Living in Portugal

Online Shopping in Portugal: Amazon, FNAC, Worten — What Expats Actually Use

A person is holding a Samsung smartphone, browsing an online shopping app displaying various black jackets. The person appears to be sitting indoors, looking at product images and details on the screen, with a wooden piece of furniture in the background.

Although Portugal has fantastic high-speed home internet, online shopping is not as popular in Portugal as it is in other countries. But it’s growing in popularity – both as a way of buying from Portuguese retailers and also as a way of buying (often cheaper) products from abroad. Read the guides Shopping at some sites – Amazon, for example – isn’t always straight-forward, but Portugalist’s guides help make things easy to understand. Amazon Amazon doesn’t officially have a presence in …

A man in a white coat holding a tablet sits at a desk with office supplies, notebooks, and a computer. The background shows a bookshelf with various items. Text overlay reads, "Understanding the Portuguese Health System.

Portugal’s healthcare system, like many in Europe, offers a unique blend of public and private options. But how does it stack up against other countries, and what can newcomers expect? A WHO study from 2000 ranked Portugal 12th globally, outperforming the UK (18th) and the US (37th). However, given how much time has passed, this data is now outdated. More recent assessments paint a similar but varies picture: These rankings suggest Portugal’s healthcare is solid within Europe and impressive on …

An elderly couple stands in shallow ocean water, holding hands and leaning back, with smiles on their faces. Both wear light blue tops and light-colored pants, enjoying a playful moment on a sunny day at the beach. The sky is clear with a few clouds.

Have you heard about the D7, sometimes known as Portugal’s retirement visa? If you’re reading this, you probably have — and you’re wondering: where should I retire in Portugal? In theory, you could move anywhere in Portugal. Some areas are more popular with retirees — the Algarve and Silver Coast being the obvious examples — but there’s nothing stopping you from settling somewhere more remote, like the far north or one of the Azores islands. That said, where you land …

Continente supermarket at Vasco da Gama shopping centre in Lisbon

People ask me what grocery stores in Portugal are like, and the short answer for anyone coming from the US is: smaller, cheaper, and there are more of them. Smaller isn’t a high bar—American supermarkets are enormous. But there’s no Walmart-style store here, and even the hypermarkets, the big out-of-town ones, would look modest parked next to a Supercenter. And your fridge and cupboards will be smaller too, unless you import your American fridge, so your shopping habits change. You …

An older woman and man sitting at a table looking concerned. The woman is holding paperwork and red glasses, while the man has his hand raised and is looking at a calculator. A pink piggy bank is placed in front of them on the table.

If you’re thinking about moving to Portugal, you are probably wondering how much money you need to have in order to live there. This is quite a difficult question to answer, but it can be broken down into two parts: Income Requirements for Residency Moving to Portugal long-term involves obtaining residency there. There are different processes depending on whether you hold EU/EEA/Swiss citizenship (e.g. you have a French or Irish passport) or whether you hold a citizenship from the rest …

A large library in Portugal with shelves filled with books, a metal staircase leading to an upper level, and a white sculpture of a person riding a bicycle suspended in mid-air from the ceiling.

Buying books, especially foreign-language books, can be a challenge in Portugal. And, if you can find the book you want, it often costs a lot more than you’re used to paying for a book. Getting used to the higher prices for books is just a part of living in Portugal, but the bigger challenge is not being able to find the book you want at all. All of this wasn’t such a big issue prior to Brexit. However, now that …

Joel wearing a beige cap and green t-shirt is holding a baby dressed in white. The man is looking down and smiling at the baby, who is staring at the camera with a curious expression. They are indoors, with a shelf and a television in the background.

Practice Portuguese is one of the most comprehensive (and most popular) tools for learning European Portuguese. It’s something many people living in Portugal will be familiar with, but most people probably don’t know the story of how it came to be. In this interview, I chat to Joel Rendall about how he came to live in Portugal, the difference between life here and life in Canada, and his personal tips for learning Portuguese. Also worth mentioning: Practice Portuguese normally costs …

A white pickup truck loaded with boxes and miscellaneous items is parked in front of a rustic, stone-walled building with a red-tiled roof. The building has several small windows and a wooden door. Steps lead up to the door, and the sky above is clear and blue.

Portugal is still a very affordable country by Western European standards, but the cost of living has increased over the past few years — in particular, the cost of renting and buying a property. This is especially true in Lisbon, which has become one of the most desirable places to live in Portugal, but those increasing costs are also increasing all over the rest of the country, particularly in Porto and the Algarve. Looking at the cheapest places to rent …

A man and a woman are in an appliance store. They stand together examining a front-loading washing machine. The store is filled with various household appliances, including washing machines and other equipment displayed on shelves.

If you’re planning on moving to Portugal, you may be wondering where you buy electronics and appliances and what the cost is likely to be. For those coming from the UK or US, the cost may be more than you’re used to paying, but due to the cost of shipping, the challenges of getting your stuff through Portuguese customs, and the differences in power, it can often make more sense to sell your stuff and buy afresh once you move. …

If you’ve spent any time hunting for Portuguese-learning resources, you’ve probably run into the big frustration right away: most of what’s out there teaches Brazilian Portuguese, not European Portuguese. That’s the gap Mia Esmeriz has been filling since 2017. Through her website, her YouTube channel, and a full set of online courses running from A1 to C1, she’s helped thousands of people learn real, everyday European Portuguese — pronunciation, listening, grammar, and natural conversation. I’ve since gone through her courses …

Online Shopping in Portugal: Amazon, FNAC, Worten — What Expats Actually Use

Portugal’s Healthcare System: What Expats Need to Know About Public and Private

11 of the Best Places to Retire to in Portugal

Grocery Stores in Portugal: What’s Different, What It Costs, and Where I Shop

How Much Income Do You Need to Live in Portugal?

Buying English Books in Portugal: Bookshops, Amazon, and What Actually Works

From Cruise Ship Musician to Practice Portuguese Co-Founder – An Interview with Joel Rendall

Where Are the Cheapest Places to Live in Portugal?

Where to Buy Electronics & Appliances in Portugal

Mia Esmeriz On Learning Portuguese in 6 Months