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Scouting Portugal

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Shellyclark2002
  1/7/2020 17:55 EST

Hello All. International Living is now touting Portugal to be the cheapest place to live in Europe. I have not yet made it there but I would love to spend our limited 90 days staying and going to different locals. I've lived before in Germany and I'm not intending to leave my home in South Carolina permanently but I would like a suggestion as to where to start. Beaches are fine but not a must. History and architecture is what interests me most. Also a place good for a single woman with easy access to other Expats. Thank you so much. Shelly

Joemabee1
  1/7/2020 18:05 EST

Hello Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto are all good options. Lisbon would give you the most contact with expats outside of the Algarve.
The whole country is full of beautiful history and I’m sure you would be happy anywhere. Lisbon and Porto airports give you easy access to other parts of Europe at reasonable prices.

Enjoy!

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Joemabee1
  1/7/2020 18:05 EST

Hello Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto are all good options. Lisbon would give you the most contact with expats outside of the Algarve.
The whole country is full of beautiful history and I’m sure you would be happy anywhere. Lisbon and Porto airports give you easy access to other parts of Europe at reasonable prices.

Enjoy!

Joemabee1
  1/7/2020 18:05 EST

Hello Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto are all good options. Lisbon would give you the most contact with expats outside of the Algarve.
The whole country is full of beautiful history and I’m sure you would be happy anywhere. Lisbon and Porto airports give you easy access to other parts of Europe at reasonable prices.

Enjoy!

craigandmicki
  1/8/2020 11:40 EST

to 'Shellyclark2002': Ah, so many thoughts about "Portugal Cheapest Place to Retrie". First, as I've provided Int'l Living with costs of living in Portugal before, I know that they cherry pick what they want to use in their articles and reports, often using info that's a couple of years outdated. Second, moving to Portugal based on costs is an overwhelming reason why people leave--it is not a wise way to decide where to live, the exchange rate fluctuates, rent prices went up in 2018 19% year-over-year, etc. Sure, there are cheap places to live in the isolated countryside here; there are people eking out a life on $700 social security checks; and of course, quality of life is totally subjective. Go to 'numbeo.com' for current COL numbers; go to 'idealista.com' to see rental and purchase costs and get on some FB forums to learn what others are doing.

Sixyears
  1/8/2020 16:11 EST

I am beginning to believe it is not cheap living there anymore. I have been researching for 3 years and the property prices are so much higher everywhere. Those articles are not fact based. Sad really that prices have skyrocketed. And the scammers are having a field day too

Portugal Residency AdvisorsPortugal Residency Advisors
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Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Portugal Residency AdvisorsPortugal Residency Advisors

Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.
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Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Shellyclark2002
  1/8/2020 17:18 EST

Thank you CraigandMiki for a reality check.
Sixyears: Sad but true. There are just so many more expats wanting to leave the US for many reason the least of which shall remain nameless and that has driven up prices. It happens all the time and everywhere we go it seems. It's why I think co-housing is such a viable option. I don't have a lot but joining together with one or two other like-minded individuals, male or female for the betterment of all is a grand idea I think.

Bemadam
  1/10/2020 06:43 EST

True and false, regarding the comments made so far. Yes, property prices have rocketed in Lisbon and Porto and parts of the Algarve, but in the hinterlands, especially rural areas, prices have only slightly recovered and you can still get cheap properties in fairly good condition for a fraction of the price you'd pay elsewhere.

It never ceases to amaze me that foreigners looking at Portugal think the country is limited to Lisbon, Cascais, Porto and the Algarve! I wouldn't want to live in any of these places: too expensive, too many people around, traffic congestion, vandalism, noise, pollution, unsightly architecture with often dilapidated and over-crowded apartment blocks, and people with no time, constantly in a mad rush (typical behaviour of city people).

In country areas, you can get a small 2-3 bed house in a good condition, requiring only minor upgrades, for EUR 70-80k, or sometimes even less. Why people obsess with buying in Cascais where houses typically start at EUR 1 million plus is totally beyond me. Especially when their budget doesn't stretch that far. You should buy what you can afford.

Portugal is a cheap country, but you have to be sensible and know which parts of it are cheap. Just like you wouldn't set out to buy a new car for $25,000 then visit a Ferrari showroom and start complaining about the prices of the cars there!

Shellyclark2002
  1/10/2020 08:24 EST

So Bemadam: can you suggest some areas of interest. I don't want to buy, I just want to rent only spending part of the year in Portugal. I'm a single female and my access to public transportation is a must, I would also wish to be around other expats as well as meeting local people too.
Thanks, Shelly

GeoffK
  1/10/2020 10:34 EST

I live in Tavira and while it may not be the nirvana you seem to believe exists elsewhere y
our insults are not appreciated. By the way I have lived in central Portugal too.
G

garyret2017
  1/10/2020 11:34 EST

Well said - Bemadam, 100% with you!

Portugal Residency AdvisorsPortugal Residency Advisors
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Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Portugal Residency AdvisorsPortugal Residency Advisors

Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.
Connect

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Bemadam
  1/11/2020 08:21 EST

Hi Shelly,

I'd rule out rural areas given your preferences. You probably want to be in the suburbs of a large town or city, or within reasonable commuting distance of one.

You can do your own research. I checked the CP.PT website for a map of the Portuguese rail network, and calculated how quickly I could get to major airports to catch a flight. I decided I'd live near to a train station served by good train connections affording me easy and quick access to airports, as I travel quite a bit.

Since you also mention you like history, have you thought of Tomar in Central Portugal? It's steeped in history and has the river Nabao flowing through it. It's large enough to cater for most facilities, but small enough to be walkable. Note that rents are far cheaper outside of the large cities and the Algarve. This fact never seems to register with people on this forum who once again seem to consider that Portugal is just Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, with everything in between being an inhospitable desert!

Shellyclark2002
  1/11/2020 08:53 EST

Bemadam: Thank you for your most valuable insight. It was just what I was looking for. I've begun to do the research and am planning with my friend to do part of the Camino de Santiago in June as my first experience in Portugal. I've been torn since retirement with wanting to live in Europe for a time and still be part of my children and grandchildren's life. Ergo my need to be close to transportation and airports. I have no trouble taking the train where I need to go to an airport and quite enjoy that experience. I abhor the expense of a vehicle here in SC and have no desire to drive at all. I'm a very social individual and would hope to make friends with other Expats as well as local folks. And I would try to learn the language too. Finding a place to stay for the 90 days we are allotted on our Tourist Visa makes it hard when staying in a hotel. I appreciate all input anyone would like to give. Shelly

GeoffK
  1/11/2020 09:15 EST

I spent my first 3 months in central Portugal. Near Castanera de Pera.
I didn't have a car then and was in a tiny village that had nothing. But my Irish landlords were terrific and I used to go shopping with them . We went to various towns around there and they were great. I am a very keen tennis player so that brought me to the Algarve. But absent that I would happily live in that area I referred to.

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