Life in Portugal is much cheaper than in France. But is it really that much? It depends. The main differences lie in the prices of real estate and leisure. As far as essential goods go, there isn’t that much difference.
Food
Food prices are not that different between Portugal and France. In some cases, French hypermarkets can even outdo Portuguese prices. But in terms of fish and meat, Portugal is significantly cheaper, as can be seen in the following table.
| Portugal | France | |
| Actimel 12 | €5,85 | €3,70 |
| 1 kg Cigala rice | €1,15 | €1,41 |
| 500g Panzani spaghetti 3m | €1,69 | €1,27 |
| 1 kg potatoes | €1,19 | €1,2 |
| 1 kg apples | €1,83 | €1,00 |
| 1 kg tomato | €1,99 | €1,49 |
| 1 kg banana | €0,86 | €1,59 |
| 1 kg chicken | €4,00 | €4,9 |
| 1 kg pork ribs | €5,45 | €21,96 |
| 1 kg sea bream | €7,99 | €14,00 |
| 1 kg salmon loins | €19,89 | €19,97 |
Source: Carrefour and Auchan, 2019.
Cheaper housing
The price of housing has risen steeply over the past quarters. Nonetheless, when comparing life in Portugal with a life in France, it is important to know that buying a house in Portugal is still quite cheaper than in France. According to the Idealista housing prices index, current rates in Portugal stand at €1,849 per meter squared. In Lisbon, the most expensive region, prices stand at €2,637 per meter squared.
Despite these increases, in France the price of buying a new apartment or house is much higher. According to Meilleursagents, in 2019 the price per meter squared for an apartment in Paris was €9,769, while prices in cities such as Nice or Lyon are €4,092 per meter squared and €4,347, respectively.
Therefore, purchasing or renting a house in Portugal is still significantly cheaper than France, even if you choose to live in Lisbon or Porto.
Telecom
The various telecom providers in Portugal offer services which include internet+phone+TV. The prices of the packages vary from provider to provider, and can include special campaign rates. The two main providers, NOS and Meo have a package which includes 150 channels, which includes the box and unlimited domestic calls for €34.99.
In France, on the other hand, a similar package provided by SFR costs €38 per month, although there is a campaign which offers discounts for the first months.
Transports and electricity
If you want a life in Portugal, it is important to know that the country has a good network of public transport, which in the main cities includes underground, buses and trains. In 2019 the price of an underground or bus ticket in Lisbon is €1.50, whereas in Paris you’d need to pay €1,9.
As for petrol prices, the price of gasoline in Portugal, in 2019, is €1.492 and a litre of diesel costs €1.333. In France a litre of gasoline is €1.419 and diesel costs €0,849.
Looking at basic services, electricity is a case where Portugal is more expensive than France. According to figures for 2019, provided by Pordata, electricity prices in Portugal are €0.2246 per Kwh. In France the cost is only €0,1754 per Kwh.
Leisure
Unlike France, where going out to dinner, or to the cinema, can be quite expensive, prices in Portugal make it possible to live cheaply without having to give up on any of these perks.
|
|
Portugal |
France |
| Cinema
|
€7,00
|
€11,2
|
| Coffee
|
€0,70
|
€1,8
|
| Dinner for two
|
€25
|
€50
|
|
Minimum wage
|
€600
|
€1.521,25
|
Life in Portugal is much different from France, if you compare wages. The minimum wage in France in 2019 was €1.521,25 whereas in Portugal it is €600, that is, almost three times lower than in France.
