If you want to live without a car in Portugal, I wouldn’t start with the city name. I’d start with the address.
A town can have buses and still make ordinary errands a pain. I’ve seen people pick the cheapest apartment, then realize the nearest shop is a 20-minute climb. A stop can look close on a map, but the bags, slope, stairs, and missing pavement tell a different story.
If you’re comparing a cheaper rent against possible taxi and transit costs, put your likely numbers into the free Cost of Living Calculator.
This week’s video looks at seven places to retire in Portugal without a car. The useful question isn’t just which town wins. It’s whether a normal week works from the home you’d actually rent.
Try this address test before you rent
Walk the errands. Can you get to a supermarket and pharmacy, then get home with what you bought? Check the slope, stairs, pavement, and building entrance. A postcode won’t tell you how that walk feels.
Check the timetable at the times you’ll travel. Look at evenings and weekends too, and check the return trip. A route that works at midday may not work when you actually need it.
Check the practical details. Find the health center you’d use and ask about new patients. Confirm the rental is available year-round, then check the building and whether it has a lift.
A map can show you how close the shops are. It can’t tell you whether the daily walk will wear you down. If you can, try the route yourself before you commit.
I’ve also just opened Remote Life Portugal: Unfiltered for honest conversations about moving to and living here. It’s early days, so the first conversations are still to come. If you’re weighing how daily life works in Portugal, join the community here.
If location, budget, and timing are starting to affect one another, the Portugal Move Assessment can help you work out what kind of next step makes sense.
And if you just have a question, reply to this email, and I’ll get back to you.
See you next week.
Tchau,
Danilo from Remote Life Portugal