American Moves to Portugal and Changes His Mind About It

Josh with ExpatsEverywhere speaks with John, an expat who has been living with his family in Lisbon, Portugal since 2019. John has seen how life has changed in Lisbon. He talks to Josh about why they moved from America to Portugal, the cost of living, how his kids have been transformed, and so much more.
Want to get in touch with John about financial planning? Email Josh at [e-mail] for an introduction
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* ABOUT US *
Josh and Kalie left the US for a life abroad in 2009 and haven't looked back. They have lived in Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and are currently in Portugal. Yes, they realize they only moved to countries starting with the letter "S" until they spoiled that streak with their move to Portugal. Follow ExpatsEverywhere as we aim to get information to you through expat interviews, city breakdowns, expat life, travel, vlogs, and more.
* VISAS FOR PORTUGAL *
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* TRANSFER CASH *
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* YOU NEED THESE FOR YOUR D7 & REMOTE WORKER VISAS *
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* INSURANCE ABROAD
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*LEARN A LANGUAGE
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Want something more intense?
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* FORWARD YOUR MAIL *
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* TAXES
Are you an expat who wants help with your taxes? Use our link here for Taxes for Expats and get $25 off: www.taxesforexpats.com/ref/239
*AROUND PORTUGAL
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[@edbarnard7157]

Great interview . We have now lived in Portugal for over a year now ( originally from Canada ). We just returned from a trip through Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Malta. As much as we enjoy travel, it always feels so good to get back to our home in Aveiro. The Portuguese are some of the most friendly and helpful people you will ever meet.. Having broken away from North American culture and settling in nicely, we can't imagine living anywhere else. This is a very diverse country with great people, fabulous cuisine ( including the wine ) a lot of modern infrastructure and very high level of safety. The best advice I ever received was " Just be Portuguese about it " which is so true if you settle into the culture and make new friends. We can not imagine being anywhere else as Aveiro Portugal has become our home which we are very proud of. It has become a lot of fun and is very exciting when friends from Canada visit and we show them around and would note that they are always very, very impressed.. Thank you to Portugal and the Portuguese people.

[@lesleysmith8300]

I nearly settled in Canada which l loved, as l lived there for two years. I have family there but now l have discovered Portugal since 2009, l have decided to plan living there. 😊

[@user4name]

sure it is good for americans canadians or anyone already born rich, but ask the same thing to local portueguese who can not even afford to rent a shared room with the lowest wage in europe.

[@littletravelmonkey6727]

​@user4name. As soon as they finish their higher education, portuguese university students move to Germany, northern Europe, Switzerland for higher paying jobs. Portugal has serious problems of brain drain. Yet rental prices in Lisbon is on par with Berlin.

[@annaal7480]

You know nothing about the country after one year. Give it 3 and then tell others how you feel.

[@edbarnard7157]

@@annaal7480 Have been travelling here for 28 years and my wife was born here so We are very well qualified to give opinions.. If you simply do not like the oplinion, then so be it. Next time do not just assume you know the whole story, so since we have been around Portugal for that long then I do not think we need 3 more years to tell others how we feel so we will continue to spread the good word.

[@terriblepainter7675]

In our local Portuguese gym, CNN has been shut off. What a blessing. Portugal needs to keep its sovereignty and identity.

[@BM-if9zn]

Bravo👏👏👏 please tell the decision maker at that gym THANK YOU from a US citizen.

[@BeYourselfMan]

Lived in Portugal for 2 Years and absolutely loved it. Great quality of life.

[@sportinguista09]

Hello. If you don’t mind me asking, how much do you make monthly there ? I’m Portuguese Canadian and I make $47 an hour and even so life in Toronto is so expensive I can’t afford to buy a decent house…. Mind you, I already own a condo .. anyway , I consider moving to Portugal but the wages seem so absolutely terrible it’s hard to make the move..

[@BeYourselfMan]

@@sportinguista09 Portugal is a medium economy, pretty much like the likes of Poland. So I wouldn’t expect US wages. The thing about Portugal is the cost of living is relatively cheap. Apart from housing everything is way more cheaper than many European countries. As for wages it all depends on your profession and qualifications. For example, if you only have a high school diploma of course you’ll be limited to a low paying job paying about 1000 Euros a month. I am a web developer and made on average about 1800.00 a month which suited me. My wife is an attorney and made double of that amount. So it really depends. The thing you have to keep in mind is in Canada like the US everthing is expensive so they have to pay high wages where in Portugal most things are cheaper so the lower wages equal out. In Portugal you don’t pay for healthcare, schooling, etc so it kind of evens out. Now the quality of life and safety is unmatched in Portugal. It is truly a fantastic place. People are fantastic, very family oriented. Food is out of this world. And there are many things and places to go which don’t cost money. I think personally even if I were on lower wages I’d still have a great life there. Portugal is fantastic!

[@alessandrosilva4441]

@sportinguista09 Portugal is a great country where people earn poorly. Therefore, it is perfect for those who do not depend on the local salary. If you can buy a property, everything starts to get easier, as rent erodes most salaries in the country. I live in Brazil, and I know Portugal well. I can say that, apart from the cost of the property, the prices of things are no different. Therefore, in general, life is cheaper in Portugal compared to an American or Canadian. That's why I bought an apartment in Braga (cheaper than Lisbon or Porto), as the city has great infrastructure.

[@ghassanjneinaty4421]

​@@BeYourselfManGood luck for you and your wife but how do you rate the health care system of Portugal? Do people have to wait a lot at hospitals like Canada?

[@ghassanjneinaty4421]

​​@@alessandrosilva4441Braga has affordable housing? You recommend living there?🎉

[@AshleyOliviaDaCosta]

I can kinda relate. It was my choice to move here but I was running from the US and after coming here to buy a house- I was running too as well. Had no idea how beautiful and kind this country is. ❤ happy with my leap of faith.

[@andrevilhena4149]

I am very impressed when I feel that those who come here begin to feel Portugal as a special country. I really think that we live a little apart from this troubled world and, perhaps. let us be a small paradise by the sea planted, peaceful without visible external enemies and far, geographically, from conflictual and warlike countries such as Russia, the Middle East, Israel... WONDERFUL gastronomy.. Anyway... We are at a very western tip of the Europe and we are the face of Europe as we are its first visiting room. Portugal is special, believe me. We are an ecumenical, globalizing, friendly people, we love family, we say good morning, good afternoon, good night to whoever passes by... "Old" things already out of use in many parts of the world. ET VOILÀ..EIS PORTUGAL! HUGS AND HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO THE WHOLE WORLD!

[@alexviarnes-ph1mt]

Thank you for the video. John is an awesome guy, been our advisor here in PT for some time and we feel lucky to have him 🤙🏼

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Hey Alex, thanks for sharing. It's good to hear from people that work with him. We'll have a video about financial planning next week. 😁 - Josh & Kalie

[@AkishaAnthony]

Great interview. I love the questions and perspectives that were shared.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it! We've got another interview coming down the line in two weeks. We hope you like that one too. - Josh & Kalie

[@dainasworldnumbers88]

My friend is moving to Portugal in August. I can’t wait to go there.

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

The side note to share is that my dad has a niece and she married a Portuguese guy as they were working on cruise ships together and so just another thread in Portugal's interesting growth as a nation

[@chiaraA.]

to own a home in San Francisco, you are not worrying about money - your income is certainly quite high - and probably still is as this gentleman didn't change his work at all - wonder if they'll even need to worry about the tax issue with the kind of money I think they're pulling in

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on when you bought it. People's financial situations change. Cost of living and wages are much higher in California than Alabama but things are relative so maybe he was rich for a California, I'm not sure. Most Americans are rich compared to a Portuguese so it's all relative, right? - Josh

[@taniakeldin]

I'm sure they're avoiding taxes.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@@taniakeldin do you mean the use of legal methods to minimize the amount of income tax owed by an individual or a business?

[@taniakeldin]

Hopefully legal...yes. @@ExpatsEverywhere

[@SERGIO-cr6uy]

John has a golden voice, he should do podcast / radio.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

That's awesome! For 17 more minutes of John's amazing voice, you can watch today's video. :-) He gives financial advice on moving abroad. - Josh

[@SERGIO-cr6uy]

@@ExpatsEverywhere Thanks Josh, i was already watching the 2nd part when i got your reply. Enjoy your weekend

[@bmartinslx9]

Amazing interview. I did the inverse of you, I came to NYC (dual citizenship) but I’m about to start my own business and hopefully I can come back to Portugal and work from there, at least dividing my time between Lisbon and NYC (half time there, half time her) .. let’s see !! Thank you for the content and good luck to you all that moved to Portugal !

[@DamionLouisInPortugal]

Great video, nice to hear his perspective on living there for 5 yrs. The changes in the price of housing and where it's really coming from, not necessarily from outside the country. As well as the way the children are adapting, to their new home. We all should speak at least 3 languages. 😊

[@wg933]

Great segment….thanks Josh!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Glad you enjoyed it! - Josh & Kalie

[@mongofan1]

Great interview. What a fantastic turn of events for this family.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you. 🙏 - Josh & Kalie

[@mikegallegos229]

Great video and perspective. It affirms what a lot of people know already and possible feel too.

[@pures1n]

I have the option to get US citizenship after living there for 5 years but I am not going to get it due to the one fact of having to file US taxes when I leave the US. Wife is American so she can always sponsor me to move back, but yeah, I make way too much and don't want to owe the US taxes on top of where ever I choose to live.

[@user-pn8dq6vt4s]

Smart. US citizenship is not worth it, way too many obligations, not many benefits above permanent residence.

[@realtick]

Wait, doesn’t the U.S. have a tax agreements with other countries that doesn’t penalize you twice on taxes when living abroad?

[@pures1n]

@@realtick Depending where you choose to move they have some double tax treaties, but not that many. If you compare to EU or Canada they have about half the amount of countries they work with. Also US citizens are obligated to file a tax return no matter where they live in the world. Also with the foreign earned income tax exclusions they only get $110K tax free, after that they are taxed at federal tax level. Say you earn 400K/yr you'd be liable to pay the US on the 290K left over. Luckily my passport is just as good as the US, if not better, without that draconian tax rule.

[@LiMuBai]

Portugal, Spain and other countries have tax treaties with the US to avoid double taxation.

[@pures1n]

@@LiMuBai Unfortunately if you earn over $110K a year you will still pay US taxes. Double tax treaty doesn't help that.

[@robinbailey55]

Great interview Josh. Very enjoyable

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks, Robin. You might really like next week's video about financial planning for living abroad. - Josh & Kalie

[@lesleysmith8300]

Brilliant video Josh. Very interesting to hear others views. Thanks for sharing ❤😊🎄🎶🎼⭐🎍🔔🧑‍🎄

[@droops63]

Catching up with videos, finally. I need to get serious about this. Will look for the financial discussion video. Thanks for this.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for catching up. That video should have been at the end of this one. Also, John is back on the channel this weekend discussing Portugal v Spain from a financial perspective. - Josh & Kalie

[@ninarosaphotography2039]

Awesome interview! Yes the best of all to enjoy the new journey is integrating with new culture!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you! Thanks for watching and commenting. Good to see you again. - Josh & Kalie

[@darius6331]

How come did you decide against moving to Cyprus but Portugal instead? In your Cyprus video you said you liked it and would consider moving there. I am considering a few different countries and those are a few of my options, too. Would be good to have your feedback. Is it too far from Western Europe for you?

[@GeraldFigal]

Sorry, but he lost me when he used the word “optionality”.

[@Rovingkiwi0516]

Ikr? Gag!!

[@hhuuzzzzaahh]

Optionality is a good word to know. And a good state to be in. Think of an on-off switch as options. Think of a dimmer switch as optionality.

[@GeraldFigal]

@@hhuuzzzzaahhI don’t have a problem with the concept, it’s the jargony word that’s cringy. 😊

[@SurpriseMeJT]

Agree - he sounds like a slimy sleezy Californian. They will probably get citizenship in order to move to France, where the tax treaty with the US is far more advantageous than Portugal or Spain.

[@JLTravels]

GREAT INTERVIEW-one of the best. Love your production studio approach, top quality!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you, Janice! We're really happy with the production too. The mics were so buttery. :-) I went down to Lisbon to Lisbon Podcast Studio to record this. Big shout out to Mike Blankenship for his studio! - Josh

[@Hello_Pri]

Great interview. Always love hearing about the experience of people moving with children. Thank you!

[@bguy55]

Great interview.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you. - Josh & Kalie

[@teodoro1007]

I'm again in Argentina to solve things and for my participation in politics (the 10th of December, Argentina gets a new president). The first day (yesterday), I started to miss my 5C apartment in Coimbra where all my stuff is. You showed me this Airbnb with the balcony in the yellow building in July 2021. Two and a half years ago, you made a video in the 5 B. Starting in December 2021, two years ago now, I started living there. This time I went with Alsa overnight to Madrid, and from Madrid, I took an overnight flight to Montevideo. I don't like big cities. I'm not in Portugal for the passport; I have European citizenship. I just like the people, and believe me, as a 71-year-old high-income widower, who lived nearly everywhere (not in Asia, as you), Portugal captures you, no way back. Lovely people, lovely food. The more you live there, the more you like Portugal

[@djQUA_SETS]

i knew i was a good person^^ (eu sabia que , como Português eu sou uma boa pessoa) ;) Thanks for the compliments to the Portuguese^^

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

You're in Argentina now?! Thanks for sharing your reasons for being in Portugal. - Josh & Kalie

[@Guilherme81]

It's amazing how groceries look so cheap for you. Unfortunatly it's quite expensive to what we are paid! And prices went sky rocket in the last 5 years! Awesome enterview guys. :) Totally agree with what he said at the very end about how we see and think from abroad! But most of us do realize that! Americans in general are a lot more closed minded compared not to Portuguese people only, but with most europeans! We actually look and think about the rest of the world, A lot more than most americans!

[@donnacosta5633]

Because most americans think the world is... America! And don't ya know? Portugal is in the Algarve and it's all in Spain. Really?...

[@Guilherme81]

Most Americans think Europe is a country. That's how ignorant they are! They never heard of Portugal! @@donnacosta5633

[@goldgeologist5320]

That is due to the fact that America is the largest economy in the world, has a very significant impact on technology, movies, music, and economics. Not that said, I agree vast majority of Americans do not know much about most of the world. USA is the third largest country by land size. Russia, Canada, USA, China and Brazil. The top five. USA is the third largest by population. India, China, USA, Indonesia, and Pakistan. The top five. So objectively USA is very dominant. Go look at the actual GDP numbers. It is stunning. But not to worry USA has a significant crime problem, a high percentage of non contributing citizens, huge numbers of illegal migrants and a declining educated and working younger generation couples with massive drug use. So it is declining or at least below what it could be economically. USA is destructing from the inside for various reasons. No outside force can defeat us, but we can destroy ourselves from the inside. Please some nation attack us so we can unify.

[@Aazaryah]

Thank you well said Americans really enjoy eating out all day every day .

[@RICARDOABECH]

Health insurance is a big one if you pay yourself. $2k for a family of 4 per month in USA (+ crazy co payments). Portugal is free (+ smaller copayments) and if you want private then around $200/month. Huge savings. Also property tax in USA tend to be higher as well. Energy is lower (so buy a EV in europe and do not pay gas). I am moving to Portugal Next year and will be saving around 60% of my monthly expenses. that is huge.

[@user-zh6om8ti5m]

About the housing crisis, the "internal buyers" are motivated to buy because of the foreigners flying into the country. So yes, supply and demand, but it's motivated for mostly americans moving to Portugal both short and long term, so housing in the country has shifted to focus on rentals for foreign money.

[@keyesnm]

Love your videos BUT this one is really hard for me or most to relate to. This is rich Californian who moved to Portugal....His background and financial status is a top 5%er. Wish we could have more down to earth people to relate to their moves. He is way too privileged.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for the love. To be honest, others do relate to him. A lot of Californians do understand him and his background. I'm not sure if John is a top 5%er but he's certainly not ostentatious. I found him to be a really likable guy and a family man that wants to provide for his family in a variety of ways not just monetarily. I've also lived abroad long enough to know that I'm privileged for sheerly being from the US and having the American passport. - Josh

[@rossgossman6530]

Great interview. Ho covered some great points like the emailed mail service. A link to that service would be useful.

[@JPinPortugal]

We use travelingmailbox

[@sarahnd]

Yes, I was hoping to get the name also. We do use a forwarding service, but the price of postage from the U.S. to Europe has shot up in the past year and I think there are services that circumvent that somehow. Would be interested to know if he has any insights on that.

[@JPinPortugal]

@@sarahnd we use traveling mailbox. Works well and is quite affordable.

[@sarahnd]

@@JPinPortugal Thanks! I'll have a look.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you, Ross. There's a link in the description section of the video. We generally put links and such of topics/services covered in each video in the description section. - Josh & Kalie

[@efcanalytics8358]

Amazing interview. Can someone share the PO box mailing service? I have everything sent to a tenant and then forwarded to me but it is quite cumbersome.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you very much. It's in the description. - Josh & Kalie

[@williamgautreaux5545]

Great interview! .... What personal mail service would any of you recommend? (John mentioned a service but didn't give the name of it.)

[@mdavis8093]

I use Travelling Mailbox and am happy with their service.

[@xooq_]

​@@mdavis8093how do you deal with privacy

[@janroach1852]

Well compare San Francisco housing prices to Portugal's and how do they compare?

[@realtick]

This dude is a character.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

He's a bigger personality off camera! - Josh & Kalie

[@3fortheroad]

Another great interview. The unrelated stock footage clips that interrupt the video are rather annoying though.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you. Sorry, we're going to continue with the b-roll. Some of it is ours and others is a few different subscriptions we have. This one was edited by our Portuguese part-time editor and I'm not 100% sure which clips you're referring to but we enjoy the stock footage and rarely if ever get complaints about it. - Josh & Kalie

[@rof8200]

It's the regulations that push up house prices. In Japan, housing deregulation makes housing far cheaper.

[@HelderP1337]

13:20 What's the name of that mail service that scans your mail and e-mails it to you?

[@mdavis8093]

I use Travelling Mailbox. It’s been almost a year and I am happy with their service.

[@HelderP1337]

@@mdavis8093 thanks!!

[@dainasworldnumbers88]

Really good video.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Glad you enjoyed it. - Josh & Kalie

[@saragomes6242]

Assim pode votar nas eleições

[@efcanalytics8358]

Whoa, spot on in most things. The rental prices is also 100% correct, the increase in prices is driven not by wealthy foreigners which are a small % of immigration, it is created by the manifestacao de interesse that are 80K per year coming in and creates a glut of demand on housing. But then again with a rapidly aging population Portuguese don't have too many options. If they want to improve housing market they need to push supply. Quite basic in the US everyone knows this in most of Europe most people don't know how it works and politicians can play their game. Regarding children access to education is also spot on. I went to a bilingual school back home and spoke quite good English from an early age. But my children are basically native in 3 languages, and are just 11, 8 and 5. They switch from one language to the other like if it were nothing.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing! It's really great to hear about your kids. - Josh & Kalie

[@donnacosta5633]

The portuguese do know how supply & demand works, and we used to build more houses than we needed, even had a surplus of newbuilds, but the problem now is that we don't have workers to build them. We are getting immigrants for the construction industry, agriculture & fishing. They are coming from Africa, India etc. Still not enough and then they also need housing. Can't build houses without workers. On the other hand, 75% of the portuguese population own their home, many own more than one home, and in the countryside there are more empty houses than inhabited. The shortages are only in the Algarve, Lisbon and Porto. New laws have been passed to speed up the planning process and attract more workers but it'll take time to balance.

[@efcanalytics8358]

@@donnacosta5633 exactly the decline in population from 2008 to 2014 due to emigration has recovered but there is not stock of housing as there was also a shift in the population largely due to internal migration going from small towns to larger cities, mortality and a glut of immigration coming to the large cities, thus the demand shock and impact in prices. The national assembly made an avoidable mistake as the gold visas do provide work in Portugal and account for only a small fraction of the incoming population. The new immigrants to replace the aging population is what creates the vast majority of demand and for which supply must be provided.

[@donnacosta5633]

@@efcanalytics8358 Golden Visas were given to a small number (less than 20,000) but... nearly all of them were obtained in exchange for investments in real estate, and many investors bought multiple properties to put on AirBnB. An american investor bought an entire block of new built flats in Lisbon that was meant for first time buyers, and then put the lot on AirBnB. Can't do that now, that was before the changes in the law for AL. Latest economic studies show that Golden Visas did not contribute much to the economy and brought a lot of inbalances and problems. They were meant as a temporary solution after the 2008 financial crash as we had a lot of susplus in real estate, nobody expected these visas to stay for so long. By the way... Golden Visas for investors ARE STILL AVAILABLE but not for investments in real estate. Anyone wanting to move a business to Portugal or create a new one is welcome with a Goden Visa. Yes, all immigration has created price hikes and shortages of housing as the nearly 1 million extra residents needed somewehere to live, and they took out of the market a lot of properties previously just enough for the locals. The portuguese government is doing the right thing by abolishing the Golden Visas on real estate investement, and also abolishing the NHR tax breaks, and putting extra requirements on all visas, the population had been asking for this for ages. I you read portuguese, you may also be aware of the current public opinion in Portugal about foreigners, visas and tax breaks. The current government policies are pointing in the right direction and a new government, whichever party wins, will just tighten the law further. The portuguese welcome immigration, but in controlled numbers and as long as they pay same taxes as the rest of the population. (Source: last government data on housing & immigration)

[@sgill4833]

So is the NHR grandfathered to the people who applied for golden visa program at the time it was still open, but are still waiting for processing of their visa.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

John could actually address this more in depth with you but NHR and GVs were separate things so it's unlikely that people would be "grandfathered" in and certainly not by default. We would imagine there would have to be some "proving" with Finanças. Let us know if you'd like to engage with John and we'll put you in touch. He's done a few professional pieces of content on our channel and podcast now. - Josh

[@alessandrosilva4441]

Lisbon is a cosmopolitan city. Thus, like Paris or Amsterdam, they no longer exactly represent the local people, although a large part of the national culture is present. Portugal as a whole has a slower pace of life compared to other countries, especially if your choice is not Lisbon or Porto. I don't believe there is a real estate bubble because other neighboring countries in Europe are even more expensive to live in. Therefore, I would say that it is still heading towards the same level. I think it's bad if a person stays in another country just to get another passport. Anyone who thinks like this misses out on the great cultural experience of living abroad. The most important things in life are the experiences we live, and time doesn't go back. We must live life with an open mind, willing to live with those who are different, learn from them, do our best and also contribute to the good in the lives of the people who walk alongside us. I think Americans' biggest problem is learning another language. After all, they are used to speaking English even when traveling abroad. However, if you intend to live in another country, learning the local language allows for a completely different experience. Despite recognizing that learning Portuguese is not easy, especially if your mother tongue is not of Latin origin.

[@terriblepainter7675]

Is it a good thing for a city to be cosmopolitan? I conclude that it is not. Portugal’s strength is that it is not in Central Europe, not “cosmopolitan “ and far off the European radar. It offers an escape from many things that seem to destroy quality of life in other countries. Portugal has its own negatives. Health care provision is behind. The public healthcare system is in a deep crisis and collapse and the private health insurance and system has just drastically increased cost. A family member was just diagnosed with critical cancer and that’s when you learn how inefficient the healthcare system is, when timing is of the essence to survival. Even in the private healthcare system. It is scary…

[@alessandrosilva4441]

@@terriblepainter7675 It depends on your lifestyle. I prefer Braga: around 200 thousand inhabitants (large for the Portuguese, but medium-sized city for others). It just doesn't have a subway or a large airport. However, the city has great infrastructure, several cultural events that move the city throughout the year, good hospitals (public and private), a good university, etc.

[@user-pn8dq6vt4s]

⁠@@terriblepainter7675very insightful comment. People yearn for cosmopolitanism while fleeing its consequences.

[@BeYourselfMan]

Very well said.

[@donnacosta5633]

@@terriblepainter7675 Portuguese big cities and the Algarve are cosmopolitan, for sure. We have portuguese folks from all over the world, including Africa, Brazil, China, India, as well as many EU and americans. It's not a bad thing at all and you can see it in the facial features of any portuguese crowd. Up in Minho we have native folks descendent from the Irish: clue the dark hair, light skin and blue or green eyes. Celtics 100%. Then we also have blond hair and blue eyes from the Vikings in same area. Down in Alentejo and Algarve the natives have a lot of similarities with north Africans. Guess where the portuguese word "oxalà" came from...? Cosmopolitan is a strenght, it drives human civilization forward.

[@JenShea]

Terrific interview... but John seems very familiar... have you spoken with him in the past?

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you very much, Jen. We haven't had him on the channel, however, he's appeared on other channels in the past. John's going to be back next week in a video about financial planning before moving abroad. I shot these two interviews down in Lisbon last month at a podcast studio. - Josh & Kalie

[@JenShea]

That makes sense! Grateful for these types of interviews.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@@JenShea Aw. Thank you. It's good to know that some people are grateful for them. 😁 We love doing them! - Josh & Kalie

[@JenShea]

I'm sure I've said it before, but both of you are excellent at interviewing!@@ExpatsEverywhere

[@robotubetwob]

re housing. Maybe Portugal should think about its policies regarding the very common ruins found throughout the country. Compelling owners to fix or tear those down could solve the so-called supply problem.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

It's already happening. The taxes on those properties have been raised. Thanks for the comment. We completely agree by the way. - Josh & Kalie

[@alzhang74]

US taxes worldwide income, so you need to file both US and Portugal taxes each year? - newbie considering moving to Porto

[@AshleyOliviaDaCosta]

Yes

[@donnacosta5633]

Yes. And many americans move to Portugal without doing due deligences and then when they find out about the tax issue, they swiftly go back home. Data shows that of all US citizens that moved to Portugal only 40% stay longer than 2 years. 60% of them moved again before 2 years. Food for thought. Tax issue is 1st reason given. 2nd is that it's too far from the US and Amazon Prime does not deliver to Portugal in less than 24 hours. LOL 3rd is that a lot of people don't speak american (and they should, obviously) LOL

[@brandycortez671]

Private schools for the kids or public? Please any feedback on tuition costs:

[@TyMark]

most of us put our kids in public schools (average karen) that are totally free, and even borrow all the scholar books and a computer to each student. nevertheless, they are not perfect, specially when located in problematic areas of the biggest cities. the norm is that kids will be attending classes in the school nearest their residence. we have lack of public kinder-garden schools in general (up to 3 y.o. here and there lack for kids between 3 to 6 y.o as well, we call it pre-schools) and in that case most of us search for private ones. between 6y.o and 18 y.o, most of us use public ones. tuition for private ones (from 3y.o to 18 y.o) are around €500/month on average. tuition for public universities (and most of them are great) are on average €70/month for bachelors, and €150/month for masters.

[@TyMark]

but would add, if your kids are above 6 y.o. they will get into the system not knowing enough portuguese and albeit they will have a tutor helping them to improve their portuguese in no way is enough and they will be on the regular classes learning nothing, and you end up in puting your kids in a private international school. so i strongly advise to have a private portuguese teacher to put the kids dominating the language rather fast.

[@davetheslave2111]

Очень интересно ! Спасибо

[@thomasmwangi8136]

He came right before the pandemic in 2020, so how has he been in Portugal 5 years? Maybe his wife, but not him, right?

[@alessandrosilva4441]

Probably...

[@arvindsaxena2018]

The pandemic was already well underway in Italy and other places

[@Hdio99]

hi, count with me 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 how many years did I wrote... you now have a another shot to think about it...he did not said 5 years completly have past, 5 years more or less are there for him to ask citizenship....

[@thomasmwangi8136]

@@Hdio99 Wow. Your school should refund you. Wow.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

He came during the pandemic. The 2019 statement was surely misspeaking is years as 2019 is when his wife moved to Portugal for work. He's in his 4th year in Portugal but not yet completed it and his wife (and kids) is in her 5th but not yet completed it. - Josh & Kalie

[@cristinavarela7123]

Its hup with you. I lived in others countries and I find out that my country is for me the one I love. Of course there are week points and the Wiese

[@luisfilipe534]

Real estate speculation by foreigners is making impossible for locals to buy or rent a house

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

The data just doesn't bear that out. - Josh & Kalie

[@donnacosta5633]

@@ExpatsEverywhere Or yes it does. Many foreigners invested in multiple properties. With near a 10% increase in population, all looking for property to rent ot buy, plus investors, the prices shot up. The topic has been debated in parliament. That's WHY the government has changed legislation for visas, now much tighter. Not the end of it, more legislation will come.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@@donnacosta5633 send over the data. I'd love to take a look at what you've got. [e-mail] - Josh

[@ashokdutta8321]

I would like to settle in Aveiro

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Aveiro's a cool little city. We've got a couple videos on it now. :-) - Josh & Kalie

[@Guilherme81]

About the foreigns thing! It's definitly not the Americans that are making many Portuguese to get anger because of all the people coming from outside! You guys know exactly from wich countries those people come... ;)

[@jorgefrade8900]

? You mean Brazil?

[@Guilherme81]

obviously NOT!@@jorgefrade8900

[@donnacosta5633]

@@jorgefrade8900 But we LOVE brazilians. They are the largest single immigrant group and they speak the lingo. We've had braezilian music & TV for decades and share a common history. Clue: it's the entiled americans.

[@FranciscoCorreia10]

Indians and Central Europeans

[@JPinPortugal]

I know and have used John’s expertise at Green Ocean Global Advisors. He created a financial plan for us. Highly recommend his thorough evaluation of our assets and plan for the future.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing, James. I didn't realize that you worked with John. We're coming back next week with a video about financial planning for living abroad. - Josh & Kalie

[@Shytot-1]

Trader Joe's is a German supermarket, in Europe, it's known as Aldi's.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Trader Joe's is an American supermarket that was sold to Aldi in the 70s. The Aldi in North American is really different than to Trader Joe's. Aldi in Europe does have some of the products that Trader Joe's has as the companies have a connect. Thanks for writing. - Josh & Kalie

[@Shytot-1]

@@ExpatsEverywhere Trader Joe's has been Aldi for the last 45 years so it's stocked with pretty much the same merchandise (with perhaps a few local exceptions) as Aldi's in Germany, I doubt if there is anything from the "Trader Joe's" era left now. I have been to Aldi's in Germany and the UK and they are virtually the same store, like McDonalds, if you have been to one you have been to them all.

[@terror1234]

Thank you, it was the first thing you did in your life. Please don't show up anymore 🖐🖐🖐.

[@annaanna4862]

I would suggest to modify the story to keep known acts straight - the guy said that he moved to Portugal in 2019 due to Covid. But California, Bay area specifically went on lock down in 2020, February/March.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

His wife was here in 2019. He moved in 2020. I stated in my intro that he's been here in Portugal for "4 years". - Josh

[@brianasingleton3329]

All I know is, I HATE Air Portugal (TAP). They’re right there with RyanAir and Spirit for me, might be worse.

[@jayanouni]

TAP totally sucks !!!!

[@Frankygoestohull1]

Josh where you live is an A-dress and when you talk to someone you a-DRESS them. Little difference but means a lot. Grammar nazi here. You’re doing great in Portuguese though lol. Good job all around. I think you’re one of the most authentic KZbinrs out there. 😎

[@lv3609]

We (Portuguese citizens) are also adapting to new realities. Welcome to newcomers. We’re (just somewhat) concerned with some injustice local vs newcomers (laws elected by OUR government). It is something we should solve. And we’re (just somewhat) concerned the would be management (read government) doesn’t exaggerate and “kill the golden goose”, just don’t override the easygoing, the sense of community, the natural sympathy with fellow human. And yes, do learn Portuguese(my suggestion, not “an order”), do take citizenship (+passport), do learn French, do learn German, do learn more stuff, stay mind active, critical and curious.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for the welcome! Love the advice at the end. - Josh & Kalie

[@thenoodlebuddy]

Pandemic eas March 2020, and it is now December 2023, so at most hes been there 3.5 years.. not 5.. Either im being daft, hes not very good with numbers despite being a financial advisor or all concept of time has gone out the window and it feels like 5 years to him haha

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

His family (wife and children) moved before the pandemic. They’re in their 5th year in Portugal and he’s in his 4th year but not yet completed it. - Josh

[@jerkchickenblog]

Creepiest smuggest person i've ever seen outside of a villain character in a movie. Wow.

[@user-gc4zy2sr2g]

I would be smug too if I was in his shoes! 😂

[@trave7644]

The big question is: what are you all going to do when the end of the tax regime kicks in, after your 10 year hiatus. Even though it is a decade away for those who just moved there, it is coming. So are you all willing to pay 40%? I am not if this was asked? Anyway, it seems it is not possible for many move to Portugal next year.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

It's certainly possible for people to move. The tax situation and the immigration situation are different. It's just a matter of willingness for people to pay more in taxes than they would if they stay in the US (for example). Is your question for us about the 40% taxes? It's awfully nice of you to think that we're in that tax bracket right now. - Josh & Kalie

[@trave7644]

@@ExpatsEverywhere 😊 I thought so. On a serious note, is portugal not affordable with the new tax pla? I guess you may do a video on that one future, as plans becomes clearer. thanks

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@@trave7644 We believe that affordability is very relative. It's a big reason that we show our cost of living every year. If people can see how we live for a month and what we spend money on, it should give them a gauge of what they'd like to do for their own lives and how well they could afford it or even save. If people believe they can live on €2,000/month and they make €3,000 or more per month, they should certainly have €2,000 after taxes to take care of their cost of living. - Josh & Kalie

[@AshleyOliviaDaCosta]

That’s a good question. For us, our medical costs were more than the difference in taxes even though we would be in the top tax bracket in Portugal. Still cheaper. So yes. We will pay the high taxes.

[@trave7644]

@@AshleyOliviaDaCosta That is really helpful to know. Is it because you guys are not yet old enough to get medicare? Or you usually have really high medical costs? Or could you not have gotten Obama care? We just need more people talking about how they are going afford these high taxes in the future. Thank you.

[@creativeleodaily]

If you're married, do not move to Portugal. Cheating spouses are on epidemic levels here, lol. I won't go much into details about why I said what I said. I am an ex-video game designer, now working in food deliveries for the past two years as I wanted to learn the local culture and language. But I am very concerned with what I've learned. Americans are not very liked here, but don't worry, the British are hated more. Unfortunately, poor Brazilians sit on top. Rents are super expensive now, almost 3 to 4 times more expensive compared to 5 years ago. Tourists are fleeing as the honeymoon period is over. Groceries are 4 to 5 times more expensive, while wages are still around 760 euros and will be 810 next year. Crime is on the rise, especially if you're a foreigner. I would like to add that, after all this, Portuguese are one of the most friendly people, so do not judge whole country based on few comments....

[@Carolinapetroska]

Isn't it the exact same thing in the USA as far as 'screwing around...' you make me laugh.

[@SallySturman]

Curious to know why Americans, British and Brazilians are hated there...

[@TheLexy131313]

People just generally hating other people? Nah, that's nonsense.

[@creativeleodaily]

​@@SallySturman Well because americans who live here are actually very cool people, British are rich have more money then most Portuguese, Brazilians are called Barbeque and usually blamed for Prostitution and Drugs, Indians are blamed for stealing all the jobs lol and are called Samosa... But I will still say, not all portuguese are same...

[@cristinavarela7123]

worse is our government with so bad policie… And this policies dont make life better.

[@gjm456]

Jim Carrey's brother

[@ruitrindade1319]

Pelo menos tens a certeza que os teus filhos não serão assassinados na escola!

[@pauloesteves5738]

Our family are also moving to Portugal. We are first and second generation portugues that had enough of the dictator government of Canada. time to exit, we are planning for October of 2024

[@B_Ruphe]

Stop interrupting him. I would have liked to hear what he had to say about "anti-americanism" but you wouldn't give him a chance to complete any thought, as though you were afraid to

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Sorry, my fault. I didn't realize I was interrupting him. We were just having such a great conversation. My bad. - Josh

[@ourlovehowerica]

😂😂😂 symptoms in one sentence : majority of Portuguese leave Portugal.

[@ruiamaral7954]

Because there is poor salaries. Tell the truth. It is not necessarily about the country

[@stoned8034]

majority?

[@teddydavis2339]

Yeah, not the majority, but millions did leave.

[@ruiamaral7954]

@@teddydavis2339 unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/migrationstat-forum-2023/presentations/C.4/1.Ines-Vidal.pdf Roughly 2 million have left the country from 2001 to 2021... Majority are younger people looking to start their lives and find work that can sustain them. Slowly this is changing as Portugual becomes a major tech hub ( a large number fortune 100 companies have built tech hubs in Porto and Lisbon since 2021 with Siemans and VW being two major brands). This may change the trend. Just that for many Americans (and Canadians) Portugal does not provide the same type of amenities which makes them whine such as in this video.

[@alessandrosilva4441]

Portugal is a great country where people earn poorly. Therefore, it is perfect for those who do not depend on the local salary. If you can buy a property, everything starts to get easier, as rent erodes most salaries in the country.

[@user-he4xb9fd5x]

He said he was in a deli in San Francisco and herd the Gov of California say California was going into lockdown and wearing mask .So that's why he moved to Portugal ,Like if Portugal didn't go into lockdown and require mask.He sounds like a Republican crying about a lockdown and having to wear a mask .

[@josephb4848]

He said he left to be with his family.

[@Wee_Catalyst]

Agreed, this guy is off-putting

[@southernfriedkiwi7726]

You sound like a democrat who misses the lockdowns and wearing the mask, so that you can virtue signal.

[@alessandrosilva4441]

It's the worst part of the "American way of life".

[@alexviarnes-ph1mt]

LOL 😂 I guess you didn't really pay attention to the video.

[@user-st8rg1fy9x]

This dude allowed his wife n kids to move to Portugal w/out him? There's more to this story than he's letting on....LMFAO.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

This happens a lot when companies relocate workers. Each family has their own dynamic and makes their own decisions for their families well-being. - Josh & Kalie

[@melissaantone9207]

I'm sorry, did you say "allowed"?!?! What century do you live in. She's not his property.

[@Carolinapetroska]

Yes he probably has a mistress in the US so good riddance, as they say.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@@Carolinapetroska You realize that you're talking about a real person, right?

[@Carolinapetroska]

Good. No big deal if they change their mind.... We, as European are not welcome in the USA anyway if we want to invest in the USA. In fact, the government makes it a living nightmare so we don't care either about Americans.😊

[@viabiz9540]

guys is vague.... not to the point..? looks kinda afraid to speak the truth....