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Cost of Living

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

Flat illustration of a courier in a blue uniform handing a red cardboard parcel to a customer signing a delivery note

Shoppers in Portugal Face a €3 Customs Charge on Non-EU Parcels as the €150 Duty-Free Exemption Expires July 1

From 1 July, parcels from Shein, Temu and AliExpress lose Portugal's €150 duty-free exemption and carry a new €3 customs handling charge per product category. The EU-wide reform, brought forward from 2028, aims to curb low-value Chinese imports and level the field for EU sellers.

The Portugal Brief 01 Jul 2026

Sunlit terracotta rooftops of Lisbon's Alfama district with the Sao Vicente de Fora monastery on the skyline

Portugal Minted 6,000 New Millionaires Last Year, Even as the Typical Household Grew Poorer

Portugal gained roughly 6,000 new dollar millionaires in 2025, lifting the total near 181,000, the UBS Global Wealth Report 2026 shows. Yet median wealth per adult fell 5.4% in real terms to $76,978. With 63% of wealthy portfolios tied up in property, the gains are pooling at the top while the typic

The Portugal Brief 30 Jun 2026

Euro banknotes of various denominations spilling from a white envelope onto a wooden surface

Portugal's Inflation Cools to 3.2% in June, but Core Prices and Energy Defy the Slowdown

Portugal's headline inflation eased to 3.2% in June from 3.3% in May, INE's flash estimate shows. But core inflation rose to 2.5%, energy stayed 9% higher and fresh food ran at 5.2% — a sign price pressure is becoming entrenched rather than fading. Final data lands on 10 July.

The Portugal Brief 30 Jun 2026

Rooftops of residential buildings in Lisbon above the Tagus, illustrating Portugal's rental market

Portugal's New-Lease Rents Jump 9.1% in Early 2026, With Lisbon at €17.42 a Square Metre

The median rent on new contracts signed in the first quarter of 2026 reached €9.46 a square metre nationally, up 9.1% on a year earlier and accelerating from the previous quarter, INE figures show. Lisbon stayed the most expensive market at €17.42 a square metre.

The Portugal Brief 28 Jun 2026

The neoclassical facade of Portugal's parliament, the Assembleia da Republica at Sao Bento in Lisbon

Socialists Centre Their Parliamentary Sessions on the Cost of Living, Drawing In Mario Centeno

The PS has built three days of parliamentary sessions around the rising cost of living, touring 13 Lisbon-area municipalities from Sintra to Amadora and inviting former finance minister Mario Centeno. The push follows a National Commission vote on nearly 20 sectoral motions.

The Portugal Brief 28 Jun 2026

An electric-car charging connector plugged into the charging port of a silver car

Gas-Bottle Subsidy Runs to Mid-September as the Environment Minister Floats a Second Electric-Car Incentive Round

Environment Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho says the bottled-gas subsidy will run at least to mid-September, and a second EUR 10 million electric-car incentive round could follow this year if Middle East tensions ease and reserved funds are freed. The ISP fuel-tax discount, however, is being wound

The Portugal Brief 28 Jun 2026

A motorist holding a fuel pump nozzle while refuelling a silver car at a petrol station

Petrol and Diesel Prices Hold Flat at the Pump for the Week to 5 July

Diesel and petrol should hold broadly steady over the week of 29 June to 5 July after a sharp fall the week before, with 95-octane petrol near €1.877 a litre and diesel around €1.769. The government's trimmed ISP discount softened the earlier drop.

The Portugal Brief 27 Jun 2026

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