I ask because Portugal is an EU member state and subsequently likely has the social safety net that comes with that membership and I have heard from Portuguese people on other subreddits that the wages, unemployment, and social safety net are a bad joke.

I come from the USA and while the [UN Inequality Adjusted Human Development Index](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_inequality-adjusted_Human_Development_Index) ranks USA as more developed than Portugal even when accounting for USA’s income inequality, I am still under the impression that life in Portugal is comfortable since it is in the EU and it is a high income country.

Is this true? How would most Portuguese say their quality of life is?

13 comments

  1. Bad. Portuguese are negative/pessimistic. Our most famous music genre, Fado, is described as “a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a sentiment of resignation, fate and melancholy”.

  3. Bad if you need to work, receive less than survival wages or have to deal with toxic employers and high tax rates, corrupt and incompetent governments and lots of bureaucracy. It is excellent (basically paradise) if you don’t need to work or depend on its economy and/or have a US/ average income by working remotely or made a cryptocurrency fortune (no taxes on those). Our government is even cuck enough to create a special regime called the non habitual resident (NHR) through the D7 visa where foreigners like you (from outside the EU) can come, settle in, pay close to zero taxes and have full access to the public healthcare services. Look it up, it is likely perfect for you and an excellent FIRE opportunity. Portuguese government is basically as good as that good friend of yours that will let you make love with his wife while he gets to watch.

  5. “I have heard from Portuguese people on other subreddits that the wages, unemployment, and social safety net are a bad joke.”

    Because it is. As in its so bad you wouldn’t believe its real until you saw it with your own eyes.

  6. It’s better to be poorer in Portugal than in the USA.

    But it’s better to be rich in the USA than in Portugal.

  9. The average Portuguese citizen gets less than 1000 dollars per month, and you as american would cry if you saw the price of any portuguese gas pump. For example, gasoline 98 is more or less 2 euros per liter, or 7,5 euros per gallon (8,50 dollars).

  12. High taxes, ridiculous bureaucracy, high cost of life compared to salaries, good public education, bad customer service, sunny and bright days (even in winter), houses badly insulated, nice people, honest food, good (and cheap) wine and, for the good and for the bad, a slow rhythm. Nothing is urgent here.

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