Portugal
A standout retirement base. Ranked 1 of 40, strongest on safety, softest on healthcare.
Key facts
Visa & residency
~EUR 920/mo single (the 2026 Portuguese minimum wage, about EUR 11,040/yr) in stable passive income; +50% for a spouse, +30% per child.
Requires private health insurance and proof of accommodation. Initial 2-year residence permit, renewable for 3 years, then permanent residence; naturalisation after 10 years (7 for EU/CPLP nationals) under the 2026 law.
Healthcare
Universal public SNS ranks 23rd globally on Numbeo's 2025 Health Care Index. Legal foreign residents can register for an SNS number and access public care once they hold a residence permit; over-65s pay little to nothing, though many patients lack an assigned family doctor.
Private health cover starts under EUR 120/mo for basic plans, with comprehensive plans around EUR 1,000/yr; premiums rise with age, so a 65-year-old should budget toward the upper end.
Cost of living
~$1,700-2,300 single incl. rent (Lisbon single-person costs ~EUR 756/mo excl. rent plus central 1-bed rent).
Lisbon 1-bed city-centre rent averages ~EUR 1,432/mo (Numbeo, 2026); smaller cities like Porto and Algarve towns are notably cheaper.
Safety & climate
Ranks 7th on the Global Peace Index (score 1.427), among the most peaceful countries in Europe; petty theft in tourist areas is the main caveat.
Hot dry summers (July mean max ~29.5C) and mild wet winters (Jan mean min ~4.7C); rainfall concentrates in winter, summers are dry, and the interior/south is hotter and drier than the north.
Community & language
About 1.54 million foreign residents (~14% of the population) as of end-2024, a large and growing expat base. EF EPI 2025 scores Portugal 612 (very high proficiency), so English gets you far.
Portuguese is the sole official language; English is widely used in cities and tourism, with Portugal ranked among Europe's best for English proficiency.
Taxes
Yes, Portugal taxes foreign pensions of tax residents at progressive IRS rates (12.5%-48% in 2026). The new IFICI (NHR 2.0) regime does NOT exempt pension income; only pre-2024 NHR holders keep the old 10% flat rate.
Portugal has a broad double-tax-treaty network, including a 1994 treaty with the US and a new UK treaty effective 1 Jan 2026; treaties allocate pension taxing rights (govt pensions generally source-country only).
Compare Portugal with its closest rivals
The three countries whose RetireScore sits nearest.
