Great weather paired with unbeatable access to nature and culture… what's not to love about Portugal?
What drew me to Portugal?
For me, Portugal offers the kind of balanced lifestyle I craved all my life. Growing up in Amsterdam meant that any time I spent styling my hair, the weather, which included heavy rain and strong wind, would quickly undo my efforts. My Dutch husband and I both recall why we hated school so much; we had to ride our bikes against the wind every morning for 40 minutes. We both dreamed about a beach lifestyle with palm trees, white sand, and a -no-wind-climate.
I always thought this lifestyle was only meant for the rich and famous until I stepped out of the airplane in Faro (The southern part of Portugal). The broad stretches of beach were surprisingly empty in December, the temperature rarely dropped below 20 degrees, and the cuisine was surprisingly low-priced, tasty, and, most importantly, fresh.
Portugal made me feel like I had time traveled to a more straightforward, slower place, where my biggest concern was deciding what to eat for lunch. We came from the corporate world and were used to working around the clock, so this way of life was a pleasant relief for us.
What's the most significant difference with Miami?
After living for one year in Algarve, we moved to Miami for some projects with the idea of returning to Portugal. In Miami, we've lived in Coconut Grove and Doral. In both places, we paid about 6.000$ rent per month for a two-bedroom apartment on a busy street and had over 2000$ in monthly expenses, without even owning a car.
At the same time, I had a mortgage payment of €240 per month (I know!) on a four-bedroom (!) apartment in Algarve that looked out over a forest and was only seven minute's walk from the beach, and I spent €800 per month on everything else, including two cars. Oh, and when I was in Miami, I rented out my apartment through Airbnb for €4000 in high season and €2000 in low season. The cost of living is the most significant difference between Miami en Algarve.
How to make money in Portugal?
The best way of living in Portugal is not depend on it. Average salaries in Portugal are €800 a month, and young people are used to sharing an apartment to make ends meet. I would not suggest moving to Portugal for the sake of income. The best thing is living in Portugal while making money outside of it.
There are cafes in the Algarve where a cup of coffee costs 75 cents and others where we pay as little as 12.50 euros for an "all you can eat" sushi restaurant. In Miami, I spent no less than $75 on two California rolls and a few drinks at a sushi restaurant. If you are from a "quick economy," such as the United States or Northern Europe, you will find that Portugal offers a wealth of opportunities for starting a business.
Your "trained eyes" allow you to spot potential in random fields, such as website design, real estate brokerage, or even the simple import of flowers to the Algarve from the Netherlands. Since there is no source of fresh flowers in the Algarve, my friend pondered starting this business.
Whatever you do - take it slow.
Portugal is a slow-moving country where the shop may be closed even though the sign says it's open, and the telephone number shown for one of the most popular restaurants in your city on Google Maps might be out of order. You might witness that the zoo is closed on Sundays, while the website says it's open only on Sundays. Things like these will make you cringe, but if you're relocating to Portugal, you'll have to get used to it. Moving to Portugal from the States or northern European countries is like changing your Ferrari for a TukTuk. And maybe that's the reason why we, the "fast-moving-people," are relocating to Portugal so we can start slowing down the moment we touch down at Faro Airport.