How Much Income Do You Need to Live in Portugal?

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: 

1. How much of an income do you need to obtain residency?
2. How much money do you need to live in Portugal?

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 of the world (e.g. American or British). 

Let’s start with the rest of the world. If you want to move to Portugal and you don’t have an EU/EEA/Swiss passport, you’ll need to apply for a residency visa and these have different income requirements. 

Digital Nomad Visa

The most set in stone income requirement is the digital nomad visa, aimed at remote workers or freelancers, which requires you to have 4 times the Portuguese minimum wage (€920 in 2026) or €3,680 per month. 

Savings are often required.

The D7

The D7, on the other hand, which is aimed at those with a passive income like a pension, social security, or rental income, only requires you have to have an income that’s greater than the Portuguese minimum wage. In practice, however, this is only just enough money to live off in Portugal and you’re more likely to be accepted if you can show you’re more financially stable. 

Most people also show savings, or a funded Portuguese bank account, with at least €920 * 12, which is equivalent to one year of savings.

EU/EEA/Swiss Citizens

If you’re applying for residency as an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, you’ll need to show that you can support yourself financially e.g. through a pension, job, savings, or a remote job. This figure is closer to the €920 number, but again, isn’t written in stone and the person looking at your application might suggest you need a bit more – especially if you plan on living somewhere like Lisbon. In practice, however, the rules seem to be a bit more lenient than they are for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens than those applying for a visa like the D7.

Savings will help to show you’re financially stable.

Money Needed to Live in Portugal

How much money do you actually need to live in Portugal? Well, you need at least the same as the Portuguese minimum wage, since this is the minimum amount you need to survive in Portugal. It should be noted that you will be living very close to the bone on this amount: you will probably only be able to rent a room in a shared house and cover basics like groceries and the odd meal out here and there. 

It depends on where you live. Lisbon and Porto are both quite expensive, as are parts of the Algarve, but you may find that your money goes a bit further in bars and restaurants in places like Northern and Central Portugal and the Alentejo. 

For most people, their biggest cost will be accommodation followed by food and drink. Take a look at the rental prices and property purchase prices on somewhere like Idealista to see how much it’s likely to cost you to live where you want to live. Then add in other expenses you’re likely to have such as clothes, utilities, and public transport. This article on the cost of living in Portugal will help. 

Ultimately, it’s difficult to say how much money someone needs to live in Portugal. It depends on factors like:

• What type of accommodation you want: One person might be comfortable in a house share while another might want a private apartment.
• The quality of accommodation you want: One person might be comfortable with a basic apartment while another might want heating or air conditioning. 
• The kind of lifestyle you want: One person might want a basic lifestyle where they only spend money on groceries while another might enjoy eating out a lot or taking weekend breaks away.