I see a lot of people talking about moving to Portugal and the same question always comes up: how much do you really earn there? I decided to break it down because the minimum wage in Portugal is quite different from what we're used to here in Brazil, and it's not just because of the higher number.

In 2025, the minimum wage in Portugal reached 870 euros per month on the mainland. To give you an idea, that’s about 5,500 to 5,600 reais depending on the exchange rate. It seems quite a lot compared to the 1,518 reais in Brazil, right? But here’s the reality: this gross amount is subject to deductions that many people don’t consider.

The main deductions are 11% for Social Security (mandatory) plus IRS, which is the Portuguese income tax. In practice, if you earn the minimum wage in Portugal, you take home about 770 euros net per month. Quite different from that initial number that seemed so attractive. I did the math: 870 minus 95.70 for Social Security already makes things a lot tighter.

On the islands, it’s a bit better. In Madeira, it’s 913.50 euros, and in the Azores, 915 euros, but the logic of deductions remains the same.

Now, what really matters is the cost of living. Here in Portugal, an average person spends around 1,800 euros per month to live comfortably. A family of four spends about 3,304 euros. And look, Portugal is the second cheapest country in Western Europe, so imagine the rest.

To give you perspective: renting a two-bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood costs around 1,500 euros, in a more typical area about 1,000 euros. Gasoline costs 1.69 per liter, a monthly transportation pass is 35 euros. Food? Fast food around 8 euros, 500g of chicken for 3.36 euros. Nothing extraordinary, but when you only earn 770 euros net, it gets tight.

Comparing to Brazil: there you earn less, but also spend less on some things. Here in Portugal, you earn more nominally, but the disposable income after essential expenses is quite close to what you imagined. Portugal pays more but charges more to live.

The real difference appears if you have a qualified profession. Then Portugal offers much higher salaries than Brazil, and the advantage becomes clear. But if you go there earning only the minimum wage in Portugal, you need to choose your city carefully. Lisbon and Porto are too expensive. Smaller cities allow for a more comfortable life with this minimum wage.

The Portuguese government has been adjusting the minimum wage year after year, trying to get closer to the European average, but it’s still among the lowest in Western Europe according to Eurostat data.

In the end, moving to Portugal makes sense if you have a valued profession in the European market or aim to grow professionally. If it’s just about the minimum wage, you need to be financially prepared and choose where to live carefully. The decision isn’t just about numbers; it’s about the full context: what’s your real salary in your field, which city you choose, and what are your long-term goals.