Nick P. Says:
I’m a long-time reader and was interested first in Central America, but now I’m starting to look at Portugal and its Old World charm.
For a retiree with a limited budget, what would be the difference between the two in living expenses for a two-month stay?
IL Contributor in Portugal Terry Coles Says:
Hi Nick,
Thanks so much for contacting us—always great to hear from a long-time reader.
I’ve lived in both Central America (Panama) and Portugal, so I’m in a good position to answer your question. Although I must admit, it’s a tricky one to answer properly as there are a lot of factors to consider.
First, you need to think about flights. A flight to Portugal is 8 to 13 hours from most U.S. cities and can be expensive, whereas a flight to Central America is closer and should cost less.
The time of year you visit will also have an impact.
In Portugal’s Algarve, summer rentals can run €1,000 ($1,065) or more per week for an apartment. But during the winter months you could pay that for two months, depending on the location.
Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve are the hotspots, so prices are higher. The farther away you move from the coast, the less expensive rentals will be.
The same would apply to countries in Central America. During the dry season, prices soar compared to the rainy season. Rent can vary from $500 to $1,500 per month based on season and location.
For Portugal, I recommend you look at idealista.com, where you can input the city or town you wish to visit to give you an idea of prices.
For Central America, there isn’t one main site in the same way, but searching on Airbnb and VRBO can give you an idea. Be sure to check monthly rates, not nightly, as there can often be significant discounts for staying longer.
Keeping all this in mind, any monthly budget comparison should be taken with a pinch of salt—especially because Central America is a large area with many different countries.
IL gives a sample monthly budget for Portugal of $2,865 for a couple. While the estimated budget for Panama is from $1,224 to $2,935.
Before you embark on your two-month trip, I’d recommend reading this article from a selection of IL contributors, including yours truly, offering general advice on how to plan a scouting trip.
There’s also a selection of pre-made scouting trip itineraries available on the IL Bookstore here.
Got a Question?
Send your thoughts to mailbag@internationalliving.com. We’ll post and respond to as many of your emails as we can right here in the e-letter.