Cost #11/31 · Cost of living · Europe · Eurostat PLI 2024
🇵🇹 Cost of living in Portugal
Portugal undercuts most of the EU-27 across rent, groceries and transport - see the categories driving that gap and how far local income actually stretches.
- Cost rank · cheapest = #1 of 31
- #11
- Affordability rank · highest purchasing power = #1 of 29
- #24
Portugal's livability score
Livability score
51/100
Portugal, weighted across 8 of 8 tracked dimensions
A cost-and-income composite (price-level indices plus purchasing power), not an overall quality-of-life judgment, it does not weigh climate, safety, culture, or healthcare outcomes.
- Purchasing power F €14,465
Median net income adjusted for local cost level
- Overall cost B- 85
Eurostat overall price level (EU27=100)
- Rent B- 80
Housing / rent price level (EU27=100)
- Groceries B- 102
Food and non-alcoholic beverages (EU27=100)
- Healthcare C+ 87
Healthcare price level (EU27=100)
- Transport C 89
Transport price level (EU27=100)
- Utilities F 103
Electricity / gas / water (EU27=100)
- Restaurants A 76
Restaurants and hotels (EU27=100)
Portugal: mid-pack 2024 Eurostat shift
Overall cost index changed +0.4 vs 2023 - a typical mid-pack European delta.
- Utilities index 96 103 2023 → 2024
Utilities index rose from 96 to 103 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Housing & utilities index 77 80 2023 → 2024
Housing & utilities index rose from 77 to 80 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Groceries index 103 102 2023 → 2024
Groceries index fell from 103 to 102 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Healthcare index 85 87 2023 → 2024
Healthcare index rose from 85 to 87 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
Portugal in the 85-99 cost band
On the EU-27 = 100 scale, Portugal's overall index (85) sits in the 85-99 band with 6 other published countries. The Europe-wide band mix lives on the rankings hub, not repeated here.
Where Portugal undercuts the EU basket
Bars + gauge for a below-EU overall index (85): which categories keep the basket cheap.
Portugal - price level by category (EU-27 = 100)
🇵🇹 Portugal vs EU-27 = 100
Gauge reads the same overall cost_index (85); the tick marks the EU average.
In Portugal, utilities is the most expensive category and restaurants the least.
Why Portugal reads cheap on Eurostat
Portugal's overall consumer price level is 15% below the EU-27 average. (How this index is built →)
Utilities lead the cost table in Portugal at index 103, ahead of restaurants at index 76 - heating, power and water outpace every other category here.
That price gap works in Portugal's favor: because prices run below the EU average, the headline income of €14,465 stretches further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €17,018 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
Cities in Portugal
National averages hide the big-city premium. See real monthly rent, groceries and transit costs for Portugal's cities.
Eurostat PLI Basket · similar price levels and purchasing power
Two peer sets for Portugal: nearest overall price-level indices (EU-27 = 100) and nearest cost-adjusted incomes (median net income ÷ cost index). The cost band block above stays cohort-based; these neighborhoods vary by entity.
Similar overall cost index
Nearest countries by Eurostat price level (85 here, EU-27 = 100).
PLI neighbourhood · Portugal
Similar purchasing power
Nearest countries by cost-adjusted income (€17,018 here).
What to do with this Portugal data
Portugal ranks #24 of 29 for cost-adjusted purchasing power. A raw price index alone does not tell you whether income stretches further here than elsewhere.
- Run the numbers for Portugal in the calculator
- Compare Portugal vs Greece side by side
- See the full best-value ranking
- Browse every country we track
These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages for the whole country, not a personal budget. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Portugal expensive to live in?
Portugal's overall cost of living is 15% below the EU-27 average (index 85). Utilities is the priciest category and restaurants the cheapest.
What are housing & utilities costs in Portugal?
Portugal's housing & utilities price index is 80, below the EU norm.
How does income compare to costs in Portugal?
That price gap works in Portugal's favor: because prices run below the EU average, the headline income of €14,465 stretches further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €17,018 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
PlainCostOfLiving is rendered directly from Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-20. Primary sources: Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03).