Cost of Living GB V Portugal

CM · Post by CM » Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:28 pm

Ok estimates please...

Base it on going out to eat twice a week, two adults nothing too mad but reasonable. Grocery bills again just normal, 5 bottles of wine per week (I know sometimes more) General costs that everybody in the U.K. has to pay etc

I have done mine for the U.k and it worried me, I cant afford to live!!!!!!

3 KIDS MAKES IT WORSE

Council tax £189 per month
grocery £400 per month
eating out (and in) £300 per month
general boozing £150 per month
clothes £300 per month easy! (3 girls)
petrol for 2 cars £200 per month
car tax £20 per month
holidays (my choice I know) £500 per month on average 5 fares
gifts £50 per month
xmas! £1000 total
misc (it just goes out my wallet) £100 per month
utility bills £165 per month elec/gas/water
broadband/tv/phone £55 per month

Probaly loads more but surely Portugal is cheaper for no loss of lifestyle?

that excludes mortgate here and cvo! It scares me sh1tless when I write it down.

e-richard · Post by **e-richard** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:11 pm

I'm sure other may be more scientific, but in my experience if you simply change all Pound signs to Euro signs, you'll be pretty close.

The thing is, whatever you may think, there will be a change in lifestyle which can affect you either way. For example, you may well save £500 per month on holidays

laserblazer · Post by **laserblazer** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:15 pm

e-richard wrote:, you may well save £500 per month on holidays

Then again, you may be obliged to come back to the UK for holidays so you lose £1000 per month

CM · Post by CM » Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:25 pm

40 / 45 % cheaper then! but wages what?

Gambrinus · Post by **Gambrinus** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:53 pm

As a reference, the minimum wage in Portugal:

€403,--

(Source: www.dgert.msst.gov.pt)

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:11 pm

We have studied this in detail since we spend half our year in Portugal. So the last time we were over for 5 weeks we tracked our living expenses by putting everything on my Portuguese debit card. We found that food and drink cost us 40% of what we spend in the UK. And we eat and drink well. If you add in some of the housing costs, "rates" IMI which we pay in Portugal were 650 euros last year. In the UK, for a property of almost the same size, we pay almost £2000 in council tax. If I ever have to live on my pension, I could do so in Portugal. In the UK I could only exist.