles away.
Food:
Tammy feels that groceries are cheaper here. She recently visited her family in Portland (I did not go with her) and she was shocked at the cost of a bag of groceries at Safeway.
I think we eat better here than in the US. We barbeque often. We eat more vegetables and seafood and I think those items are a bit cheaper here. Most produce items are available year-round, except corn which is not a common food item. We have eaten more seafood and intend to continue to eat more seafood. Fresh seafood is prominent and less expensive than back home, but most is farm-raised, not wild-caught, so not as healthy. Fortunately, the local farmers' market is open daily until about 1:00pm and wild-caught seafood is available there, as well as farm-fresh veggies. Cookies and chips are in smaller bags but still expensive, a pretty successful deterrent (sometimes). Many of our favorite food items are available (like Oreo cookies and Nacho Cheese Doritos) and we have discovered many locally-made sauces and pre-made items that we enjoy too. And yes, we can drink the water.
The portions are smaller in restaurants, i.e., we are satisfied but not stuffed. (By the way, the world sees Americans as fat.) We have found Italian, Chinese, Mexican-food, seafood and steakhouse restaurants. Most local cuisine purveyors offer a few universal-appeal food items, like steak and chicken. There are pastry shops, pizza parlors and hamburgers stands like McDonald's and Burger King. Recently we each enjoyed a delicious hamburger at the snack bar at a large hardware store!
One of the things to which we needed to adjust is the beginning of the dinner hour not being until 7:00pm. Folks have a big lunch, often closing their business for an hour & a half or two hours. A late afternoon pastry and espresso break at a nearby pastelaria is pretty standard, then folks sit-down to eat at 8:00pm or 9:00pm. We eat at home often.
Click here for a YouTube video of the Ria Formosa.
Services:
One of the best values in Portugal is dining-out. Tipping is not required nor expected. Imagine buying food and then NOT paying another 20% for someone to bring it to you! A very nice meal with drinks, appetizers, dessert and espresso is almost always under 100 euros ($110.00) and usually 50 or 60 euros. But that is because people do not make very much money here. Product costs are still expensive but labor is cheap. Unfortunately, that is the main reason for the perceived lower cost of living for someone moving here.
The wonderful Portuguese people are encumbered by inflation including the escalating cost of rent due to the influx of newcomers and the supply and demand of housing, yet their wages remain low. I believe that once the friendly and hard-working citizens begin to receive fair compensation for their cordial nature and perseverance, the cost of living in Portugal will be more equal to other European countries.
Cars:
Cars are expensive. I think we paid more than we would have elsewhere for a couple of used cars that had low miles (under 100k miles). We have a 1999 Honda CRV with 2.0-liter motor and a 1996 Peugeot 306 with a 1.8-liter motor. Auto parts are expensive and take up to two weeks to arrive. We had used a couple of local mechanics and were quite disappointed in the quality of their work. I purchased many new tools (which was fun) and have a pretty-well outfitted shop now. I can do most minor repairs myself, giving me something to do.
No one sports bumper stickers. Certainly If you can read this, you are too close! would be appropriate because tailgating is uncomfortably common. Drivers in Portugal, not necessarily Portugues drivers (since many are fancy new cars) drive way too fast, pass when obviously dangerous, like near curves or hills. Most of the time, drivers will pass on the right of cars making left turns (it is a violation, up to a $1750.00 ticket!).
Some streets are very narrow. Roundabouts keep traffic moving; they are intimidating yet a wonderful dance if everyone plays by the rules. Car insurance is cheap, around $400.00/year. Litigation is not common in Portugal. People are fair and accept responsibility instead of blaming others. What a country!
Fuel:
About $7.00/gallon, so we bought economical cars. Tammy loves to just get out and see the surrounding area so we do cruise around a little bit. The heart of our small town of Tavira is only about 5 miles away. We have happily settled into a peaceful, country setting so we are not driving around a lot, we like it here!
Rent:
We pay about $1440.00/month for a small, 2-bedroom duplex with a swimming pool, car port and storage with utilities included (Starlink internet, too). Tammy has decorated our cozy home and even has a small garden she enjoys. It is so peaceful and the stars are magnificent. We feel very fortunate to be surrounded by an orchard with almonds, oranges, limes, lemons, cumquats, tangelos and avocados.
Click here for a YouTube video from the above vantage point of the surrounding area.
Fitting-in:
You get what you give. Some folks complain that the Portuguese people are not as friendly as they were lead to believe. I have found that a smile and a polite greeting yield fantastic results! We have been genuinely accepted into a country that is peaceful, quiet and safe.
In our quinta we have two neighbors and the landlords live here too. Thanksgiving and Christmas were a wonderful experience! We were welcomed and we celebrated together as if we were all part of their family. Tammy even organized a surprise 70th birthday party for me!
Dancing in a Winter Wonderland in Silves, Portugal.
Click here for a YouTube video of some incredible NBA-style action in Tavira!
Smokey:
We are blessed with wonderful neighbors who love our dog, Smokey, and keep an eye on him when we are gone. He has a doggie-door so he can roam freely around our fenced and gated compound. The famous Portuguese artist, Rosario Felix, who draws and paints images in a graphical diary, much like people take snapshots, did a wonderful portrait of Smokey. Tammy is cultivating her creative side and painted a beautiful, paint-by-numbers portrait from a photograph! We plan to do a bit more exploring this summer with him along for the ride. By the way, Smokey indicates that he loves it here!
Travel:
All of Europe is only a low-priced train or airplane ride away! The Euro is at about $1.10 exchange rate. We have travelled a little bit. We have been to Lisbon a few times. We visited Edinburgh, Scotland last October and will soon visit Mallorca, Spain and enjoy a train tour of Portugal with my sister and her husband who are visiting soon.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Click here for a YouTube video of a free performance from this downtown square.
The National Art Gallery of Scotland
National Museum of Scotland
Calton Hill
Holyrood Castle
Journey to the Highlands and Loch Ness
Click here for a brief YouTube video as we travel through the Highlands.
Click here for a YouTube video of the Three Sisters of Glencoe.
Click here as a YouTube video as we search Loch Ness for "Nessie."
Click here for a YouTube video of this small waterfall.
Click here to enjoy a YouTube video of a Highland cow and her calf.
Edinburgh Zoo
Click here for a YouTube video of the giraffes.
Click here for the King of the Beasts not-so-patiently waiting for his dinner!
Click here for a YouTube video of the cutest warthogs in Edinburgh!
You didn't think we would forget the penguins, did you?
Click here for a YouTube video of one of the happiest fish ever!
Healthcare*:
Portugal offers free public healthcare for its citizens and residents. We pay about $400.00 per month extra for private health insurance for both Tammy and me and this is top-tier coverage. The main hospital is about a half-hour away. There is a local clinic where very helpful doctors and nurses who speak English are available on very short notice, often we can just walk-in without an appointment.
I passed a kidney stone last fall (good times!) and my total outlay was around $150.00. $150.00 with insurance? No, the hospital's computer system was down late at night so they could not determine the amount of insurance coverage, so I just put the hospital visit and doctor's exam on my credit card when she told me how much it was, 87 euros (add 10% for dollars). Later we received a bill from the clinic, which had been our first stop before going to the hospital, and after the insurance coverage for the clinic exam and IV, the bill was only another 35 euros.
Healthcare is top-notch. In 2018, it was ranked 13th in the world! (It is now ranked 25th, I think because even the doctors are not paid well here and some are leaving.) The USA lags far behind at 69th. According to the Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (Statistics Portugal) the average life expectancy in Portugal for a man at age 65 is about 83 years and a woman at age 65 is about 86 years, essentially one more year than in the US per Visual Capitalist.com.
Language**:
We live on the southern coast of Portugal, the Algarve. Due to the beaches and climate, it is a very popular tourist destination so many local people do speak some English. We have taken Portuguese language lessons and try to use it when we can remember the right words, but most of the time the local people communicate with us the best they can in English, so our lessons have not sunk-in too well. We also have met people from other parts of the world that also speak English.
Portuguese is the 4th to 5th most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor. It is used in Macau and Goa, is the base of around twenty Creole languages and an important minority language in Andorra, Luxemburg, Namibia, Switzerland and South Africa, due to the numerous Portuguese communities there. It is the most spoken language in the southern hemisphere, the 3rd most spoken language on Facebook and the 4th on X (Twitter). It is the official language of 260 million people in 8 countries. And it is hard.
A bit of history: The Portuguese language began in the Western Iberian Peninsula from Latin spoken by Roman soldiers and colonists starting in the 3rd century BC. Roman rule lasted for 7 centuries. Fast-forward to the 15th century, Portugal became a great naval power. Portuguese explorers discovered and conquered new lands, bringing with them the Portuguese language. Other European countries, such as England and the Netherlands also explored the world, but it was the Portuguese and Spanish who put in the most effort to explore and exploit faraway lands.
Vasco da Gama (1460 - 1524) was the first European to sail from Europe to India, enabling trade with the Far East. The Route of Spices was very important for Portugal's colonial and commercial expansion. He made three very dangerous trips to India from Portugal; storms and pirates were common.
Duarte Pacheco Pereira (1460 - 1533), a Portuguese sea captain and soldier, travelled the central Atlantic Ocean along the western coast of Africa to India. He was talented in mathematics, astronomy and strategic warfare. There are claims that he discovered the mouth of the Amazon River in 1498, before the Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, claimed to have in 1499. He was the first-known European explorer of Brazil.
You can learn more about Portugal's rich history via Wikipedia and Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' websites.
Population:
10.5 million people live in Portugal (which is about the same size and shape as the state of Indiana, 35,000 square miles). 750,000 people are immigrants. According to the Portugal immigration department (AIMA) and Portugal.com, the 10 largest immigrant populations in Portugal are:
2. United Kingdom (36,639)
3. Cape Verde (35,744)
4. India (34,232
5. Italy (33,707)
6. Angola (30,417)
7. France (27,614)
8. Ukraine (26,898)
9. Romania (23,967)
10. Nepal (23,441)
What about Americans? Actually, only about 10,000, or .1% of the population are from the US, so we are not the overwhelming influx of evil Californicators that some anti-American authors claim.
Taxes:
I remember that I usually paid about a third of my income to the IRS and State of Oregon. In a Socialist country with public healthcare, much of a person's income goes to taxes. The taxes for a Portuguese citizen at our modest income level (small IRA and Social Security income) is around 40%, plus there is a 13% to 23% sales tax added to everything.
Portugal was especially hard-hit by the Great Recession (2008). The country lost many of its hard-working people to other countries where their income potential was greater. So in 2009, Portugal initiated a program offering a cap of 0% (zero percent) income tax for 10 years as an incentive for folks to immigrate here. In 2020, the government in an attempt to slow some of the immigration-caused rising rent and property costs for its citizens, bumped it to 10%, and now, due to its success (?), it is no longer available to newcomers. We thankfully qualified at the 10% cap.
Bureaucracy:
Since everything runs so smoothly and without any irritating complications from incompetent employees in the US, we are just plain spoiled when going to another country, right? Hey, I have slammed my phone down enough times to know that bureaucracy, incompetence and idiocy are all alive and well in the US. Frankly, I have had much less frustration dealing with Portugal issues than I had back home. Sure, sometimes processes take a bit longer. Not being fluent in Portuguese is a bit of a problem, MY problem not theirs, but the general feeling one gets is that the Portuguese people want us here and are trying to help, especially if one offers a smile and apologizes for not being able to communicate well. Afterall, we are guests here, so lighten-up, people!
Portugal is NOT a third-world country, though it is a poorer country. Most government interactions can be done on the various websites and many have an -English- option and those that do not, can be translated with Google Chrome.
Starting a new life in a new country over a 12-month period requires one to do all the bureaucratic things one did along the way growing-up, just in a much briefer span of time. Social security, insurance, bank accounts, dog vaccinations, driver licenses, housing, utilities, passport/VISA, etc., in one form or another, all must be done in 12 months versus over 20+ years! But we are retired so we have the time and with various internet sites that do translation and offer advice, especially the Facebook group, Americans&FriendsPT, we did not feel alone nor powerless. With good preparation and a bit of patience we have successfully crossed many hurdles.
Public involvement helped stop a large solar plant with lithium-battery energy storage in an important ecologial site.
We LOVE Portugal! And I am not just saying that because we'd be embarrassed and bankrupt to move back to the US! We love the climate, the people, the countryside, the flowers, the ocean, the beaches, the restaurants, the food, the air, the sky, the way of life, the safety, the civic pride, the availability of Europe, the Sangria, the olive oil (we use a lot for cooking) and the absence of hate, racism, crime, Trump supporters (sorry, but I had to say that!), traffic, vandalism (though there is graffiti), trash everywhere, homeless camps, dangerous animals and insects (the most common and dangerous one is the processionary caterpillar which can actually kill a dog and is similar in appearance to the tent caterpillars back home). We thank the Lord everyday for gracing us with such a wonderful place to retire!
Tammy says that she has found her happy place and so have I !!!
*Sources: Global Citizen Solutions; Expatica;
**Sources: University of Lisboa; Expatica; Wikipedia; Twinkl.pt; History.com; Portugal.com; Wikipedia
Happy Trails!
Rick Phillips
Tammy Harris
rick at 123rdp.com
503.two-zero-six.2798 (USA) WhatsApp too!
351.nine-one-zero.688.016 (Portugal) WhatsApp too!