How to live and work in Lisbon as a digital nomad

Recently, I lived in Lisbon as a digital nomad for an entire month. I quickly learned that the city is a huge hub in Europe for nomads like me. If you’re thinking about living and working in Lisbon as a digital nomad, this guide is for you!

Wait a sec: what exactly IS a digital nomad? It’s more than just a trendy phrase these days –– it’s a real way of life for tons of people across the globe.

Here’s the dictionary definition:

Digital nomad: a person who earns a living working online in various locations of their choosing (rather than a fixed business location).

As a travel writer and content creator, I’m able to work from anywhere, which allows me to travel frequently.

Living in Lisbon: Affordability

First and foremost, Portugal is one of the most affordable countries for visitors in Western Europe, relatively speaking.

The cost of living, of course, plays a big role in choosing where to stay for an extended period of time.

You can rent an apartment for as low as €700 to upwards of €1800 or more per month, depending on the neighborhood. More on finding an apartment, below.

Groceries

A week of groceries can range between €30-60, based on what you like to buy.

Eating out

Eating out isn’t a huge splurge, either, although you’ll always save more by cooking at home. The average meal at a sit-down restaurant can range between €15-25.  

Even better, a bottle of delicious Portuguese wine won’t set you back too far, either – it costs about €5-10 at the grocery store, and amazingly only €15-25 at a restaurant.

Drink up!

Finding an Apartment as a Digital Nomad in Lisbon

I found my apartment super easy through Behere – a service that’s already vetted apartments, coworking spaces, and gyms, so you don’t have to.

Behere isn’t really operating anymore, to my knowledge, so I recommend HousingAnywhere instead.

I’ll be staying in Barcelona for a month soon, and I plan to find a place through HousingAnywhere.

You can also find apartments through digital nomad Facebook groups.

My adorable apartment in the Bairro Alto neighborhood of Lisbon (above). I miss it!

I was really happy I decided to join as a member of Behere because I didn’t have to spend hours researching the best and safest neighborhood to stay in – they did all the work for me.

Coworking spaces

There’s a lot of options for coworking spaces in Lisbon – something that’s super important for all of us digital nomads out there.

A strong WiFi connection, good coffee, and a place to meet other people goes a long way!

During my month in Lisbon, I purchased a monthly unlimited pass at Cowork Central – Principe Real (pictured above).

Instead of booking a coworking office space, you could opt for a coliving situation, too. I recently became familiar with Outsite – a community of digital nomads – and they have a location in Lisbon that looks really cool.

The Outsite Lisbon location is in Cais do Sodre, right in the middle of the all the action. It’s a great location not too far from the famous Pink Street, which has tons of nightlife options.

Outsite also has coliving options located in other cities, too, like LA, SF, Santa Cruz, Oahu, Bali, San Juan, and more.

Lastly, there’s also Selina, which is a coliving/coworking hostel chain you can find in other cities across the world, too (including Porto, Portugal).

I overheard that they offer free access on Wednesdays if you’re curious about trying it out before you join.

Community in Lisbon as a digital nomad

The global community can be felt in Lisbon beyond just the tourists in town. The local people who make up the city are from everywhere – diversity is the heartbeat of the city.

During the month that I spent in Lisbon, I had the opportunity to meet people living in the city who were from Brazil, Germany, Poland, France, England, and even Turkey.

The local people of Lisbon are open-minded and generous; they genuinely seem to appreciate other ways of life. Feeling like an outsider isn’t easy, and I was grateful for the welcoming environment in Lisbon.

There are tons of expats and others living in as digital nomads in Lisbon, so networking and connecting is pretty easy!

Weekend getaways and global access

There are a million activities and places to visit in the city itself. If you’re looking for ideas, check out my Ultimate City Guide to Lisbon, Portugal.

Once you’ve gotten situated in the city, be sure to save time to take day trips or weekend vacations to the surrounding areas. There’s just SO much to see in Portugal.

I spent one month there – and still didn’t have enough time to see the Algarve, the south of Portugal famous for its amazing coastline.

A weekend trip to Porto is easy – just a 2-hour trip by train.

From there, you could rent a car and explore the wine region of the Douro Valley. There are also guided tours that can take you wine tasting, as well, if you prefer not to drive 😉

Check out some of those below:

For day trips from Lisbon, check out Cascais and Sintra, and don’t miss the Westernmost point of Europe – Cabo de la Roca (pictured up above).

If you love to surf, go to Ericeira, Portugal, a town known worldwide for the waves. It’s a haven for surfers and digital nomads alike. Outsite has a location there!

Be protected as a digital nomad

Are you ready to live in Lisbon as a digital nomad? As soon as you book, make sure you have travel insurance.

From my experience, having insurance coverage while I’m on the road is non-negotiable. Yes, it would be nice to save the expense if I don’t have to use it – I admit, that’s true.

BUT, what always , always convinces me to buy travel insurance is (honestly) the fear of getting my phone or computer damaged or stolen.

Of course, there’s also always a chance an accident could happen, like I slip and fall on some cobblestones, or get into an emergency situation while on the road.

I usually purchase travel insurance as soon as I make my reservations and book my flight – so in case something gets canceled, my insurance can help me out.

There’s a lot of travel insurance companies out there, but I go with World Nomads. They have pretty extensive coverage, and I feel really confident that if anything were to happen to me, they’d have my back.

My friend had her phone stolen in Barcelona, and World Nomads reimbursed her for the full cost of her phone.

Get a quick travel insurance quote from World Nomads:

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