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10+ Expat Supermarkets & Online Shops For That Essential Taste of Home

A close-up of a shopping cart in the aisle of a grocery store. The cart's metal frame is in focus on the left, while shelves stocked with various products blur towards the bright light at the end of the aisle, where two figures are faintly visible.

No matter how much you try to deny it, and no matter how much you love Portuguese food, there are always things that you miss from home. It could be strong tea bags (British), Vegemite (Australians), Tayto crisps (Irish), sausages (Germans), or BBQ (Americans). Although you can find some of these things in the Portuguese supermarkets, particularly the larger supermarkets, you probably won’t be able to find the majority of things that you’re looking for. Thankfully, there are an ever-increasing …

A cracked concrete surface displays the juxtaposition of the Union Jack flag on the left and the flag of the European Union with yellow stars on a blue background on the right, symbolizing the divide between the UK and the EU.

Thinking about swapping drizzle for sunshine? You’re not alone. According to the Relatório de Migrações e Asilo 2024 report (AIMA, published October 2025), more than 48,000 British citizens now call Portugal home — a number that continues to grow every year, despite Brexit, bureaucracy, and the occasional cold, damp house. Portugal’s appeal is easy to understand: reliable sunshine, beautiful beaches, safe cities, and a slower, more sociable pace of life. It’s not perfect — no country is — but it’s …

A person is holding a smartphone in their right hand, displaying the home screen with various app icons. Their left hand is holding a white cup of coffee with foam on top. The items are on a wooden table, and the person is wearing a watch on their left wrist.

Can you learn European Portuguese with an app? Not really, at least not by itself. But language learning apps can still be incredibly useful when you’re on public transport, want to revise some vocabulary, or just have 5-10 minutes to spare. And, if you choose the right combination of apps, they can make a big difference. The following are some of the best apps for learning Portuguese as it’s spoken in Portugal rather than Brazilian Portuguese (which Duolingo teaches). Some …

A scenic coastal view featuring rugged cliffs with layers of reddish-brown rock, lush green vegetation near the edges, and the expansive blue ocean under a partly cloudy sky. The horizon stretches, seamlessly blending water and sky in the distance.

The Algarve has earned a fantastic international reputation: sunshine, beaches, and an global community that makes moving abroad feel less like jumping off a cliff and more like stepping onto something almost familiar. But it’s also Portugal—which means you get the good (safety, lifestyle, pastéis de nata) and the frustrating (bureaucracy, housing quirks, healthcare bottlenecks). And because so much of the Algarve runs on tourism, the experience can change dramatically depending on where you live and what month it is. …

A woman with glasses, wearing a grey sweater, is seated at a wooden table in a library. She is writing in a notebook, with several open books and a tablet beside her. Bookshelves filled with books are visible in the background.

Like reading, listening, and speaking Portuguese, writing is its own skill. It’s possible to excel in the other three areas, but be terrible at writing in Portuguese. Unless you live in a Portuguese-speaking country, and work in a Portuguese-speaking job, you may not actually do a lot of writing in Portuguese. In Portugal, for example, a lot of communication tends to be face-to-face or over the phone. You can send e-mails to companies, but whether they get answered or not …

Continente supermarket at Vasco da Gama shopping centre in Lisbon

If you’re moving to Portugal from the US, Canada, or the UK, grocery shopping is going to feel a little different — in mostly good ways. Portugal has a lot of supermarkets. Even small Portuguese towns typically have two or three supermarkets within easy walking distance. Larger towns often have four or five different chains, sometimes next to each other. The tradeoff, especially if you’re living in a city like Lisbon or Porto, is that you’re unlikely to find a …

A plate of cozido," featuring chunks of tender beef shank with visible bone, surrounded by vegetables including corn, cabbage, potatoes, and green beans, all served in a broth. The plate is set on a white textured tablecloth reminiscent of Portugal's rustic charm.

If you’re visiting the Azores, the first question you have is probably: what should I eat? Don’t worry! I had exactly the same one. I’ve travelled across all 9 islands of the Azores, sampling all of the wonderful different foods that these islands have to offer. This is a unique chance to try Azorean cuisine, which is very hard to find outside of these islands. There are some restaurants specialising in Azorean food in mainland Portugal, but overall, Azorean dishes …

A blue and red Commuter train labeled "2295" rides on a double-track railway under clear skies. The train, belonging to Comboios de Portugal (CP), is moving through a rural area with power lines and a bridge visible in the background, showcasing the scenic beauty of Portugal.

If you don’t drive, or just don’t want to drive, you can easily get around mainland Portugal by public transport (Madeira and The Azores can be a little trickier). Public transport in Portugal is good, particularly if you’re going to large towns or cities. Some of the smaller towns and villages are a little harder to get to, and usually have fewer services, but it’s almost always doable, although sometimes you’ll have to rely on taxis as well. Cities like …

A group of fresh broad beans, some in their pods and some removed, displayed on a dark textured surface. One pod is open, revealing three light green beans next to it. The beans and pods have a natural, slightly uneven shape.

Portugal can be a fantastic place to live as a vegan or vegetarian. But you have to do your research. On one hand, somewhere like Lisbon has some of the best vegan and vegetarian food you will find anywhere in Europe. You can find vegan pastéis de nata, vegan versions of Portuguese dishes like alheira, arroz de pato, bitoque, and even arroz de polvo, along with plant-based bakeries, brunch spots, specialty shops, and cafés where oat milk or soy milk …

A metal serving dish filled with a hearty Portuguese stew of white beans, chunks of meat, and garnished with chopped fresh parsley. A spoon rests inside the dish, and it sits on a blue and white patterned plate.

People moving to Portugal tend to agonize over the same questions: Lisbon or Porto? Coast or city? Affordable or very affordable? Here’s one factor that doesn’t get enough attention: Porto has some of the best traditional Portuguese food in the country, and it’s food you can only really get in Porto. Yes, Porto has pizza, ramen, sushi, burgers, vegan cafés, brunch spots, and all the usual international options. You’ll also find Portuguese classics from across the country, including pastéis de …

10+ Expat Supermarkets & Online Shops For That Essential Taste of Home

Moving to Portugal from the UK: Everything That’s Changed Since Brexit

10+ Best Apps For Learning European Portuguese

The Pros & Cons of Living in the Algarve

How to Practice Writing in Portuguese

Supermarkets in Portugal: Continente, Pingo Doce, Lidl — What to Expect

Azores Food: 20+ Azorean Dishes You Have to Eat

Public Transport in Portugal: Trains, Buses, Metro — What Goes Where

The Best Places to Live in Portugal as a Vegan or Vegetarian

Porto’s Food Will Make You Want to Move Here. Start With These Dishes