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Cost of Living

Cost of living analysis, prices, and affordability in Portugal.

High-voltage transmission pylons crossing hills near Carvoeira, Torres Vedras, with wind turbines on the ridge behind

Portugal's Wholesale Power Price Jumped a Third in the Second Quarter, and April's Record Oil Reaches Gas Bills About Six Months Later

ERSE's second-quarter commodities bulletin puts Portuguese wholesale electricity at €55.6 a megawatt hour, Brent at a record 145 dollars on 7 April, and the renewable share of consumption down from 77 to 69 percent.

The Portugal Brief 27 Aug 2026

The floodlit stone facade of the Reitoria building of the University of Porto at blue hour, with arched iron-grille doorways along an empty cobbled square.

A Student Room in Lisbon Went From €500 to €550 in a Week, and the State's Own Reference Value Stops at €500

Supply grew by 942 rooms in the capital and prices rose anyway, by about 10 percent in under a week. Portaria n.º 331-B/2026/1 says the state will cover €500 in Lisbon and €419 in Porto. The market is now above both.

The Portugal Brief 27 Aug 2026

The entrance of a Continente Bom Dia supermarket in Portugal, with the red Continente lettering above the doors and a line of trolleys parked outside.

Continente 27.6, Pingo Doce 22.3, Lidl 13.8: Portuguese Households Are Splitting the Weekly Shop Across More Chains

Worldpanel by Numerator's first-half figures put Continente on 27.6 percent, Pingo Doce on 22.3 and Lidl on 13.8, with traditional grocers still ahead of Mercadona. Pingo Doce grew the basket, Lidl grew the visit, and the leader stopped losing.

The Portugal Brief 26 Aug 2026

The street frontage of a Portuguese IEFP Centro de Emprego job centre, green signage over the entrance of a white building with calcada paving in front

Portugal's New Single Social Payment Lasts 12 Months, and the Unemployment Subsidy It Absorbs Lasted Up to 24

The CGTP wants the social unemployment subsidy taken back out of the Prestacao Social Unica before it starts paying on 31 December, setting out where duration, value and the crediting of contributions all move against the claimant.

The Portugal Brief 24 Aug 2026

A tall mobile-telecommunications antenna mast rising above suburban houses in northern Portugal under a clear blue sky

Digi's Portuguese Business Reaches 960,000 Active Services and €37 Million in Half-Year Revenue

Less than two years after launching, the low-cost operator Digi reported about €37 million in first-half revenue in Portugal and some 960,000 active services, up more than a fifth in a year — a genuine fourth network reshaping how much residents pay for mobile and internet.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

Pump Prices in Portugal Don't Rise Faster Than They Fall, the Energy Regulator Concludes — and It Rejects Capping Margins

Portugal's energy regulator, ERSE, studied 186 weeks of prices and found no persistent evidence that fuel rises faster than it falls, and no grounds to cap retailers' margins. The real reason the pump hurts, it says, is tax, not profiteering.

The Portugal Brief 13 Aug 2026

A Portuguese pharmacy storefront with the illuminated green cross sign, or blister packs of medication

A Cheaper Diabetes Generic Arrives, yet Some Patients Risk Paying €40 for a €5 Pill

A generic version of the diabetes drug dapagliflozin has entered Portugal's reference-pricing system, but the APDP warns that if pharmacies run out of the generic, patients buying the branded original could pay around €40 for a medicine that recently cost €4 to €5.

The Portugal Brief 13 Aug 2026

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