Living in Portugal: cost of living, rents and the salary you need

Updated 2 October 2026

How much do you need to earn to live in Portugal? Here are rents in the main cities, the minimum wage, healthcare, residence permits and moving costs, with the official source of every figure. For your own case, the calculator starts from your real budget, in your city, and moves it to Portugal.

Work out my budget in Portugal

Example: the same life, elsewhere

A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Lisbon, they would need about €1,530 net a month locally (−61%), i.e. 1.6 times the national minimum wage.

For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about €2,750 net a month in Lisbon, i.e. 2.9 times the national minimum wage.

Calculated on 2 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.

Rents in Portugal

City	Studio	1 bedroom	2 bedrooms	3-bedroom house
Lisbon	€500	€800	€1,150	€1,690
Porto	€390	€630	€910	€1,330
Cascais	€480	€770	€1,110	€1,620
Braga	€240	€390	€560	€810
Coimbra	€240	€390	€560	€820
Faro	€260	€420	€600	€880
Funchal	€360	€580	€830	€1,220
Setúbal	€300	€480	€700	€1,020
Aveiro	€260	€410	€590	€870
Sintra	€320	€510	€740	€1,080

Monthly rent in EUR, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². INE, median rent per m² of new leases signed in 2024 in each municipality, updated with the Eurostat rent index (August 2026).

Wages

The national minimum wage is €960 net a month (€1,070 gross).

It varies by region: amount in Lisbon.

Average wage: €20,300 gross a year.

Healthcare

Register at your local health centre to get your user number: public consultations and hospital care become free. The visa requires travel insurance in the meantime.

In the example above: once resident, you can use the National Health Service (SNS), free, with or without a job: nothing more to pay.

Visa and residence permit

Outside Europe, apply for the residence visa at the consulate before leaving, then for the residence permit with AIMA. Europeans simply register with the town hall after 3 months.

Cost: €360 per person (€250 per child).

National residence visa and residence permit.

To live on income from abroad: the digital nomad visa, with income of at least four times the Portuguese minimum wage, €3,680 a month; for retirees and people living on their own income, the residence visa for passive income.

Moving in and everyday life

Deposit: 2 months’ rent
Agency fees: No fees for the tenant
School: Free state school
Electricity: €0.24 per kWh
Home cleaning: €10 an hour

Frequently asked questions

What salary do you need to live in Lisbon?

For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about €1,530 net a month, i.e. 1.6 times the national minimum wage.

How much is rent in Lisbon?

About €800 a month for a one-bedroom home and €1,150 for a two-bedroom home, according to INE, median rent per m² of new leases signed in 2024 in each municipality, updated with the Eurostat rent index.

Do you need a residence permit to live in Portugal?

Outside Europe, apply for the residence visa at the consulate before leaving, then for the residence permit with AIMA. Europeans simply register with the town hall after 3 months. Cost: €360 per person (€250 per child).