Moving to Portugal? American Expats In Porto Share Real Expenses
Real expenses are key to gaining insight into life in and around Porto, and so Josh and Kalie from ExpatsEverywhere have created a yearly ritual where they log every euro spent over the course of one month.
As an American expat, I am often pleasantly surprised when I have to grab some fruit and vegetables for the family for the week – my daughter eats an incredible amount of fruit for someone that only weighs 40 pounds, and my dalmatian pup eats tons of vegetables too – and come out spending less than ten euro.
Dropping a two-euro coin on a €1.40 kilo of strawberries at a fruit stand is a common occurrence for us as well.
Coming from the US and New York, specifically, half the size of that kilo basket of strawberries would easily be $6 or $7 USD, or more for organic strawberries.
In Porto there are myriad locally grown or harvested Portuguese fare, which plays a factor in the cost, to be sure.
Real Expenses Living In Portugal
If you want to grasp what a monthly budget currently looks like in Portugal’s oldest city this exercise is extremely helpful and informative.
There are tons of resources out there proclaiming to know the “average costs” one may incur living abroad.
But as expats, you can be sure there will always be surprises.
This is why real expenses make a big difference.
Even when day-to-day purchases cost very little, they do add up.
If you are thinking of moving to Porto or living in Portugal, seeing the exact real expenses tallied up is an invaluable exercise, especially if you are an American expat moving abroad.
I say this because the cost of living in the United States is largely higher than Portugal, but not in everything, as you will see when you watch the ExpatsEverywhere video:
UPDATED Cost of Living in Portugal 2025
Expats Cost Of Living Differences
The cost of living in the US is also all over the board, and could not be more different, depending on which of the 50 states you are living in and what very varied region or city.
If you watch the video, you get to see what real world grocery labels and prices are in Continente, what Josh and Kalie spend on rent in Porto, and what the many other costs add up to, from utilities, entertainment, groceries, eating and drinking out, and other things that crop up day-to-day.
Sometimes a particular brand of imported chocolate bar is more expensive in Portugal than it would be in the US or the UK, or elsewhere i.e. four euros on a Lindt bar in a Continente grocery store.
American Expat Reaps Benefits Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream In Porto
But then again, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream in Porto is cheaper than it is in New York!
I say this from experience, because I loooove my occasional Ben & Jerry’s, and though it varies a little from month to month, it has been €3.49 at Continente for the past six months, at least.
For pet owners, even without pet insurance the cost to have our dalmatian checked out was €18 a couple weeks back.
Add another digit to that number for a pet examination in New York.
Josh & Kalie’s Monthly Expenses
For the in-person experience of docking the receipts and seeing what coffee and groceries and all amounts to, be sure to check out Josh and Kalie’s video: “UPDATED Cost of Living in Portugal 2025.”
What did their 2025 monthly budget come to?
If you need to cheat because you are short on time, their expenses totaled up to . . .
Cost of School for Cia, Josh and Kalie’s daughter: €385
Food & beverage out: €662.90
Healthcare cost for three: €169.74
Gas utility: €18.04
Water utility: €21.95
There are a few others, so check out the video to see rent costs in Porto, and the cost of electricity utilities, and more here.
Are you thinking of making the move to Portugal, too? As Josh and Kalie like to say, “Let’s get moving!”
Want to go over the visa and moving process? Kalie is available for one-on-one consultations, or you can bundle a course and a consult.