Santa Catarina Street, Porto

Porto is home to Portugal's busiest street

High street retail in Portugal has been the focus of a recent study analysing its dynamics, looking in particular at pedestrian behaviour and the commercial positioning of five of the main arteries in Lisbon and Porto.
Lifestyle
Sagres, Portugal

Living in Sagres, Portugal

Sagres sits at the far southwestern tip of mainland Europe, in the municipality of Vila do Bispo in the western Algarve. Life here feels very different from central Albufeira or even Lagos.
Lifestyle
renting in Portugal as a foreigner

Foreigners renting in Portugal: where demand is strongest in 2026

Portugal’s rental market is changing quickly as more foreigners look for long‑term housing across the country’s main cities. New figures from idealista/data for May 2026 show that international tenants are now an important part of demand in most large urban areas.
Rent
foreign demand for property for sale in Portugal

Which nationalities want to buy homes in Portugal’s cities?

idealista/data reveals a detailed snapshot of international demand for homes for sale across 20 major Portuguese cities in May 2026, building on the results of the 2026 report on foreign demand for property for sale in Portugal.The figures set out, for each city, the top three foreign nationalities
Sale
Taxes on labor

Portugal among OECD countries with real wage growth

Pre-tax wages increased in 35 countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), including Portugal, between 2024 and 2025, according to the latest data released by the international organisation.The average wage rose in all OECD countries between 2024 and 2025 in nomina
Finance
Mortality and birth rates in Portugal

Birth rate vs. death rate: what is happening in Portugal?

In May 2026, 9,216 deaths were recorded in Portugal (37 of which were of residents living abroad), 209 fewer (-2.2%) than in the previous month and 445 fewer (-4.6%) than in the same month last year. The figures were released this Friday (12 June 2026) by the National Statistics Institute (INE) and also show that the birth rate is declining.
Lifestyle
Lisbon

Lisbon least affordable capital amid high rents and living costs

Lisbon’s appeal has grown steadily in recent years, but the numbers for 2026 show a city where wages are struggling to keep pace with the basic cost of a comfortable life.Recent data from Tradingpedia underlines how housing costs, both for renters and buyers, are at the heart of an affordability cri
Lifestyle
Owner calculating expenses.

How much does it cost to maintain a house?

Buying or renting a place of your own is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. Living alone brings plenty of upsides, like freedom and privacy, but it also comes with responsibilities that are easy to underestimate.We’re talking about the monthly and annual costs of maintaining a home.
Finance
nationality law

The new Nationality Law in Portugal: what changes

The recent revision of the Nationality Law, approved by Parliament in April and since enacted, introduced a broader and, in several respects, more demanding set of changes than those foreseen in earlier drafts, particularly the versions discussed in June and October.The final decree is more detailed
Legal
nationality law Portugal

How Portugal’s new Nationality Law could affect foreign residents

Portugal has approved a major reform of its Nationality Law, creating a tougher and less predictable path to Portuguese citizenship for many foreign residents, families and descendants.Below is a clear breakdown of the main ways the new Nationality Law could affect people already in Portugal or plan
Legal
New Portugal-Spain bridge

New Portugal-Spain bridge will slash travel time by 85 km

A brand-new international bridge over the Sever River is set to transform travel between Portugal and Spain, cutting the road journey between Montalvão and Cedillo by 85 km. It will form part of a more direct link between Lisbon and Madrid that could shorten some cross-border journeys by up to
Lifestyle
Everything about the Volta program

Recycling in Portugal: how the new Volta system works

The mechanism is easy to explain: for every plastic bottle returned, consumers receive money, in this case ten cents. We are talking about the Deposit and Refund System (DRS), known as Volta, a program launched by the Government that encourages people to recycle. It is one of the largest environmental projects in Portugal, as referred to by the Minister of the Environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho. We explain everything about this topic in this week's Deco Alerta article.
Lifestyle
taxes in portugal for foreigners

Key documents you need to file your tax return in Portugal

For most residents who file their tax return in Portugal, the Tax Authority already holds much of the information needed for the automatic IRS return, based on invoices and data reported by employers, banks and other entities. However, some types of income and deductions are not filled in autom
Finance