Last night’s last game was an eventful one. Portugal will advance to the round of 16 after beating Uruguay 2 – 0, both goals scored by Bruno Fernandes.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo thought he touched the ball in the first goal with his head, although this wasn’t the case, and the goal was credited to the Manchester United midfielder.
Bruno Fernandes scored twice at 54′ and 90 + 3′, the last goal during a penalty.
On top of that, a protester invaded the pitch wearing a “Save Ukraine” shirt and carrying an LGBTQ+ rainbow flag at 53 minutes.
This means that Portugal has become the third team to qualify for the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup, joining France and Brazil.
Group H will come to an end on Friday after Portugal plays South Korea and Ghana face Uruguay.
Bruno Fernandes has been crowned man of the match after scoring two goals.
Portugal – Uruguay Game Stats
Possession
Portugal 60%
Uruguay 40%
Shots
Portugal 15
Uruguay 11
Shots on Target
Portugal 3
Uruguay 3
Passes
Portugal 603
Uruguay 403
Pass Accuracy
Portugal 83%
Uruguay 73%
Fouls
Portugal 10
Uruguay 16
Yellow Cards
Portugal 3
Uruguay 2
Red Cards
Portugal 0
Uruguay 0
Portugal will next play against South Korea on Friday, December 2.
What were your thoughts on the game? Let us know in the comments below!
Looking for your dream home in Portugal? You’re not the only one! Portugal is home to hundreds of thousands of expats due to the year-round warm climate and relatively affordable cost of living. Portugal also has one of the highest numbers of homeowners, with about 75% of the population owning their home.
Luckily, Portugal offers mortgage loans to both residents and non-residents. Nevertheless, not being a resident will impact how much you can borrow and lead you to need to make a much larger deposit on a house.
Keep in mind that on top of the cost of the property deposit, you’ll also need to pay anywhere from around 6-10% extra for other buying costs.
This guide has everything you need to know about getting a mortgage in Portugal as a non-resident or resident.
Anyone can buy a house in Portugal, and you might even be eligible for a mortgage. Foreigners can get a mortgage in Portugal, but their residency will impact how much they can borrow.
Mortgage: How much can you borrow in Portugal?
Non-residents will only be offered loans up to 65-75% of the value of the home or the sale price (whichever is lower), while fiscal residents can borrow up to 90% of the sale price (whichever higher).
This can, of course, be lower depending on your income and employment status, leading you to have to put down a larger deposit.
As a non-resident, if you are purchasing a 200,000 euro home, you would generally thus only get around 130,000 euros from the bank, meaning a down payment of 70,000. However, buying a house would include other costs, which we will get into later on such as taxes and other payments.
There are plenty of calculators out there to help you figure out the full cost.
Photo by Ibrahim Boran (Unsplash)
Types of Mortgages in Portugal
There are two main types of mortgages in Portugal: fixed-rate mortgages and variable-rate mortgages.
Fixed-rate Mortgage
A fixed-rate mortgage allows you to pay your mortgage at a constant rate for a certain amount of time. This could be fixed for one year or extended up to 30 years. By having a fixed-rate mortgage, you are protected from increases in the bank’s rate and the European base rate.
Variable-rate Mortgage
On the other hand, a variable-rate mortgage adapts to the bank’s rate and European base rate, meaning you can end up paying different amounts each month. This type of mortgage is connected to the EURIBOR. Mortgage lenders typically revise monthly payments every six months according to this rate.
The EURIBOR is “a daily reference rate, published by the European Money Markets Institute, based on the averaged interest rates at which Eurozone banks offer to lend unsecured funds to other banks in the euro wholesale money market.”
With an increase in interest rates, this frightens many families. However, it is still the most common type of mortgage.
Mortgage Costs in Portugal
There are a few mortgage-related fees that you might need to pay:
Deed registration: 1%
Mortgage arrangement: 1%
Mortgage administration: 1%
Non-refundable commitment fee: around €600
Survey and appraisal: €500–€800
Legal fees (optional): at least €1,000
There are also taxes and other payments to be paid. Therefore, on top of the cost of the property, you’ll also need to pay anywhere from around 6-10% extra for other buying costs.
House of Portugal. Photo by Leonie Janko (Unsplash)
Necessary Documents
You will need to submit multiple documents when applying for a mortgage. You will then need to submit additional documents depending on your employment type. Here are the required documents for all:
Passport copy
Portuguese tax identification number
Proof of address
Proof of income
Bank statements for the last three months
Proof of savings
Bank reference letter
Mortgage statement
Sales contract or CPCV (contract of commitment to purchase property)
If you are employed, you will also need to submit last year’s tax returns, the last three months’ payslips, and a letter from your employer.
As a self-employed person holding at least a 20% share in a limited company, you will need last year’s tax returns, business bank statements of the last three months, and a balance sheet for the last three years.
If you are neither employed nor self-employed under similar terms and have different incomes, don’t worry. You can show various documents such as pension income of the last three months, tenancy agreements of rental apartments, proof of investments, and more.
Mortgage Conditions
Once you apply for a mortgage, a bank will send you their conditions. The conditions could differ whether you get a fixed-rate or variable-rate mortgage. These include:
Loan amount (determined by many factors, including your income, debts, employment, and property valuation)
Interest rate
Mortgage years (most for non-residents are between 25 to 30 years, keep in mind that mortgages for those over 70 are uncommon right now)
Insurance prices (you will need to purchase life insurance and home insurance)
Step-by-Step: How to Apply for a Portuguese Mortgage
1. Request an initial assessment
The first step to take is to request an initial assessment from a bank or mortgage broker. You can do this even before you find your dream property with your budget in mind. It’s advisable to request initial assessments from multiple brokers so that you can then select the best conditions. This preliminary analysis is a no-obligation estimate and is free.
2. Get a mortgage quote
If you are happy with an initial assessment and wish to proceed, you will then receive a full mortgage quote. There can be a charge for this official quote.
3. Submit the application form and documents
Your next step will be to submit the application form and all the necessary documents, such as employment contract, proof of income, etc.
4. Valuation report
After submitting your documents and having a formal mortgage offer, the bank will need to go to the property for the valuation. Hopefully, there are no issues with the property or its value, so you will receive the loan amount you would have hoped for.
5. Transfer funds and final arrangements
It’s time for the final arrangements! The funds to purchase a home should be transferred to the necessary account. After the funds are available, the mortgage lender will arrange the completion date officially.
6. Completion at the notary
It’s that special day! With all the funds in the correct account, the mortgage lender will thus arrange the payment for you. You will sign the property and mortgage deeds in front of a Portuguese Notary. You will pay the fees and taxes yourself. You will then become the owner of your new property!
Photo by Van Tay Media (Unsplash)
Buying Real Estate in Portugal
Should you buy a house in Portugal?
Pros
Arguably olid investment, Portugal has great rental potential.
Low cost of living in comparison to other European countries.
Moderately warm climate.
In 2019, Global Finance magazine ranked Portugal fourth among the safest countries in the world.
High-quality education and healthcare services
A large number of English speakers, so not necessary to learn Portuguese (however, this is helpful).
Cons
No central heating in most houses in Portugal.
Bureaucratic systems, things get done slowly and sometimes inefficiently in Portugal, so it might take longer than expected to buy property.
Taxes for Buying Property in Portugal
So you have obtained a mortgage that covers 65% of a property’s cost. Is your only cost the other 35%? Not at all! Beyond your deposit, you will need to pay certain property taxes to the government, regardless of your mortgage costs. You’ll need to calculate each of them, which a Portugal property tax calculator is helpful with.
Property owners have to pay three types of taxes: Municipal Property Tax (IMI), Property Purchase Tax (IMT), and Tax on Stamps (IS).
1. Municipal Property Tax (IMI)
The IMI translates to Imposto Municipal Sobre Imóveis and will be different in each municipality. This money is used to maintain public infrastructures in municipalities.
The IMI rates usually range from 0.3% to 0.45%. To calculate the IMI, you multiply the value of the tax asset by the IMI rate. You must pay the IMI every year.
For example, if your property is valued at €500,000 and you live in the municipality of Cascais with a rate of 0.34%, then your yearly IMI is €1,700.
You can be exempted from the IMI if your annual taxable income of the whole household does not surpass €15,295.
2. Property Purchase Tax (IMT)
The IMT is also known as the Imposto Municipal Sobre as Transmissões Onerosas de Imóveis. This tax is paid when a house is bought in Portugal, so it is a one-time payment for buying a house.
The rate of the IMT will depend on the type and value of the property, as well as whether this property is a principal or secondary residence. You must pay for this before you buy a house.
This is how you calculate the IMT = value of the deed or net worth tax (the larger amount) x rate – tax reduction.
You won’t have to pay IMT if you buy a house in mainland Portugal and the price doesn’t exceed €92,407. IMT usually will range between 2% to 8%, depending on the case. However, properties acquired by companies located in a “blacklisted jurisdiction” pay 10% for IMT.
3. Tax on Stamps (IS)
You’ll also need to pay an Imposto de Selo, a stamp tax, contracts, loans, documents, and more. The rate also changes depending on the property and task, but it is usually between 0.4% and 0.8%. For example, for a mortgage of five years, the stamp duty tax is 0.6%.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Mortgages in Portugal
Can a foreigner get a mortgage in Portugal?
A foreigner can get a mortgage in Portugal. However, non-residents will only be offered loans up to 65-75% of the value of the home or the sale price (whichever is lower).
You cannot take out a loan or mortgage from a Portuguese financial institution to pay for your investment for the Portugal Golden Visa. However, you can take out a loan from a bank outside of Portugal.
Is it easy to get a mortgage in Portugal?
It is not necessarily difficult to get a mortgage in Portugal as a non-resident, but this will depend on your income and employment status. Ideally, loan payments should amount to around 30% of your monthly salary or less.
Does your age affect your chance of getting a mortgage in Portugal?
Yes! The best age to get a mortgage in Portugal is between 25 to 55 years. The limits depend on the bank, but the maximum age tends to be 75 years old.
Diogo Costa’s journey toward his main goal of becoming a successful goalkeeper started young and proved successful. At only 23 years old, he’s arguably one of the best young goalkeepers out there. Let’s take a look at 6 facts about Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa, as the FIFA World Cup’s first week begins.
Diogo Costa was born in Rothrist, Switzerland, on September 19, 1999, making him 23 years old of age. He was born to Portuguese parents, Armanda Meireles and Francisco Costa, who led a middle-class life in a small Swiss village on the outskirts of Zurich. Diogo would play football in the village with friends every day.
In 2006, at the age of seven, Diogo and his family relocated to Portugal to Vila das Aves so that he could pursue his dream of goalkeeping. His dad would often commute back and forth from Switzerland for work.
2. Costa made his senior international debut in 2021
At the age of 22, Diogo Costa made his senior international debut after being called up to the senior team of Portugal on August 26, 2021. After the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 elimination against Belgium, the decision was made by Fernando Santos to drop Rui Patricio. This opening allowed Costa to make his debut and get chosen as Portugal’s first-choice goalkeeper.
3. Diogo Costa will be one of the goalkeepers for the FIFA World Cup 2022
Fernando Santos announced on November 10 his final 26-man roster for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The goalkeepers include Diogo Costa, José Sá, and Rui Patrício. It’s rumored that Diogo Costa will be the main goalkeeper to help the team achieve a possible victory.
4. Growing up, his idol was Vítor Baía
Growing up in Vila de Alves, Diogo and his cousin would spend their time in the main square playing football with each other. They were both FC Porto fans and looked up to their idol, Vítor Baía.
Baía was a Portuguese goalkeeper for Porto, helping the team win 25 titles. He also played for Barcelona and the Portugal national team in the Euros and 2002 World Cup.
5. Diogo welcomed a son in November 2022
The same day he got the news he would be playing in the FIFA World Cup 2022, on November 10, Diogo Costa welcomed the birth of his son, Tomás Costa. His first child, Costa took to Instagram to say, “Welcome, Tomás. You are and will always be the best of our lives.”
Diogo began dating his wife and mother of his child, Catarina Machado, around six years ago. The couple announced their pregnancy in May of 2022. Catarina Machado is a fashion designer in Porto.
Diogo Costa is a well-paid goalkeeper. According to the information out there, he makes over €800,000 a year. This is over €65,000 a month and over €16,000 a week, almost the average salary in Portugal a year. The average person makes around €16,500 a year. His contract with FC Porto was recently renovated until 2027.
The new contract includes a clause that if a team wanted to get Costa, they would need to offer the club at least €75 million instead of the initial €60 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo made history on Thursday, becoming the first male player to score at five World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022). Ronaldo scored in the 65th-minute penalty, making it a historic night for the Portuguese forward.
Portugal beat Ghana 3 – 2 in their opening game for Group H, marking their fifth successive game without defeat against African sides at the World Cup.
Portugal v Ghana – Game Summary
There were no goals in the first 64 minutes until Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal. Andre Ayew then scored a goal for Ghana at 73′. At this point, tension fills the stadium as the teams are tied.
However, only five minutes later, at 78′ Joao Felix scores a goal after a long pass from Bruno Fernandes. Portugal is in the lead again with 2 – 1 against Ghana!
No more than two minutes later, Rafael Leao scores at minute 80 after another assist by Bruno Fernandes. Things are looking good for Portugal.
At 89′, Ghana scores another goal after substitute Osman Bukari takes the game to 3 – 2.
At minute 90, 9 more minutes are added to the game. There’s still time for a tie. Ghana’s players make a couple of attempts at Costa’s goal but fail. Portugal wins 3 -2.
The FIFA World Cup in Qatar begins on November 21. However, Portugal only plays for the first time on November 24. Let’s take a look at the dates of the Group Stage matches:
Nov 24 Portugal – Ghana 17:00
Nov 28 Portugal – Uruguay 20:00
Dec 2 Portugal – South Korea 16:00
What group is Portugal in for the World Cup?
Portugal is in Group H for the FIFA World Cup 2022, along with Ghana, Uruguay, and Korea.
Portugal National Team Players for World Cup
Santos selected on November 10 his final 26-man roster for Qatar. So, which players will be playing in the FIFA World Cup 2022?
Goalkeepers
Diogo Costa
José Sá
Rui Patrício
Defenders
Diogo Dalot
João Cancelo
António Silva
Danilo
Pepe
Ruben Dias
Nuno Mendes
Raphael Guerreiro
Midfielders
João Palhinha
Rúben Neves
Bernardo Silva
Bruno Fernandes
João Mário
Matheus Nunes
Otávio
Vitinha
William Carvalho
Forwards
André Silva
Cristiano Ronaldo
Gonçalo Ramos
João Félix
Rafael Leão
Ricardo Horta
Key Facts about the Portugal National Team
Full name in Portuguese: Seleção Portuguesa de Futebol
Assistant coaches: Ilidio Vale, Nuno Sampaio, Fernando Meira
Goalkeeping coach: Rui Ouriques
Top goalscorers: Cristiano Ronaldo (117), Pauleta (88), Eusebio (64)
Team home kit: Portugal’s traditional home kit is red and green like the Portuguese flag. Alterations have been made over the years, such as dark burgundy and light scarlet.
Team away kit: Portugal’s away kits vary a lot. Usually, they are white with blue shorts or red and green highlights. A fully black kit has also been used.
Who is the Portuguese coach for the World Cup?
The Portuguese coach for the Portugal National Football team and upcoming World Cup is Fernando Santos. The former defender was born on October 10, 1954, in Lisbon, Portugal.
After retiring as a defender, he became a coach in 1988. Throughout his career, Santos managed Portugal’s Big Three (Benfica, Sporting, and Porto). He won five major titles with Porto and also managed Estoril.
In the early 2000s, he relocated to Greece, where he managed mostly AEK Athens and PAOK. In 2010, he coached the Greek national team for the World Cup and Euro.
In September 2014, he was chosen as the manager of Portugal after the dismissal of Paulo Bento.
In 2016, he led the team to the finals with France, where Portugal won its first Euro.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the captain of the Portuguese National Team, as well as forward for Manchester United. He was born in Funchal, Madeira, on February 5, 1985. To many, he is considered the best soccer player in the world.
Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Shoes. His track record is astonishing, with 32 trophies in his career. Ronaldo holds many records, including for most appearances in a game (183) and goals (140).
The forward began his football career at Sporting CP and then signed with Manchester United at 18. In 2009, he was the most expensive football transfer at the time when he signed with Real Madrid for €94 million.
Many visit Portugal for one reason alone – the cuisine. The country is known for traditional Portuguese food and dishes that have a degree of complexity, mixing Atlantic and Mediterranean influences.
But out of hundreds of traditional dishes, how do you know which ones to choose? We recommend diving deep into whatever region’s cuisine you are visiting.
However, there are Portuguese staples that you can try wherever you are in the country. Here are the 10 best Portuguese foods and dishes for your next trip to Portugal.
The Portuguese Custard Tard, also known as the Pastel de Nata takes first place. The perfect breakfast or snack accompanied by an espresso, this sweet pastry is a Portuguese staple.
The Portuguese Custard Tart is made of puff pastry, egg custard, and topped with cinnamon. The perfect Pastel de Nata is creamy on the inside and crisp on the outside.
If you have tried one abroad, it won’t taste the same. The authentic Pastel de Nata can be found in Pasteis de Belem in Lisbon, a short walk from the Jeronimos Monastery.
This place holds the original monk recipe that remains a secret. Announced in 2011 as one of Portugal’s Seven Wonders of Gastronomy, you will get to taste the original custard tart while surrounded by history.
Photo by Diogo Nunes (Unsplash)
2. Bacalhau A Bras
A national treasure, the Portuguese consume 20% of the world’s cod. The Portuguese say there are 1001 ways to cook cod, also known as bacalhau.
One of our favorite ways is Bacalhau à Brás! This dish is made from shredded salted cod, onions, thinly cut fried potatoes, and scrambled eggs. It is often garnished with olives and fresh parsley.
You can taste this wonderful dish anywhere in the country, although it is said to have originated in the neighborhood of Bairro Alto in Lisbon. Some places will cook it more dried, while others leave the scrambled egg cooking for less time.
One of our favorite places in Lisbon to try Bacalhau à Brás is Miguel Castro e Silva, and O Rei do Bacalhau.
This is also a very simple dish to make at home. Nowadays, there are plenty of vegetarian versions, replacing the cod with leek or tofu.
Bacalhau a bras. Photo by Frances Bean (Flickr)
3. Caldo Verde
A popular soup in Portugal, the Caldo Verde translates to “green broth”. It includes some of the most traditional Portuguese ingredients, including shredded Portuguese cabbage, potatoes, onion, garlic, and pieces of meat such as chourico or linguica. This dish is usually eaten as a starter or a late-night lighter dinner.
But where did the Caldo Verde originate from?
This traditional dish was born in Minho in northern Portugal. This is the best area to try out the dish, although it is available all over the country, even at McDonald’s!
Caldo Verde. Photo by Michael (Flickr)
4. Arroz de Pato
Arroz de Pato is one of the most popular Portuguese dishes globally. With roots in the city of Braga, this dish is a combination of traditional ingredients, including duck, rice, bay leaf, and chourico.
This dish is made with Carolino rice, a short-grain rice that absorbs flavors. The duck is shredded, and the dish is then topped with slices of delicious chourico. This dish is served for lunch or dinner as a heavy main.
You can try this duck rice anywhere in Portugal, but the best places in Braga are Tasquina Dom Ferreira and Taberna do Migaitas.
Arroz de Pato. Photo by Fernando Medina (Flickr)
5. Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato
If you are a seafood lover, you need to try Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato. These are delicious clams with olive oil, garlic, cilantro, and lemon juice, creating a beautiful, tasty sauce that goes well with bread.
Clams are a Portuguese staple, as well as a great source of protein and omega-3. This dish is usually eaten as a starter. You can find it all over the country, but the best will be found in coastal cities such as Algarve.
Ameijoas a Bulhao pato. Photo by Adrien Sala (Unsplash)
6. Sardinhas Assadas
Sardines are a cultural symbol in Portugal, ingrained in Portuguese traditions such as the Saint Anthony’s festival on June 13 in Lisbon. You will find the smell of sardinas assadas all over the streets, accompanied by music and laughter.
Sardinhas assadas are a grilled sardine dish that is packed with bold flavor, originating in Lisbon and the Vale do Tejo region.
The fish is usually seasoned with salt and grilled on both sides for about 10 minutes. The sardines are then served on top of bread and paired with potatoes, peppers, and sometimes a tomato salad.
Sardinhas Assadas. Photo by Yusuke Kawasaki (Flickr)
7. Alheira de Mirandela
Alheira is one of most unique ingredients in Portugal, a Portuguese sausage with various types of meat and bread.
The Alheira de Mirandela is the most popular, traditionally smoked, using olive or oak wood to give its aroma. The Mirandela Alheira includes fat, poultry meat, olive oil, bread, and lard.
This dish is often served with a side of fries and vegetables. You can find this dish all over the country, but the most authentic is found, unsurprisingly, in Mirandela in northeastern Portugal.
The best alheira restaurants in Mirandela area A Adega and O Gres.
8. Polvo à Lagareiro
Polvo à Lagareiro is a Portuguese dish you will find at probably every Portuguese tavern. This is a simple dish. Boiled and baked octopus with potatoes in a garlic and olive oil sauce.
Lagareiro is a type of preparation of Portuguese food, which includes boiling or baking potatoes that are smashed, salted, and tossed in some seafood or fish with olive oil and cilantro.
Eating octopus might be unusual to some, but for the Portuguese, it’s a part of the cultural heritage. Although this dish is simple, it can be hard to cook the octopus just perfectly. It should not be too rubbery but rather soft.
One of our favorite restaurants to try this dish is Republica do Polvo in Guimaraes or Frade dos Mares in Lisbon.
Polvo à Lagareiro. Photo by Scott Dexter (Flickr)
9. Cozido à Portuguesa
The Cozido à Portuguesa is perhaps the most traditional Portuguese dish and one of the oldest known. It was a dish of poverty, as it was made of leftover ingredients and seasonal vegetables from the garden.
This dish is a stew with various vegetables such as cabbage, potatoes, carrots, beans, as well as rice and meats such as chicken, pork, bacon, and smoked sausages. It is essentially a meat stew with some of the best Portuguese ingredients.
It is traditional for families to have Cozido à Portuguesa on Sundays for lunch as a way to come together and spend quality time. If you are in major cities in Portugal, many restaurants will have a cozido menu for Sundays.
However, if you are looking for a unique experience, we recommend traveling to Sao Miguel, an island in the Azores. The cozido is cooked under the ground in natural caldeiras with temperatures ranging from 70ºC to 100ºC. The dish is placed in a metal pot and buried in volcanic soil to be slow-cooked by the natural heat of the caldeiras.
The Francesinha is Porto’s staple dish. This Porto classic is a Portuguese sandwich made with bread, ham, steak, linguica sausage, and melted cheese on top. The dish also contains a spiced tomato and beer sauce. Some restaurants in Porto will serve it with a fried egg on top and fries on the side.
The Francesinha originated in the 1950s when Daniel Silva got inspired by the French Croque Monsieur and developed this dish in Porto. Throughout the decades, it has been adapted, and more ingredients have been added, such as the beer sauce that was not in the original recipe.
However, while most Portuguese taverns in Porto always ace this dish, there are a few tourist traps to avoid. Here are our favorite Francesinha restaurants in Porto:
You might have heard a lot about Cascais, known as the Portuguese Riviera. The municipality of Cascais is one of the richest in the country, as well as one of the most expensive to live in.
But the cost of living in Cascais is worth it to many. A 30-minute train ride away from Lisbon, Cascais offers a suburban lifestyle close to parks, beaches, and some of the best restaurants in the country.
But how much does it actually cost to live in Cascais? Let’s take a look at the monthly budget for an expat, digital nomad, and family of four in Cascais.
The monthly budget for an expat in Cascais, Lisbon is at least €1630 if you want to live in the center. Your monthly costs can be lower if you find a rental outside the center, saving around 300 euros.
A one-bedroom apartment in the center costs around €1060. Outside of the center, it can cost anywhere between €750 to €800.
A monthly transportation pass is around €40 or less. In the center of Cascais, you can take a 30-minute train to Lisbon. There are also buses all around Cascais.
Utilities cost around €130, including phone data and cable TV.
For exploring Cascais, eating out at your favorite restaurants, and exploring the nightlife, budget around €200 a month. You can easily spend less or more, depending on your lifestyle.
Groceries for a single person average out at around €50 a week.
Cost of Living in Cascais for a Digital Nomad
The cost of living in Cascais for a digital nomad is at least €1190 a month. This is the case if you sleep in a hostel’s dorm and cook most of your meals. If not, expect to need €3,000+ a month in Cascais.
How did we get from around €1000 to over €3000? If you opt for the budget option of a shared dorm in a hostel, expect only to need to pay €20 a night, so around €600 a month. However, a private Airbnb would cost you at least €2000.
Renting a desk at a co-working place in Cascais costs around €150. Transportation costs around €40.
Budget at least €200 for leisure such as eating out, bars, and tourists to discover the island.
Food can easily max out your monthly budget. If you want to save and have a kitchen at your disposal, a weekly shop shouldn’t cost more than €50.
However, if you plan to eat out, an affordable meal is around €10. This would set you back around €1000 in a month.
Cost of Living in Cascais for a Family of Four
Having kids is expensive, and it’s particularly expensive in Cascais. Expect to spend at least €3600 a month for a family of four in Cascais.
However, if you need health insurance for the entire family and your two kids will attend private school, you will spend over €3800.
A three-bedroom apartment in the center of Cascais will set you back around €2200. However, prices can go up to €2700, depending on the apartment type and amenities. If you want to save money, opting for an apartment outside the center can save you around €900.
Budget around €160 a month for monthly transport passes. However, it is more convenient for a family of four to own a car and drive around the island. Fuel will cost you anywhere between €150 and €250 a month.
Utilities cost around €160 and include electricity, heating, water, etc. However, this can be much higher in the winter or depending on your family’s consumption.
Groceries for a family of four in Cascais should cost around €150 a week, so budget at least €600 a month.
If you need to purchase health insurance for the whole family, this will cost you at least €200 a month.
However, you might be eligible to use access to healthcare for free, even if you are not an EU resident. Non-EU citizens are only entitled to use the public health system if they are employed and pay social security in Portugal, having to be registered as legal residents as well.
While public schools are free, international private schools can cost anywhere between €6000 and €2000 a year, depending on the establishment and age of your child. You could pay around €4000 a month for two kids just for education.
As Autumn comes to an end and Winter moves closer, Porto remains one of the best cities to visit. Without crowds of tourists and high-season prices, many are realizing that this is an optimal season to visit this city in the North of Portugal.
While it does rain quite a bit, mostly in January, temperatures during the day remain moderate, ranging from 50-60F/10-18ºC. A great way to shelter from these rainy days is to find an entertaining show or musical to enjoy.
And what feels more like Christmas and this festivity season than taking the whole family to a show? Let’s take a look at the 5 best shows and musicals in Portugal for this next Winter 2022/23.
From November 26 to January 8, Wizard of Oz on Ice takes center stage in MAR Shopping in Matosinhos. This is a show for the whole family, filled with Christmas magic.
The show tells the story of a young girl in Oz that takes an adventure to meet the Wizard. This musical on ice about friendship allows you to discover the importance of self-love while bringing to light an issue in society: mental health.
The Portuguese singers Miguel Cristovinho and Rita Redshoes make their debut on ice as the Wizard of Oz and Glinda, the good witch of the North! Tickets are relatively affordable, starting at 13 euros to 59 euros for a VIP experience.
2. (LA)HORDE Ballet at Rivoli
The collective (LA)HORDE brings the artists Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, and Arthur Harel from Marseille for a national premiere in the iconic Rivoli Grand Auditorium. Through different films, performances, and choreographic pieces, this collective “interrogates the political component of dance and maps diverse choreographic forms of popular uprising, from raves to traditional dances, to jumpstyle.”
This collective was created in 2013 by these three artists, and (LA)Horde has been the head of the Ballet National de Marseille since September 2019, creating performances, films, and works that focus on the body in movement.
Tickets cost 12 euros, and the age rating is 12+. The dates of the show are December 2 and December 3 at 7:30 PM.
3. Como um Carrossel [Like a Carrousel]
What’s better than a free show? Located in a small auditorium in Rivoli to celebrate the 91st Anniversary of Teatro Rivoli Performances for School, Like a Carrousel tells the story of a little girl who learns her relation to the world by asking questions along her journey. It is set to represent the imagination of children while touching upon key emotions in life, such as happiness, fear, and hope.
This show is a version of a piece written and directed by Joao Paulo Seara Cardoso (1956 – 2010). However, it has been adapted to feature Portuguese Sign Language for inclusivity. There are dates between January 18 and 22.
4. Intimate Live Fado Show in Fado na Baixa
Hosted in the wonderful Fado na Baixa auditorium, head to this unique live fado show that offers an intimate environment. The performance happens in a small auditorium, fusing popular versions of fado with the original style from the 1820s. This ticket includes a Tawny Port wine tasting while you witness the talented performers.
This show is available all year long but arguably feels more special in the winter, when the Christmas spirit is in the air, and a Port wine glass can warm you up.
Fado is a style of Portuguese music that was sung in taverns beginning in the 19th century and is now a UNESCO-listed musical genre. It is known for its mournful and melancholic tunes and lyrics, often about Portuguese life, poverty, the sea, and love.
5. Tiago Bettencourt & Orquestra Classica do Centro in Casa da Musica
Tiago Bettencourt is going to be playing in Porto’s Casa da Musica on December 18, accompanied by the Orquestra Classica do Centro. On the year that Tiago celebrates his 20 years of career, he will be playing this show in a 360 format, along with a show on the 22 of December in Lisbon.
Tiago has said that these concerts will allow us “to look back, with the help of my band and the Orchestra Classica do Centro, that by faith is from my home town of Coimbra. We will celebrate the most iconic songs of my journey and remember others that might have been forgotten.”
Tickets cost 28 euros and the doors open at 8 PM. Casa da Musica, where the concert will takes place is an iconic concert hall in the center of Porto, designed by architect Rem Koolhaas.
Portugal’s economy ranks number 47 in the world in terms of GDP in 2020. A member of the Eurozone, the majority of its international trade is done within the European Union. Portugal also ranks number 43 in total exports and number 40 in total imports.
Let’s take a look at the largest Portuguese imports and exports so you can get a sense of Portugal’s involvement in international trade.
Largest Portuguese Imports: Portugal’s Top 10 Imports
Portugal’s imports cost the country $97.5 billion in 2021, an over 23% increase since 2017. 77.1% of Portugal’s imports were purchased from other European countries, while 12.7% were supplied from Asia. Other imports came from Latin America (3.9%), Africa (3.5), North America (2.7%), and Oceania (0.1%).
Let’s take a look at Portugal’s 10 largest imports by value in 2021:
Mineral fuels: $11.2 billion
Vehicles: $9.4 billion
Electrical equipment: $9.3 billion
Other machinery (including computers): $8.6 billion
Plastic: $5.2 billion
Iron/Steel: $4.1 billion
Pharmaceuticals: $3.8 billion
Organic chemicals: $2.6 billion
Chemical goods: $2.3 billion
Fish: $2.1 billion
Mineral fuels take #1 on the list for 2021. The top mineral fuel products that Portugal imported in 2021 include crude oil ($4.8 billion), processed petroleum oils ($2.5 billion), and petroleum gases ($2.3 billion).
For #2 on this list, cars top the vehicle category at $4.1 billion, followed by automotive parts ($3.2 billion) and trucks ($595.2 million).
Largest Portuguese Exports: Portugal’s Top 10 Exports
In 2021, Portugal exported $75.1 billion worth of goods, around a 20% increase since 2017. Two-thirds of exports from Portugal were bought by Spain (26.7%), France (13.1%), Germany (11%), the USA (5.6%), the UK (5.2%), Italy (4.5%), Netherlands (3.9%), Belgium (2.5%), Angola (1.5%), Poland (1.4%), Morocco (1.4%), and Sweden (1.2%).
Along with most of the exports being delivered to European countries, 6.7% were sold to North America, 5.7% to Africa, and 5.4% to Asia.
Let’s take a look at Portugal’s 10 largest exports by value in 2021:
Vehicles: $9.5 billion
Electrical equipment: $5.8 billion
Other machinery (including equipment): $4.9 billion
Energy in Portugal: Where does Portugal get its energy from?
Portugal still gets a lot of its energy from other countries. The country is still particularly reliant on imported fossil fuels, above the average of the EU with 65% of imports. Only 5% of these imports come from Russia.
All of Portugal’s gas is imported, predominantly from Nigeria and Algeria. The natural gas from Algeria arrives via the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (MEG), which links the Hassi R’Mel gas field through Morroco to Spanish and Portuguese gas grids.
The gas from Nigeria arrives from Nigeria LNG Limited, a liquefied natural gas company with a natural gas plant on Bonny Island.
Wind turbines in Sines, Portugal. Photo by Paulo Valdivieso (Flickr)
Portugal’s economy ranks number 43 in total exports and number 40 in total imports in the world. When it comes to exports, Portugal’s economy heavily relies on leading Portuguese companies, including EDP (electric utilities), Galp Energia (oil and gas), and Jeronimo Martins (food).
Most of Portugal’s international trade is done within the EU, as well as other regional groups such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Portuguese-Speaking African Countries (PALOP), the Maghreb (Northwest Africa), and the Mercosul (Southern Common Market).
The photograph you see in the illustration of this article is the image of two influential women in my life. My maternal grandmother and my mother. They were talking about their lives under the centennial vine branches of my grandparents’ house, right next to a gate that dates back to 1893.
It is a house inside a more than century-old wine farm. It was not founded by my family, but as history tells, it was a considerable achievement bought by my grandfather, back in a time when the Estado Novo dictatorship reigned in Portugal. A fascist government that would rule Portugal from 1933 to 1974, and that would put Portugal in a huge economic and cultural stagnation.
This purchase would also mark my family’s history, setting a narrative that tells the past from the side of those who had the money, while neglecting the unpaid labor effort of all my maternal family.
For some, this photograph has all the characteristics of a bucolic scene. It was also taken in Fall, at the time of falling leaves and changing temperatures. There seems, however, to be more to this image than this feeling.
Something more than two women talking, the smell of wine fermenting in the cellar, or brown leaves flying through the air. The image lacks the dialogue that lasted a good part of the afternoon.
A conversation full of Portuguese nostalgia, of past memories, wrapped up with the feeling of impotence before a fate already written in the stars, perhaps an ancient legacy of the Arabs in our lands.
First, my grandmother, tired in her eighties, sat down. And then my mother sat in front of her. What followed would shock, or not, the ears of other younger generations.
My grandmother started to complain about my grandfather’s lack of appetite. Fortunately, she said, there was everything in that house: chicken, rabbit, codfish, potatoes, beans, pasta, or rice.
But the problem was not the lack of options but that with each passing day, it became more and more challenging to cook for my grandfather, a man soon to turn eighty-nine years old.
The shock that I said I could feel, however, is not because of my grandfather’s lack of appetite but because of my grandmother’s eternal role as a housewife. A whole lifetime of having to be one without ever having been asked whether she wanted that role.
But it doesn’t shock her either. Perhaps we are all the result of our time, morals, and customs. For better or worse, we all play the role without having been asked whether it was the one we wanted.
My grandfather, contrasting immensely with her, doesn’t even know how to turn on the stove at home. Nor how to take the food out of the pot my grandmother puts on the table every day.
These tasks have always been relegated only to her. My grandmother was entrusted with the household chores and everything around it, i.e., the land and her agricultural work.
In my youth, it was commonplace to see my grandmother with a hoe in her hands, sometimes bent down with a sickle to cut the grass or behind the flock of sheep or goats scattered around the farm.
Captured by Araci AlmeidaCaptured by Araci Almeida
I saw her always bustling about, trying to balance between opening the water tank and watering the vast vegetable garden or running to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
I can almost hear the sound of the crunch of onions just pulled from the earth, mixed with the olive oil coming from the olives from the same farm, and the big red tomatoes, tasty and very fragrant, cut into pieces falling into the pot.
I can also sense the smell that began to waft through that kitchen, mixed with the sound of an RTP newscaster coming through the small television into that kitchen with us.
Except for the pasta or the rice, everything came from their farm. Meanwhile, my grandfather would always arrive, coming from the village with some groceries, accompanied by his grandchildren who had come home from school, and his sons who, even though were already married and grown up, would show up for lunch.
There were fried potatoes and eggs for the grandchildren, beans and meat for my grandfather, and pasta with chicken for everyone else. I don’t know how she could take care of a house like that, making two or three different dishes every lunch.
But what is certain is that everything was done. But it wasn’t magic; it was her work that was always taken for granted, as expected, as “it should be.”
These are all images of my grandmother entering her retirement age. However, for someone who supposedly and legally “never worked,” there was no moment in her life when effectively setting aside her day-to-day tasks became official.
Her work did exist, though. This must be said. Besides all her tasks as a housewife and farmer, let’s not forget the role of motherhood.
My family’s archive
Taking care of their seven children was also part of her duties. The father was always responsible for the money that would come in. She was responsible for everything else: breastfeeding them, changing diapers, and teaching them how to live.
While the public social space was nonexistent for her, who had always lived on that farm, my grandfather was the supposed real breadwinner of that house. He was the only one with a paid job and the only craft valued within the family.
One could say that by leaving home, having a boss, and socializing with other people, my grandfather was also part of the history of my village, unlike my grandmother, the typical female figure we so often feel is without history.
And figures without history are without the power to tell it. It’s almost as if they don’t even exist in real life, and it’s as if they pass by or are indispensable. But so often, these exact figures are the pillar of our civilization.
I only need to think that my grandfather didn’t know how to cook or didn’t want to serve his own food. Something that makes me very perplexed is that he’s this way. What would he be without her? Or how would my uncles, aunts, and my mom have survived?
Sure, life wasn’t easy for either of them. Both my grandparents lived most of their youth under the fascist regime of Salazar in Portugal. They were both poor and, therefore, both suffering. Even more so, they lived in rural Portugal, much more forgotten, abandoned, and where illiteracy proliferated.
My family’s archive
But if life was hard for poor men, it was even more complicated for women, who were relegated to second-class citizens under God’s motto of country and family.
There was a very infamous saying, sometimes even found at the entrance of houses in the typical blue tiles of Portuguese culture “She runs the house, but it’s me (the husband) who rules her.” Indeed this motto was found everywhere: the women took care of the family, but the men ruled the world.
Women’s rights were limited, if not nonexistent. And my grandmother is the personification of these ideals, which were also the Salazarist ideas, of which she doesn’t even know she was a part. She was the loving mother, the devoted wife, and the true fairy of the home. Without knowing it, she had been trained to perform this role.
Trained by her father, mother, and the winds of the times in which she lived. Her little schooling also made her accept it and never question things’ order. She never touched money, nor could she count it, because she was not allowed a paid job. That was only her husband’s right.
My grandmother didn’t aspire for more, but she didn’t know that even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to have it either. Like other women, she couldn’t be a merchant, leave the country alone, open a bank account, or take contraceptives without her husband’s permission.
From being dependent on a father, she would become dependent on a husband, never achieving adult status. Always keeping her in an inferior position and limiting her ambitions to advance the social hierarchy.
And even when the country needed women to work in factories, women did not achieve the same status as men, as they were paid half as much as men. Same work, different amount of pay. And if the written laws were not enough, then there were the laws of morality and the shame a man could feel if he knew his wife was earning as much as he was.
The “Estado Novo” (the name given to the Portuguese fascist regime) and the passivity of the general population agreeing with these norms made women submissive without knowing they were so.
Women lived in the shadows of men without any rights and in fear. In fear of domestic violence and under a Government that did not protect them. Fear even of their husbands, who, even if they murdered them, would not even go to jail.
They were second-class citizens.
My grandmother belonged to this category. She had been a farmer, a cleaner, an ironer, a laundress (how many times I saw her wash clothes in the cold winter putting her hands into the frozen water of the farm’s tank), and a cook, but she was not paid for it.
Many might say that she worked for herself and her family. But to say this is to devalue the value of her work. Nowadays, it is expensive to pay for t someone to clean our house. We pay dearly for someone to wash our clothes and iron them.
We pay for those who care for our children, and even more when we eat in good restaurants. All this was done by her and by others like her. We pay dearly for those who do this for us, but we devalue the work given to us as free— perhaps because of this.
And if this was the portrait of women in Portugal during fascism, it was not the sudden transition to democracy that changed the culture and way of looking at women overnight. Of course, it is undeniable how much the April 25, 1974 revolution benefited women.
More so in legal terms. Women began to be admitted to the judiciary, and divorce was finally possible, regardless of whether it was civil or Catholic. In 1978 the reform of Family Law came into force under the premise that everyone was equal.
This ended the man’s figure as head of the family and all others as his submissives. Little by little, equality at work regarding pay arrived through the laws of 1979 and 1983.
But if all this is innovative, if you ask my grandmother, my mother, or even my aunts who are younger, if they felt this change in their daily lives, the answer is probably no.
Making laws definitely helps to protect your citizens, but changing a culture takes years or a whole generation. My mother’s story might fit in here too. She got married very early, at seventeen. She had my brother at eighteen and me at twenty-four.
My father, a construction worker and a man who was also a victim of his times, never “allowed” my mother to enter working life. I put that in between commas because this was never said but always felt. We are already talking about the early nineties.
While in many other countries, such actions might be seen as absurd, I reiterate again that suddenly changing the culture of a people is no easy task. But, just like my grandmother, my mother always worked.
Taking care of the children, farming, cleaning the house, and being informally employed by my father in his construction company either as a secretary or someone who drove trucks with sand, cement, or bricks.
If my childhood memories of my grandmother were seeing her in front of sheep, my mother’s image is of a woman getting off the truck and unloading sand with other employees of my father or passing heavy bags of cement on her shoulders.
All this, of course, without being paid because all this had been seen as working for the family. At the beginning of the new millennium, and only years later, with the enormous financial crisis, my mother, almost in her forties, left home and got a job. A job which nonetheless is always meant for women since she is a cleaning lady in a factory.
But if the advent of democracy and all the passed laws benefited women, they found themselves at a tremendous crossroads. For if they were now admitted into the public space – something that, as I told you, my grandmother never achieved – and worked in jobs “like men,” their workload doubled.
All this because the domestic space and everything inherent to it continued (and continues for the most part) to be seen as assigned to women.
So, in addition to their work outside the house, they would arrive home only to continue working, neglecting their rest time, which is necessary for any human to be functional. And most of the time, in addition to their work being the same as men’s, wage differences persisted.
Men and women doing the same job were paid differently, with men often being paid twice as much as women. And as such, as women reached an advanced age and entered retirement, these differences became more pronounced.
Women always with lower pensions and men with higher allowances. Just look at the example of my grandmother. She worked as much or more than my grandfather, but she doesn’t have a pension because she was always in the informal market.
But when it comes to both of them going to the pharmacy and getting the same medicines, there is clearly no differentiation, which always makes women poorer. If democracy brought many rights to women, getting them out of poverty was not and is still not so easy.
Still, even in the new millennium, one finds reports like this of women earning less. And of women too, who have been swallowed up by the mentality of patriarchy and think it is customary to make less.
Women are, because of all this, exhausted. And I would also like to say that all this is just found in the past, or that I have never felt this discrimination happening. But I would be lying if I said so.
When I was employed, I always saw my male colleagues earning more without any plausible justification. The peak of my tolerance ended when I trained a male colleague, who was also younger than me, and he then joined the same company earning one hundred euros more than me.
I quit my job, angry at my country, where wage discrimination is forbidden by law but where it is still so easy to get around it all.
The conversation on my grandparents’ farm continued that afternoon between those three women, the two in the photograph and the one behind the camera. These three generations crossed paths that continue to witness similar problems like the lack of a voice in the public space.
It is crucial to hear conversations like this and just as important, if not more, to not give up or take anything for granted. And in the days we are all living in, with the winds of fascism blowing into the world, Portugal being no exception, we must continue the fight for equality.
As Simone de Beauvoir said to Claudine Monteil, a feminist of the women’s liberation movement, “Never take anything for granted. All it takes is a political, economic, or religious crisis for women’s rights to be questioned. All your life, you must remain vigilant! ( Monteil, Claudine 2009, Simone de Bauvoir; Modernité et engagemnet, Paris: L’Harmattan)