International Living Community

Northern Portugal is cold and rainy during the winter. Caminha is a cute little town with bigger places nearby. I'd suggest that you reach out to Facebook groups pertaining to Portugal and especially in the north. There are many expats living there who would love to tell you more. Plan a trip and visit during the winter and see what you think. We live in the Algarve because we like it warm and drier but Portugal has something for most everyone.

Beach areas in Portugal just like the rest of the world get tourists in the summer, and we just need to deal with it., there is no way around it. We live in the Algarve, the area I am talking about here and we put up with summer tourists to enjoy the best weather in EUrope the rest of the year.

Healthcare in Portugal is excellent, especially in the private sector. The only company that covers those over age 70 is called MGEN. You can go online and request a quote to give you an idea of cost. Just to to give you an idea my husband is 70 and I am 64 and we pay around 550 euros per month for the two of us, and the coverage is excellent. We are with another company because we have been here for 6 years.

Train travel is throughout Portugal and the ocean is never far away.

I forgot to mention that you can only stay for up to 90 days without a visa, unless you have an EU passport.

Yes, search the Facebook groups that pertain to Portugal like Long Term Rentals Portugal or many of the others. Connect with expats on these groups who know people that have rentals. There are plenty of rentals available. Also look at Idealista.com a common website used here.

English is widely spoken in Portugal's Algarve.

In Portugal's Algarve you can get by on only English but knowing some Portuguese is a sign of respect and besides that is good for our aging minds.

I'm talking about the Algarve which is in the south. The north is lovely but cold and wet during the winters, and we are warm weather people. Porto has a large expat population as do many others like Braga, Coimbra and more.

for Portugal I'd suggest plan and trip and look around since only you can decide where you want to live. Train travel is affordable throughout the country and there are buses and uber. Do keep in mind that all of the country is cobblestoned which can be dangerous as we age.

In Portugal you will be taxed so you should reach out to a tax expert.

Yes, search Facebook groups like Long Term Rentals in Portugal and others or reach out to expats on these groups to see if they know someone who has a rental.

As part of the visa expats need to carry private health insurance because it's affordable. We also have access to the public system but most expats, including myself prefer to go private where wait times are less and most doctors speak English.

Ola from Portugal,
My husband and I have lived in the Algarve for many years and also pay €1200 per month for rent. We spent between €2500 to €3500 per month for our total expenses. $2000 or less would be doable, depending on your lifestyle. Keep in mind the dollar to euro ratio that changes and you will need to carry private health insurance since Medicare does not work here. There will also be costs associated with getting settled like opening a funded bank account and more. A great source of info is a Facebook group called Americans & Friends PT that has plenty of PDF documents with all things pertaining to Portugal.

Hope this helps.
Terry Coles
Portugal Contributor

Hi Deborah,
There are many Facebook groups that pertain to Portugal like Americans & Friends PT, Expats Portugal, Silver Coast Our Home and many more. Reach out to expats who live in those areas to find out when their meetups are or to meet with individuals one on one to chat. The first group mentioned is based in Cascais near Lisbon so they can be of help.

Happy Travels,
Terry Coles
Portugal Contributor