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    • Home
    • Countries

      Top Destinations:

      Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

      • Spain
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • Colombia
      • Cyprus
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Montenegro
      • Browse All Countries

      Best For:

      • The Best Places To Retire
      • Health Care Abroad
      • Cost Of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Establishing Residency
      • Gun Laws In The World
      • English-Speaking Countries
      • Safest Places For Retirement
      • Best Places In Latin America
    • Budgets

      How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

      The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

      Super Cheap

      • Chitré, Panama
      • Santa Marta, Colombia
      • Phuket, Thailand
      • Dumaguete, The Philippines

      Cheap

      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Kyrenia, Cyprus
      • Hua Hin, Thailand
      • The Algarve, Portugal

      Affordable

      • Valencia, Spain
      • Cascais, Portugal
      • Las Terrenas, The DR
      • Pisa, Italy
      • La Rochelle, France
      • Mazatlán, Mexico

      Luxury

      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Kotor, Montenegro
      • The Panama City Beaches
      • Paris, France
    • Resources

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      • Living & Retiring Overseas
      • Raising A Family Abroad
      • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
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      • International Real Estate
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      • Employment
      • Investing

      Follow Us:

      • Meet Our Experts
    • Real Estate

      Join our Weekly Newsletter
      Overseas Property Alert

      Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive expert insights on the best international real estate investment opportunities.






        We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

        Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

        • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

        Explore Our Latest Posts

        • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

        Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

        • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
      • Conferences

        Upcoming Events

        • Explore Our Events Site

        Live and Invest In Spain Conference

        Offshore Wealth Summit

        Greece Workshop

        VALENCIA, SPAIN

        Sep. 17-19, 2025

        PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

        Oct. 15-17, 2025

        VIRTUAL

        Nov. 13, 2025

        LEARN MORE
        DISCOUNT
        LEARN MORE
        PRE-REGISTER
        LEARN MORE
        PRE-REGISTER
        • MORE EVENTS

        Contact Our Events Team

        Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
        1 (888) 627 8834
        From Outside North America:
        1 (443) 599 1221
        Working Hours
        Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

        Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

      • Store

        Unlock The World

        • Access Your Library

        Overseas Havens Reports

        • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

        Conference Kits

        • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

        Lahardan Books

        • Titles on living and investing around the world
        • Explore Our Store
        Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

        Services

        overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
        The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
        Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

        Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

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       Free Portugal Guide
      LIVE AND INVEST IN PORTUGAL
      View of a bridge in Portugal
      WORLD’S #1 RETIREMENT HAVEN
      Simply sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter plus our In Focus: Europe newsletter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report… absolutely FREE

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      Home In Focus: Europe

      Do Your Homework, Footwork, And Soul-Searching

      by Live And Invest Overseas
      Dec 07, 2023
      in In Focus: Europe, Portugal, Retirement/Living
      0 0
      Beautiful bay near Lagos town, Algarve region, Portugal. safe place

      Adobe Stock/kite_rin

      A lot has happened in Portugal recently:

      • The Non-Habitual Residents (NHR) regime expires on Dec. 31, 2023.

      • The prime minister resigned amid accusations of corruption.

      • Parliament was dissolved by the president, with elections scheduled for March 2024.

      • The Golden Visa program has been significantly curtailed.

      These kinds of events might turn the average reader away from Portugal as a new place to live… But my husband Joch and I beg to differ.

      After living here for 44 months, we know that Portugal is indeed a great place to live and feel the benefits outweigh any problems.

      Here’s just a few reasons why…

      Laidback Living

      Our pace of life slowed down after moving to Portugal. Even digital nomads and young families find considerable relief from the bustle of their previous
      lives in the States.

      Take, for example, Justin and Jen, who moved from Southern California with their two sons. They lived in Los Angeles for 15 years.

      Justin says, “I worked in corporate finance, and about four months a year, I worked 80 hours a week and never saw my family.

      “I got burned out on work and decided I needed a change and to take some time to be a stay-at-home dad.

      “We looked at other cities in America, but nothing quite felt right. We were really into House Hunters International at the time and decided to take a
      vacation to Lisbon for Christmas 2018, and nine months later we were here.

      “It was all about quality of life and a lower cost of living.”

      I understand Justin. Living in Northern California myself before retiring, it was not uncommon to have a maddening one-hour commute each way to work.

      Quality of life is another benefit of living in Portugal.

      Get Your Free Portugal Report Today!
      Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our FREE REPORT — Portugal: The World’s #1 Retirement Haven.
      We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

      Safe And Family-Friendly

      When you see the news today, it’s hard to think of a safe place to raise your family. Wars, violence, domestic insecurities… It’s enough to keep any parent
      awake at night.

      But there is a safer place…

      Portugal ranks #7 on the 2023 Global Peace Index of the world’s most peaceful countries. It’s a huge difference when you consider that the States ranks #131.

      While living in Braga, we commonly saw families enjoying the open air on Sundays in the Praça da República, listening to Portuguese folk music, having picnics, and children playing on the jungle gym.

      What surprised Joch and me most was that there was no evidence of helicopter parenting. Parents spend time playing with their children, but we often see
      parents away from their children, within eyeshot, talking to other parents.

      Incidences of violence and child abductions are incredibly rare in Portugal.

      Brazilians are the largest group of immigrants in Portugal. Antonio and Daniela, our neighbors and the first friends we made after arriving in Portugal in 2020, had recently moved from Brazil.

      Antonio grew up in Northern Portugal, and his wife Daniela is from Brazil.

      They arrived with their charming new baby girl, named Vitoria.

      Antonio, who speaks fluent English, told us that he moved to Portugal to provide a better future for his family.

      He mentioned that most primary schools are private and costly in Brazil but in Portugal there are state-sponsored daycare creches for infants as young as three months old.

      He and Daniela can work to support their family without worrying about spending exorbitant amounts of money paying for daycare.

      Welcoming Locals

      In expat conversations, posts, and blogs, we often hear that the Portuguese are friendly but cold…

      Joch and I don’t agree. We see the Portuguese as reserved and cautious, but not cold.

      At first, many of our friends were expats, many from other countries besides America. Joch and I kept our hearts and minds open and realized it would take time to get to know our Portuguese neighbors.

      We have since found that locals prefer a more down-to-earth approach. The Portuguese can see the difference between a hustler and an authentic person
      very quickly.

      We learned to greet everyone in a group, even if we did not know them. The word amigo is frowned upon; locals prefer to be addressed by their names.

      After living in Perafita for 16 months, our neighbors have invited us to lunches, family celebrations, games of dominoes, and even help with tutoring.

      We like how Justin from Braga explains it: “I was also surprised at how welcoming all our neighbors have been, truly treating us like family.”

      Get Your Free Portugal Report Today!
      Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our FREE REPORT — Portugal: The World’s #1 Retirement Haven.
      We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

      Is Portugal Right For You?

      Heidi, a U.S. immigrant living in Porto, says that most folks who apply for Portugal’s residency visa ultimately do not make the move. She says, “American numbers have been very constant for 20 years.

      “The first SEF immigration report from 2000 showed there were 8,000 Americans in Portugal. In 2021, there were approximately 8,000 U.S. nationals with residency.

      “I think a lot has to do with people focusing on why they are leaving and not what they are moving to…

      “Many immigrants move from the suburbs to either very rural (I want a farm and to raise chickens) or very urban (downtown Lisboa), which adds more
      layers of change…

      “Too many people make the jump without really considering what daily life will be like, without considering their ‘must haves’ because they are so focused on what they are leaving.”

      It’s true that such a serious move requires doing due diligence. That is why Joch and I are so thankful for Live And Invest Overseas, who helped us with our
      relocation.

      They gave us the facts, introduced us to experts, and shared the nuts and bolts of making such a dramatic life change.

      We put together a plan. That plan was not without serious sacrifices…

      We do not own a car. We downsized our living space considerably. We arrived here with no furniture and only eight suitcases of treasured possessions.

      While Joch embraced our new life in Portugal, I spent the first year struggling with what I left behind in the States.

      I felt like we were refugees. It took some serious effort and soul-searching on my part to look at Portugal as a new opportunity rather than an escape from
      what I had left behind.

      However, I still nag my husband about that decision to not own a car.

      So, remember, dear reader, to do your homework, footwork, and soul-searching.

      One of the best ways to get started is to register for next year’s Live And Invest In Portugal Conference, April 10–12, 2024, in Carvoeiro.

      You’re allowed to stay in Portugal for up to 90 days under a tourist visa. Joch and I recommend that you grab the opportunity for an extended stay in the
      country to learn a little about its culture.

      Make sure your goals are realistic. Moving to Portugal is a huge life change that might require giving up some of your creature comforts.

      If you open your heart, have a little courage, and engage your patience, you just might find living here is worth it.

      Sincerely,

      Jeff Woodruff

      Portugal Circle Liaison

      Tags: 'Expat Life'Affordable Lifebackup residency PortugalMove abroad
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      Live and Invest Overseas is the world's savviest source for top opportunities to live better, retire in style, invest for profit, do business, and own real estate overseas. Established in 2008, the Live and Invest Overseas' editors and correspondents have more experience researching and reporting on top opportunities for living well, investing for profit, doing business, and owning real estate around the world than anyone else you'll find.

      Get Your Free Portugal Report Today!
      Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our FREE REPORT — Portugal: The World’s #1 Retirement Haven.

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      Top Countries

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      Best For:

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      BROWSE ALL COUNTRIES

      Budgets

      How Much Will It Cost
      To Live Overseas?

      Super Cheap

      • Chitré, Panama
      • Santa Marta, Colombia
      • Phuket, Thailand
      • Dumaguete, The Philippines

      Cheap

      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Kyrenia, Cyprus
      • Hua Hin, Thailand
      • The Algarve, Portugal

      Affordable

      • Valencia, Spain
      • Cascais, Portugal
      • Las Terrenas, The DR
      • Pisa, Italy
      • La Rochelle, France
      • Mazatlán, Mexico

      Luxury

      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Kotor, Montenegro
      • The Panama City Beaches
      • Paris, France

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