Is Leaving America for Portugal Still a Good Idea in 2026?

So, we left our lives behind in the US and moved to Portugal almost six years ago. — So, Noah. — Hi. — Where are you right now? — Where am I at? I am in Portugal in our new house. — Would we do it all again? — You're asking me? — I'm asking you because we left so much behind. When we came to Portugal, we only came with four suitcases. And the question that I have for you today that we are gonna talk about is did we make the right decision? Hey guys, it's Aman — and Christina from our rich journey. — 5 years ago, Portugal was this hidden gem. It was affordable. There weren't as many people here. There definitely weren't as many expats, but things have changed. Prices are higher. We're seeing some expats come, but then we're also seeing some expats leave. And some people are saying moving to Portugal is not worth it anymore. So, after more than 5 years of living here in Portugal, is Portugal still worth it? Would we still move to Portugal today? Let's break it down. — So, let's start with why we moved here in the first place. Very simply, for a better quality of life. I mean, we already had achieved financial independence and retired early, but what we wanted next was a place where our money could stretch further, where we could raise our daughters safely, and where we could live a simple life. So, for us, Portugal checked every single box. It was like great weather, great education, great universal health care. It just had a really laid-back lifestyle. And to be honest, it was a much lower cost of living than in California. — And let's not forget about the people, the culture. We were embraced when we got here to Portugal. We have visited so many times and we just knew that culturally Portugal was the best fit for us. But after 5 years, a lot has changed. Some of the things that brought us here have been called into question. — So for example, pricing. prices have gone up significantly, specifically with real estate. So, the cost to buy a home has gone up significantly. Even rental rates have gone up. So, for example, there are neighborhoods that we used to walk through back in 2019 that are very different today. They may have a lot of Airbnb rentals or short-term rentals now and also really high-end developments that didn't exist back in 2019. The dynamic has completely changed in a lot of neighborhoods because real estate has been seen as this hot thing to get involved in here in Portugal. — So, the Golden Visa has also changed since 2019 and Portugal also introduced a digital nomad visa. Now, because of this digital nomad visa, I feel like remote work here in Portugal has exploded and Portugal also doesn't seem like such a hidden secret anymore. Now, there are a lot of opportunities that have resulted in that, but also a lot of growing pains for Portugal. So, with that said, what still remains the same here in Portugal? One thing that is really important to us is safety. And Portugal still remains so highly ranked in terms of safety across the entire world. The next thing that has remained the same is health care. Portugal ranks as one of the top countries in the world when it comes to health care and it still remains at the top. And I think that healthc care has improved because you don't actually have access to universal health care in Portugal until you become a legal resident. So once you get that residency, which is what we did, we actually applied for the universal healthcare. And so we have that too now, which we didn't have when we first moved here. So I think that opportunity is something that's even better for us. — The other thing is that the people are still the same. People are still kind. The pace of life is still slow and relaxed. And that is something that we just love about Portugal, the laidback, chill atmosphere. — Yeah. I love being able to go to dinner and go out with friends. You you can spend 3 hours at the dinner table and you are not feeling like they're rushing you out of the restaurant. It just seems like again so welcoming and slow paced that allows you to really enjoy your time with your friends and your family. And I also want to mention that for people that have families like ours, people who really value time together and simplicity and really living intentionally, it still works here in Portugal. So, for example, we still go to the beach. We still take really affordable flights all over Europe, and our daughters are still getting a really great education here in Portugal. So life here in Portugal is still aligned with our values which brings us to some of the biggest surprises that we have had since living

here. For one, how normal life becomes after living here for a while. — So I think that's something that people should really consider when you first move to a foreign country. Sometimes it feels like you're still in that vacation mode where you're just living the life and you're not really putting down roots. But after a while, especially for us, we felt really entrenched in the community. We started building friendships and connections. And I think that's really important because we have a deep sense of home here now in Portugal. — And that normal feeling is something that is really amazing. It's like when we go back to the US, that doesn't feel normal. But when we come back, we are yearning to get back to Portugal, our home. And then the final surprise that we have, which is sort of hard for us, is when people leave Portugal. Now, we don't experience it a lot, but when you make connections with people and then they leave, it can be really surprising. But we also have to remember that Portugal is home for us. We love Portugal. We don't see ourselves leaving. But it's not the same for other people. Sometimes people come here and they're only here temporarily. Sometimes they're more transient. So that's something that we have to get used to, but it still surprises us. — So here's the big question. Would we still move to Portugal knowing everything that we know today? And considering all of the other options that are around the world, why didn't we move to this country or that country? Well, the answer is we would still pick Portugal. It's an exercise that we do every now and then when we say, "Well, could we live in that country? Could we go over there? " And the answer always brings us back to Portugal. And so that I guess that's the next biggest surprise. we would pick Portugal above every other country. — So I really think in our mind Portugal is still right for a lot of people. So for example, families who want a slower lifestyle, Portugal can be really great for them. Or maybe people who have a financial plan in place, it would be great here in Portugal for them. I also think fire-minded people who are looking to really stretch their dollar or euros, there are still a lot of opportunities to move to Portugal and for it to still be affordable in different areas. I think remote workers who want balance, Portugal is a great place. And I also just think retirees in general who are seeking peace and tranquility, Portugal is a great place. Now, who I don't think Portugal is anymore, it could be people that are really chasing that very cheap living. I think that those days in Portugal are fading. Like, you can still have affordable living in Portugal, but that very cheap living, I don't think that exists here anymore. I also think people who are expecting everything to work like it did back home, Portugal is not the place for you. And anyone who's really looking for that fast-paced type of hustle culture, I don't think Portugal is your place either. So, after seeing this video, if you really feel that Portugal is the place for you, we have a great resource for you. It's our moving to Portugal course. It helps you figure out the right visa that you need, housing, education, healthcare, everything about moving to Portugal is in this class. So, if you want to learn more, you can go to ourjourney. com. We'll also leave a link in the description below. — So, at the end of the day, you have to come to Portugal for life and not the hype. If you want to live a life that is slow pace, relax. If you want to build relationships because you have time to settle in, Portugal is the place for you. And so, we hope this video has given you food for thought. And if you like this video, please give it a thumbs up, subscribe to our channel, and join the journey.