Portugal
Leader of last year’s Index, and still a fan favorite among International Living subscribers, Portugal slips by a hair to second place in 2024.
Two main factors account for that downgrade: an increase in the cost of housing (mostly in Lisbon and Porto, the two largest cities) and the uncertainty surrounding long-term visa categories.
That aside, sleepy Old World Portugal is still a wonderful expat location. This is a country of centuries-old vineyards, cobblestone streets that lead to farmers markets, and cafes where you can nurse a glass of wine for an afternoon. It’s European-style opulence on a Central American budget.
IL contributor Terry Coles says that she and her husband enjoy the low costs of Portugal. “We can enjoy a meal at a variety of restaurants for $11.50 or less, including drinks. We have private health insurance for $265 a month for the two of us. To keep fit, we joined a large gym that comes with an assortment of classes and ongoing dietary and fitness counseling for just $66 a month for two. This is half of what we used to pay in the U.S.”
Portugal scored highest in the categories of Development/Governance (93) and Healthcare (92) and had an overall rating of 83.28 to finish just below Costa Rica.
Next Page: Third Place Country
Don’t get me wrong, Costa Rica is great. But one of the problems with these lists is they assume poeple want nationalized health care, and that nationalized health care is always “high quality,” which is CLEARLY not the case.