Cost of Living (Off Grid) in Portugal - ASK

How much does it cost to live off grid in Portugal? What are our living costs? What's the cost of living in central Portugal? What do we spend our money on? It's time for another Q&A session where we're talking all about what it costs to live our off-grid life (in a tent) here while we're renovating our house and restoring the land.
If you're looking to move to Portugal or buy a house in Portugal, this video might help you understand what some things cost. Of course, this is all very specific to our situation and context but it's a question we get all the time so we thought we'd cover it in some depth.
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[@gunillaevanth1370]

”Life is ment to be fun”! Can’t agree more!

[@MarcusGraeser]

What I like most about you guys? Your mindset, quote "life is meant to be a bit of fun".

[@cheskydivision]

Definitely buying yarn is a standalone hobby. Actually using it is a bonus.

[@annaapple7452]

And it's pretty when displayed in a nice cupboard. By the way, Rosa Pomar makes lovely yarns from Portuguese sheep 😉

[@VitorMadeira]

I love your transparency. I was born in this country (48 years ago) and I learn a lot from you guys who came from abroad and give us some precious ideas. Thank you and greetings from Portimão (in the Algarve).

[@pamelareeves3574]

You two are such an inspiration to me. I am 65 and cannot do a lot as I used to do but watching all of your efforts and hard work helps me get busy with what I can do.

[@gavin6538]

My wife once said her knitting/crochet costs were high and she was going to look at cheaper yarn. I then pointed out the cost per hour unbelievably good value the knitting and crochet was. The fantastic value hobby that is good for mental health and relaxation was an absolute bargain if you look at it the right way. She now buys whatever she likes and it’s good to see the enjoyment she gets.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

I totally agree! For me it gives my mind a rest from all the over thinking I do. And as I tend to drink wine while I knit/crochet, I inevitably make mistakes that I have to unpick and redo, which means I get even more value from the yarn 😂

[@lillic8522]

I did several projects with cheaper yarn, and every time it was a waste of may time and the money. The yarn for a jumper for my husbands must have had moths inside, since it consisted of very short pieces - and in the end the jumper did expand after the first wash, and became a midi-dress. One thing that I started (partly to safe money but mostly to safe plastic) is mixing together soaps for washing clothes and some cosmetics like deodorants. That is a lot of fun although I used to hate chemics at school. If you have horse chestnuts in the neighbourhood, you can also use them as soap, that reduced my laundry budget immensly.

[@juliegeorge8533]

Reminds me of the old wine-making adage- '5 Litres are as easy to make as 1 litre and lasts nearly twice as long'....I love that you are making and growing so much. Health issues mean I am enjoying these pursuits vicariously so I thank you for your videos. Be blessed xxx

[@kimsparks7871]

Love your channel. You guys are so cool and just the right combination of showing, explaining and humor!

[@jrh2u]

"not our cat" is a lovely looking cat!

[@swirlgalaxy]

Howdy Kylie & Guy!! As hard as you both work, wine is definitely a good start for relaxation!! May I suggest something for your outdoor kitchen, Invest in some fly screen for your windows & think about putting hinges on your big window over the stove so that it would be easily opened & propped up. May your days be filled with sunshine & gentle breezes! May your gin & tonics always be chilled to perfection & may your wine always be just what the doctor ordered!!!!! Kudos!!!!!

[@MAKEDOGROW]

I’ve had grand plans for windows and screen in that opening in the shed ... but keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the (very long) to-build list. We actually only ever open it when we’re filming 😂. The other window has hinges and a screen .... built when we built the shed

[@ArchaicHumansWorldwide]

Loved this one. I've learned to carefully spreadsheet everything and to be honest with myself about expenses. It is incredibly useful.

[@joeri9759]

i wish i was your son and i could start living this life from a young age ... the whole world should look like this... hope you guys enjoy every single day as i enjoy watching every single video you guys make !!

[@HeatherNaturaly]

Cool!! I grow peanuts. I started by purchasing a bag of raw peanuts and planted them. From there I planted that harvest ( I'd eaten what I didn't plant) this year. We've had extreme heat and drought, but it's broken a bit and the peanuts are looking pretty good and beginning to flower.

[@joannecalcutt6724]

Love this channel! I think to keep things interesting, a channel needs to include a bit of everything. And like Guy I would like to know how long you have to wait to eat the pickles 😜. A lot of people are growing their own food now but not canning, freezing, drying,or storing for the seasons. So y’all are keeping things well rounded. Great job 😘😘😘

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Interestingly, the recipe I used doesn’t mention how long before the pickles are ready, but I imagine a minimum of 2 weeks 😀 There definitely are a lot of people canning ... you just need to look for them. Search ‘pantry tour’ and you’ll see plenty of channels showing all their beautiful canned food

[@lorimontcalm9086]

Living, learning, doing....drinking!! Disciplined. I think that would be the one word I would use to describe your lifestyle. Funny is your nature! Hugs from 🇨🇦

[@manuelab1677]

Hi, I have been watching your videos for a while and enjoy every one of them. I also collect yarn but I do crochet and knit pretty much every day. I was happy to hear that you like yarn too.

[@bileefaulkner403]

I've been watching for a while and loved hearing that you collect as well as knit and crochet. I also collect and use yarn, both knit and crochet. My house is only 14 feet x 28 feet so every, all, and any space large enough for yarn is occupied. Lol. Do work daily, however, with daily temperatures running at 100+°F, which is unusual, I'm not getting much done. Unless I want to stay awake and work during the cooler overnight hours.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

I try to knit/crochet every day, but often am quite exhausted ... trying to do a min of 1 row per day at the moment. The heat isn’t great when you have a lap full of yarn 😃

[@monalingan9523]

Another enlightening video! I so enjoy watching you two.

[@peterlewis7228]

Love it. Well done. Made a bit of wine in my time. Elderberry etc. Then made Elderflower. Best wine ever made by me or any one. Slightly "frizzante" just like Prosecco. Don't know how it happened? Good luck.

[@2010katak]

Your approach is holistic. Perfectly balanced work and fun.

[@katrinolafsdottir8734]

Your live is so down to earth and exiting thank you for your videos. I learn so much from you.

[@sarahlovesdonuts9601]

I just love you guys! Why can’t you have hobbies that you enjoy, that may contribute to eventual self sufficiency? All of these things contribute to your physical, emotional and intellectual quality of life. I too enjoy delving into a subject and learning all that I can, and implementing it. Thank you for all that you share!!!💗

[@johndinsdale9386]

I think you both are such a really good team and both appear to be having such a great time.

[@grandknit1016]

You are doing an awesome job of establishing yourselves there.

[@garykoblitz4932]

I live in Fairfax County, Virginia and our sewage bill is also based on water usage. Specifically, on usage in the warmer months when car washing and garden watering maximizes water usage. I "beat" the system by not watering my lawn and by collecting rain water from the roof in barrels for vegetable watering. The link between water usage and the waste water bill makes sense, because all household water going down the drain must be treated before emptying into the Potomac River.

[@eartecathy7378]

The municipality needs to charge for the water and sewage in order to be able to maintain and grow the system. The apparatus to meter just water is not as costly as the apparatus to meter the waste water plus sewage. Therefore the sewage is priced based on the water used rather than the other way around. I was taught this when I worked for a municipal water department in an area that seldom suffered any drought.

[@lindalagarce8996]

Your on the right track! Great job, carry on mates! Lol my English heritage coming out, hugs and love from Texas!

[@magma9138]

Thank you so kindly for posting this. Lot's of laughs and smart advice here.

[@raycharsley]

I just moved to Ferreira do Zezere, in the hope of doing something like you guys are doing, as a beginner re growing vegetables I'm learning so much from your videos . Thankyou both.

[@paulamcnabb7940]

Just found you channel. Love it. We will be moving to our homestead in 2 years and can't wait to be as self efficient as possible.

[@bryansarty3821]

Yeah, I thought that I saw those t-shirts before.

[@onemoonbeam3590]

I'm thoroughly enjoying your content, keep it up 😊

[@jeantriplett8478]

Thank you,,,,,really enjoyed your video Always look forward to the next one.

[@anajoaquina]

Os seus vídeos são incríveis, vc Sra. é muito especial, simpática. Sua quinta é muito bem tratada e bonita.😘

[@bongadludla1485]

Few years to come I will take a picture or video with you there, you are encouraging / inspiring me here in South Africa Have a great day guy I'm following you

[@ryanmartin9517]

Love your channel, just found it recently and I've been binge-watching episodes to try and get caught up. Just a tip for your wines (and cider, beer and other ferments). If you are doing long aging in bulk (i.e., in the carboy or demijohn), you may want to either consolidate into smaller vessels or top up the containers with boiled and cooled water. Oxygen is your enemy after primary fermentation and leaving too much headspace increases surface area and thus the rate of diffusion. If you top up the volume to bring it up to the neck, you will reduce the oxygen uptake. Also, make sure the airlocks never dry out (speaking from experience!) or switch to a solid silicone stopper (only after fermentation is complete). Keep up the great videos and keep having fun!

[@mompuff]

I absolute love ❤️ you guys!! Blessings from Kentucky 🐎🇺🇸

[@woodsew]

We made red and black currant wine for many years, we mixed the berries too. We made blueberry, cherry, and raspberry too. My favorite was port made from elder berries. All of our wines were made from fermenting the berries except the cherry for which we bought the juice. I still have some that is 20 years old! The last we made.

[@kathleenlairscey5934]

Those cherries were so pretty, never even seen a cherry tree. Travis has made muscadine and dew berry wine , very very good. Y’all have great ideas, and this homestead you’ve bought will serve you well.

[@teebodesperadoking818]

As my mam is a keen crochet & knitter ( well any yarn craft) loved your term yarn collector and knitter/crocheter. She said save your yarn scraps for latch hooking too ( great winter hobby)

[@footplate0]

We have similar costs in Cyprus €112 (per year) dustbin tax a flat fee of €22 (three months) for water that gives you loads of water but like you if you over use it gets very expensive. Electricity for us is the real killer not only because of the cost of oil but also the green tax because all of our electricity comes from oil generators.

[@alexinruralfrance]

You’re vids are great, I love watching them. Keep up the great effort :) Also, Kylie, it’s never too early ;)

[@jaimeezquerra2219]

Excellent, Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. Looking fowar to take the same path. Currently I am renovating my urban home and designing my own veggie garden

[@mikewood8680]

Taking a “cumulative” approach is spot on!

[@carolbulmer8253]

Thank you for sharing this valuable information😊

[@oomwat6101]

When you have a less than successful winemaking project, throw it into a water distiller and concentrate the alcohol that's within it ... once you have done that for a few failed projects you can re-distill the liqour, throwing away the first and last bits (or saving them as paint stripper), creating your own 'grappa' ;)

[@nicarazzi]

“Yarn collecting and knitting are two separate hobbies...” 😂😂😂 I so get that 😂

[@leestimis9264]

I like the more frequent vids! That batch of pickles looked amazing.

[@F-J.]

I love my IKEA basic induction hob. It is a good size and cost £39 at the time. It has 9 heat settings . It's a space saver because I only take it out when I need it and can use anywhere. I bought TWO. considering getting another two.

[@ramfrancisuk]

I think Guy is cultivating the Wolverine X-Men look :)))

[@MAKEDOGROW]

I was thinking Ace Ventura, but think your idea is better 😂

[@williammcduff6531]

Glad to see your monthly budget is quite reasonable by European standards. We"re in Canada with a completely debt free lifestyle and our costs are similar.

[@sallyrowland6063]

“It’s 6 o’clock somewhere” is a phrase that can be used when considering an early drinkie 😉 🍷 👋 🇦🇺

[@carolined3058]

combining fun and a little bit of work creates a good life

[@mekon1971]

Solar hot water? You can also get a DC(solar) powered heating element for a tank-style hot water heater. If Kylie likes textile arts, she should look at weaving! My wife learned how to process banana tree fibre for weaving.

[@greenthumb6241]

I'm enjoying watching your canning and gardening videos . The people that want you to do nothing but work on your house are missing out . It's important for everybody to enjoy the good small things of life while you work on the big things . Your costs are very reasonable and you quality of life looks excellent , not to mention all the healthy exercise your getting It's a bit off topic but you have made me laugh with your outlaw canning . In the US canning seems to have become extremely rule bound and oddly religious ( Prepping for end times ) so its nice to see people having fun with it . Of course general safty rules and heating before eating key for some things . The fruits and vegs have been tampered with in US a great deal . They say you shouldn't water bath tomatoes now that is because the acid is less so I think the answer is old traditional kinds . There is Azebaijan Utuber Melissia Mir that cans fresh fruits and vegs and I would like to hear you take on that .It looks very enticing . Carry on

[@shelleypeppard4694]

Love the length of your videos. No waffling and the way it should be :) our water standing charges (also central Portugal) is €20 without any use so yours is much better!

[@MAKEDOGROW]

What!?!? That’s crazy!!

[@dinac7361]

Yes I love your concept of being mindful of saving money ,I’m all about that !!Thats allways thd way to go believe me ,I wouldn’t be where I today if I wouldn’t have been minded of money !!Hooray

[@luminyam6145]

I love your videos, thank you.

[@lewih7135]

Life is meant to be fun!! That's right!!! Do what makes you happy!

[@pgregory6357]

Thanks. Just love your channel. Question: what about medical expenses/insurance for you both? LOVE YOUR CHANNEL!

[@mk-xq1tt]

Enjoy your journey!

[@ajones8699]

U only need a dual induction hob. A full sized induction has a high load esp if on solar.

[@craigbalaam9008]

Get yourself a small still. I have a turbo 500. I make moonshine all the time. Agreed fun times. You always need some fun to balance life. Great content 👍 thanks.

[@lisathemessenger7973]

Sun oven would work fantastically over there

[@thehynelife]

love this, we weren't interested in making wine until we came over and saw all the wine grapes. It's definitely something we will do when we get there. Shame you have to wait so long to try it though. x

[@MAKEDOGROW]

The locals don’t wait too long, not even 6 months (sometimes as little as a month!) … but it definitely gets better with age

[@johngoncalves]

Humble suggestion if I may regarding Starlink. Consider looking at the ipx rating for both the antenna and the router, you may find they both have the same high ipx rating, I know someone that has them both outside., also no installation really required. On the downside, you may want to look at its consumption, but you can easily toggle off its de-icing feature. I’ve enjoyed your journey since following you from the UK, thank you

[@Dan-fg1zv]

Good luck with the brewing Guy. I started out with John Palmers excellent book “how to brew”. Free on the internet. Also a good online tool like brewers friend is very useful.

[@dingc.velasco6038]

We pray you'll be safe from the heat wave and fires plaguing Portugal this week.

[@annmcnamara8]

Kylie I would love to see your crochet and knitting

[@ankiking]

Looking forward to more tastings!

[@annhardesty1696]

"we haven't had breakfast yet!" LOL!

[@marthamcgee8941]

😜😂

[@ponyrang]

Beautiful Upload friend. keep it up. Thank you for sharing this to us. Greetings from Korea

[@miltonpomales5405]

Living a great life. Keep it up!!!

[@MK-wt9nj]

Any wine can be a “good wine” at the right time 🤗

[@TracyCul]

Kylie I laughed at your twin hobbies of collecting yarn and actually using it!!

[@MAKEDOGROW]

One is definitely easier than the other 😃

[@Coyotehello]

Recently discovered your channel, very interesting and this video is fantastic. We are planning on retiring in Portugal in about 5 years at 65. We are trying to decide if we should buy a small farm now while still working in Canada or wait and buy just before retiring... So this video was very interesting to me. Your 2,100Euro budget is about 3,000.00$ CAD/month for me and that is almost 1/2 of what it is costing us to live in Vancouver (4,400.00$ CAD/m). It definitely put things in perspectives. Thank you.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

You might also want to check out the buying in Portugal 3-part series, and the one that details how much we paid for our property. Do note, property prices are rising due to the influx of foreigners, but it's still a lot more affordable than many other countries. Also, the €1050 budget is for the two of us, not each ... and some people spend even less than that. But, we are in the very rural part of the country where things cost less than on the coast or the Algarve :)

[@gavin6538]

Good to hear costs to put things in perspective. Seeing you using the garden hose did make me wonder does your water to the kitchen come through the hose? I hope it doesn’t because of the chemicals that leach from the plastic but also not being underground it’s likely to increase bacteria growth. Hearing your costs makes me want to sell up sooner. Just need the kids to get through studies first.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

In the kitchen we have a large glass water dispenser that we use - we refill it by ferrying water in food safe water canisters that we fill from a tap at the house. We really only use the hose for watering our plants, laundry, showers etc (not ideal but the best solution we could come up with)

[@denisehayes195]

I pay £178 council tax a month on a small semi in Wales. £120 pcm gas & electricity, I have 17 solar panels, no tumble dryer or microwave and an induction hob. I’m about to get rid of my gas central heating and the gas standing charge😳 if I were younger I would move to Portugal but on a happier note I also have a yarn addiction, 15 years ago I started making my own socks, toe up 2 at a time (only way to get them the same size) the yarn goes further, socks take longer, they are endlessly useful, the remains of the balls are crocheted into afghans😂 hence no gas heating.

[@leahlemieux6410]

If you have a lemon tree, make limoncello! Simple, easy, tasty!

[@hemlock40]

Do you have a "good wine" budget for central Portugal? Wine is so affordable here that there seems to be zero market foreign wines (i.e.French Italian, American). Also, you had a video on your solar system that is now unfindable. I'm interested in learning how it was assembled, and I think you did it yourselves.

[@wendyscott7432]

It was midday in Australia when I watched ... you could have opened that home-made cherry wine Kylie!

[@TheRealBigfeet]

A very cool video

[@khalidbaacha]

You are very good couple, amazing harmony

[@-_James_-]

While I'm obviously paying a lot more for other things, where I live in Norway (just outside Oslo) has no property taxes. There are actually very few places in Norway that do have such taxes.

[@moiragoldsmith7052]

Isn't great that everything is coming together ie. learning new skills, learning a new language, maintaining the budget and drinking the wine.... your neural pathways must be zinging with joy! Sending everything good your way. 🍷🍷

[@shawnboutilier8130]

Water is still cheaper there than Canada . Love your channel

[@robine916]

Ah, a fellow yarn hoarder, ...I mean collector! LOL! Have you checked out "The Secret Yarnery" on KZbin? Christa is a Canadian expat living with her family in Kenya. She is an excellent crochet instructor, has chats and crochet-a-longs and orders her yarn from Ice Yarns (online) in Turkey (up to 85% 0ff sale going on right now!). Love the idea of the Country wine! A vineyard/orchard near us has a wonderful selection of fruit wines, which I personally prefer. Hope the pickles are ready soon! YUM! :D

[@95372549]

Hearing about the fires and weather in Portugal I am concerned for your safety. Please Kylie and Guy prepare your house and land for fire. I'm sure Kylie knows what to do but at the very least you would lose your tent and everything in it. There are plenty of bushfire survival plans on the internet in Aus. So many places here that have never seen bushfire before were devastated. I can only hope it doesn't happen to you. Also, working with lime can play havoc with your skin. Australian brickie tip - coat your hands and forearms with a thin barrier layer of Paw Paw ointment. Thoroughly enjoy your work and ethos. Thank-you for inviting us in.

[@leonelduarte1822]

Fires are on very specifics zones and are overdramatic. People just don’t take it very seriously It’s a business model 🤷‍♂️ Difficult to explain here

[@JustinBellingerTV]

Try potato wine. When a friend of mine's dad passed away, we found a ten year old potato wine in his dad's cellar, and, frankly, it was like a fine whisky, and the most wonderful wine I've tasted. We did get quite drunk, however. 🙂

[@steveh545]

good deal. glad to hear you still enjoy some "good wine". Do they have local markets where others sell their home brewed (?) wines? theoretically at a cheaper price than the local stores. I couldn't ever do what y'all do, so hat's off to you. I would be guzzling wine, eating cheese, and drinking coffee to recover from the wine&cheese. But y'all do you, and i'll do me. I'm working hard to pay for suburbia, so i wouldn't say i'm "winning". If i thought i was winning, i wouldn't be watching so many videos of people living the dream in Portugal. So, maybe i can't do what y'all are doing, but i don't really want to be doing what i'm doing either. peace from DFW, where we reached 110 today. nuts.

[@F-J.]

You can try making glazed cherries. And lots of cherry pies 🥧 😋

[@hansejr]

To help your budget why don’t you have the ‘THANKS’ icon on your KZbin. Usually see it just before the “DownLoad button. People can do an easy onetime donation charged to their Apple account.

[@gaylegregory862]

This is a great watch. I am in Barbados 🇧🇧 and like to watch. How do you manage the hot days. It is hotter than in the Caribbean

[@NJG001]

Love your videos. … Maybe when I grow up, I can do ten percent of what you do.

[@babzblu]

Hi Kylie and Guy. Love your winery/brewery. Have you tried making Limoncello. It is easy, delicious and so refreshing. Packs a bit of a punch too. Cheers 🍻

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Yes, we do .... check out our homemade liquor video 😀

[@babzblu]

@@MAKEDOGROW I most definitely will do that. Thanks a lot. 😊

[@BrokenBackMountains]

Hah, I was going to ask about bevvy but didn't know if you imbibed or not :) If you want to save a bit, get hair clippers. My hair is a bit like yours if I leave it but about 20 years got my wife to give a clip all over twice a month. Better in hot weather too.

[@andreacrashe9894]

*Yep only buy what you really need... otherwise if you buy to keep up with the Jones/Smiths etc... you will be forever in debt. Keep a notebook or spreadsheet of all out going payments and then you can learn to save.*

[@izby2652]

Are you planning to build a designated food store room downstairs?

[@funfuronahotday]

can we see the knitting and crochet projects too please?

[@mariushegli]

I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.

[@silvertonguedaywalker9116]

Afternoon Guys, You mentioned the other day the one has to learn the Language ie an Exam i would think.When one was to find a Home and it all goes through how long have you got to take the Exam? . Where do you guys wash your clothes lol, being a Mum of 4 now Grownups I i have to have my Washing Machine but only 2 of us moving,. Did you guys move all your stuff over from your old Home, We have a ton of stuff a 3 Bedroom Detached Home x 28 years worth of collecting lol by the time we move. Our Grandson is 6 and his stuff takes up a quarter of our Lounge . x He does not live here. One just collects so much over the years. x I read that you have to have Travel and Health Insurance. When you found your Home did you have to buy your Insurance at the Early stage of your House Sale. I was thinking about learning the Language but i am over 60 the older you are i feel the Harder it is to learn and retain another Language. How are you Guys getting on with learning Portuguese , Let us hear some bless you Guys x

[@pb9401]

Those pickles sure look good! Let me know when you start taking orders