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    Living in Portugal as an American is ANYTHING but easy.



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    Hello I’m some guy named Dave in Portugal.

    In this video I explore why living in Portugal can be so difficult for an American.

    If you’re interested in more videos about Portugal, subscribe to this channel and follow my journey!

    -Dave

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    25 Comments

    2. Matt Seto on

      I’m from Singapore, guess how much is a RAV4 over here? Oh how about a promo price of S$191,000(130,000euros). and the kicker? U can legally only drive this for 10years… 😂😂😂 and people are totally fine with this arrangement!

    3. Jaana Prall on

      I am originally from Denmark, but lived in Northern California for many years and I would say for Americans the things to be aware of are you cannot get a 30 year mortgage if you are older. Also the mold and lack of modern insulation, heating and aircon comes as a shock to many. Be aware of this and make sure you have the money to either rent or buy a newer place if this will be a concern. And, of course when renting in Europe you need to remember that you likely will not have a dryer, just a washer. I love Portugal! I feel safe as a woman walking pretty much anywhere, the food is great, proximity and ease of travel to other places is great, and the Portuguese people are very relaxed and I find it to be a very welcoming place.

    4. Banto Rio on

      … I love Portugal … and stuff … but it's boring … and the street food is not that great … if you want to eat well you have to cook yourself … otherwise … be ready … !!! …

    9. Nuno CB Nuno CB on

      …just one tiny aspect that you must to accept 100%. If you come here trying to transplant your fuc…ing US woke maniac follies here, it's better to not even think about it. Stay at home and fully enjoy your criminal rates, random shooting, laughable internal politics, etc, ok? This is the right BRUTAL truth.

    10. pijamatime on

      Portugal is uncharacterized, and these video do not help, just hurt, this is the reason I do not return to Portugal. In Lisbon, the language that was most spoken are all less Portuguese.
      In the restaurants I am already served in English, the streets are disgusting, it is no longer the city that was clean. Opened the doors to all the scum

    12. JC on

      Good job with this video. I'm American and have lived in the Algarve for 20+ years. Obviously I've seen a lot of changes! It's pretty disgusting to wacth Americans flood into Portugal now, having done NO homework and not understanding what they ar getting themselves into. Americans seem to make this naive assumption that every country is like America. And yes, they are wrecking the housing market for the locals. I think it behooves people to remember "wherever you go, there you are." This is NOT the promised land. Please don't come here to escape America–you will be disappointed.

    14. Christine Rheaume on

      According to recent immigration statistics only a fraction of immigrants to Portugal are coming from the US. Most are coming from places like Brazil and the U.K. But yes, the landscape is changing especially in Portugal’s big cities in terms of real estate and other cost of living indicators. I was in Lisbon recently and heard some complaints from Uber drivers who could no longer afford to live there but had to commute daily out of the city. (It wasn’t Americans they were complaining about— it was other groups, not that it particularly matters.) A similar thing is happening in parts of the US where influx of moneyed folks are driving up costs for the locals who get priced out. I don’t know the answer. I do know that I couldn’t afford to return to where I lived in the US before moving to PT 2 years ago. The pandemic seemed to increase the rate of change exponentially. Also your comments about frustrations with bureaucracy do resonate. But I’ve found all that manageable. The bottom line is you have to make this kind of life change with an attitude of acceptance, humility (important!), and open-heartedness. If you can do that, you will be fine.

    15. Ray Vogensen on

      Your title is very subjective. Living In Portugal can be difficult (or easy) for any foreigner depending on several factors: economic situation, health, age, cultural flexibility, linguistic flexibility, and even political flexibility. I don't think Americans in general can be lumped into one group. There are Americans and then there are Americans. I have lived in several countries, namely Brazil and Mexico, and Portugal was an easy country to adapt to. Of course, I spoke the language or a variety of the language, and that helped immensely. I spent my first years comparing everything to my life in Brazil (the language, the friendliness of the people) and gradually I began to consider Portugal my home and would never imagine moving back to either Brazil or the States.

    16. Pedro Jesus on

      I realy shoudlnt be ranting here, but the housing situation in portugal for the locals is far worst than you've shown.
      moved to lisbon in 2021, with housing being provided because I was to attend a school.
      Then cancer was diagnosed, got cirgury, did quimo. So far so good.
      But now I'm loosing my loodging this month, gonna loose my free meds because i wont live in lisbon anymore, will have to choose between food, meds, or going to apointments.
      Can't find a job hear lisbon because I dont have a house there, can't find a house there because I dont have a job…

      So I don't mind people trying to get a better life for themselfs, but could they at least think about the ones they might be destroying?

      PS: you menting houses are expensinve, and mininum wage is low. But actualy telling people that a 1bedroom apartement rent cost more than minimum wage, and even a room in a shared house cost more than half the minimum wage paints a clear picture.

    17. Carla Portocarrero on

      When you say "Americans" are you refering to all Americans, like: Canadians, Mexicans, Guatemalans, Slvadoreños, etc, etc, or just people from the US? Because Latinos are more used to the way of life in Portugal than people from Canada and The USA. Just saying.

    18. Starchild on

      I don't think there is problem with Portugal. Portugal is Portugal and things go their way. Problem with Noth-Mehricans (united snakes & chinada) is that they don't have culture and heritage. They only have a lifestyle and they tend to compare everything to their lifestyle. It is already a dumb idea to "advertise" Portugal as a eternal holyday place to live. There is no country like that. What really matters is what is important for you. As an European I feel even worse in North-Mehrica because of lack of culture, history and people. As in politics, in real life there is no friendship only interest. For the Mehricans this is normal. For Europeans is culture shock, mind you north-western Europeans are quite the hermits and unfriendly selfish people too. Central and southern Europeans are the friendliest. Where ever you go these areas be prepped people are generally welcoming but for sure they won't tolerate people approaching them with big faces. Keep in mind, just because these countries are NATO it doesn't mean they like Mehricans and don't expect for a bit they will accept your ways. Other than that, you can have a good time.

    20. Andre Lejeune on

      Sorry wrong i comme from e other😮 european country🎉i life in portugal for 6 years never ever i there e better place.i life i e small city in Algarve.The only inconvience is the speaking i learn portugese in 2 year now i speak it good.

    23. TheBrazilRules on

      You forgot to mention that if you want to have a proper house in the boonies. Portugal does not have suburbs built like the USA ones, so you will be paying a pretty penny to live in places where there are amenities nearby. So if you are not a single person who can stand living in Hostel rooms or tiny apartments, the living in cities will not be bearable.

    25. carlos m. on

      Hi Dave
      Olá David
      Its amazing how come you are 50% irish… You look like Italian.
      É incrível como acabaste por saber que tens 50% irlandês.
      Eu julguei que tinhas ascendência italiana…
      Hugs
      Abraço

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