The high taxes affect people earning income in Portugal. If you do not have any income earned in Portugal, you do not pay taxes. If you do not buy real estate, you do not pay taxes. If you buy private health insurance (which is nothing by US standards), you would have access to private health care, which is better than public hospitals. Also, the private health insurance has broad coverage in Spain and even US for serious cases. The situation is bad for Portuguese people who have seen their salaries being cut and income taxes increases or have totally lost their jobs - those who have opportunities to go abroad do. But moving to Portugal with income coming from the US - I do not see any problems.

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00abuse

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Thanks for getting back to me. When you say that private health coverage is nothing compared to the usa, do you mean the cost or the quality of health care.

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00abuse

I mean the cost :-) The quality depends so much on where you are - like in the US. But in general, you should expect lower level of technology. However, unless you have a major health issue, this should not be a problem. For example, in Portugal doctors make house calls - something unthinkable in the US.

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00abuse

We are Americans, starting our third year in Portugal. We've noticed the affects of the economy, alongside the optimism that it's going to improve 'soon'...each year, it's the following year that represents 'soon'. Yes, there are implications--they were gradual at first, are increasing now.
1. TAXES: Initial signs of the financial issues that affected us directly were the increases in taxes. We don't have income here, so I simply mean taxes on food and services. Food prices had been subsidized at a 12% tax rate, and shot up to their full 23% rate last year. Restaurants and grocery stores pass that directly to us, as they must; however, the increase in THEIR taxes was transferred to us as well in increased base prices. Menu prices were overwritten, going up a euro or two for main dishes and in many cases the wines doubled in cost. A carton of juice had been a euro, was now a 1.28E. Coffee capsuls were 4,64E then shot up to 6,40 and have settled around 5.21E. At the same time, some of our medications are 1/3 less this year and all are 30-40 percent less than in the US.
2. CLOSINGS: Restaurants and stores are closing all around us--in high-tourism and low-cost areas as well. In 2013, all restaurants and cafes had to buy new registers, costing 2.000 E and issue receipts costing .50 centimos each....or close. Some are being replaced as entrepreneurs brave the market, some remain vacant.
3. BEGGING: One can encounter one to five 'begging' experiences in a day's travel, and the beggars are more persistent, more bedraggled. Before, one a day was surprisingly high.
4. ATTITUDE: People are tired of worrying, being out of work, the ongoing exposures of graft at the top. They love their families, country and us--they are loving people--but their faces show their worry and their eyes shine a bit less brightly with hope for tomorrow.
5: HEALTH CARE: As non-EU citizens we must carry private insurance and products abound: $3k a yr for a mid-30s couple, $5k a year for an early 60s couple, and that includes hospitalization, drugs, routine care, flu shots, etc. Our doctor is available the day or day after we call him; they make house calls and will bring your meds to you. Beautiful, modern facilities. Better than we ever had in the US.
We love Cascais (yet hope to keep the number of expats to a manageable level) have lots of friends from home, here and other countrys and as much culture, fun, exercise and laughter as we've ever had. Hope this helps.

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00abuse