Cost of Living in Porto - Here's What You Should Know

With the countless opportunities for students, digital nomads, and families alike, you’d think Porto would be a costly city to live in, but the opposite is true. Porto is one of the more affordable places in Europe while still maintaining a high quality of life and safety on the streets. So below are some of the costs of living you’ll need to know about before moving here for a few months living.

The prices are low for eating out: about €7 for a meal in a cheap restaurant and about €18 for a three-course dinner. So if you like discovering all manners of exciting cuisines, vegan or otherwise, you can enjoy the affordability of Porto. And if you want to explore the city’s pub scene, you’ll pay about €2 per beer, depending on the pub and the brand. Groceries also reflect the general affordability of Porto. However, if you want to cut down on expenses, try shopping for fruit and veggies in one of many markets where local ingredients are being sold. Items like a litre of milk, a loaf of bread, or a kilo of rice will all average below €1, while a kilo of potatoes or apples will be around €1,5. Finally, meat and local cheese will be more expensive, averaging about €5 and €7 respectively.

Porto has a well-organised and integrated public transportation system that you can easily afford even on a tight budget. A single trip ticket in the city will cost around €1,40, depending on whether you’re a student, a senior citizen, or have no discounts at all. Similarly, a monthly pass will be around €35, though if you want to stay for a whole year, a year-long pass will be a better choice. Driving around in your car won’t cost you much, only about €1,60 per litre of gasoline, and if you want to call a taxi, you’ll pay about €3,50 for the start of the trip and then €15 for each hour. So if you wish to commute from the outskirts of Porto, or you need to transport your heavy luggage from the airport, there are tons of affordable transportation options in Porto.

Rentals in Porto have one of the best prices in Europe, especially considering Porto is such a multicultural and highly sought-after destination for ex-pats. If you’re looking for something smaller and in a calmer area, say, on the outskirts of the city, you’ll be paying around €500 per month, about €100 less than in Lisbon. However, if you’re looking for a three-bedroom apartment for the whole family and want to have the city centre right outside your window, you will only have to pay €1200 per month on average. Living in Porto is affordable, but there is to do and see in the city for all. It’s almost a steal.