COST OF LIVING AND SETTLING ASPECTS

Here are some representative prices for Lisbon:
BUDGET PER MONTH *

	Budget	Rent
Single person	2300 EUR	35%
Couple	3050 EUR	30%
Couple and 2 children	3800 EUR	30%

Housing
Rentals in Portugal can be surprisingly expensive.
Average rents* in Lisbon
(Prices per month for an apartment or house with furniture)

Studio (they are rare and expensive in Lisbon)	Starting at 400 EUR
T1 (2 rooms)	Between 500 and 650 EUR
T2 (3 rooms)	Between 600 and 850 EUR
T3 (4 rooms)	Between 850 and 1250 EUR
Small house	Starting at 1250 EUR
Offices	Between 15.00 and 18.00 EUR m2

Prices in Lisbon are similar to prices in Paris. In the surroundings of Lisbon and in some other cities, prices are a little cheaper. The real estate market is available in adds of the newspapers (Diário de Notícias, Expresso, etc.) and also through specialized agencies.
In Lisbon, the residential neighborhood is in the city center and in the west part.

* Source: French Consulat in Lisbon (2001)

House Hunting
There are 3 ways to look for a new home: to take an agent, to look in the news papers or use a relocation agency like Kick-off which saves a great deal of time by: pre-selecting houses, as well as choosing the adequate residential areas, considering best road connections to work and schools.
When signing the lease, a one month security deposit plus 2 months rent in advance is common. Some owners will also require a "fiador"/guarantor. Your employer may be able to do this for you.

Utilities
Utility bills (water, electricity - 220 V, telephone and gas) are usually registered in the name of the landlord. They can be paid in cash, with cheque at the post office, at the utility office or via Multibanco. Prices are European average.

Cars and motorbikes
The importation/registration of cars is a very complex procedure, and it is recommended to get help. Kick-off has a lot of experience, and does recommend the import, while it is possible to do it tax free. Cars with motors over 1.500 cm3 are very expensive due to the "imposto automóvel" - tax charged on new cars. Your used car is therefore worth much more money in Portugal than in your home country. Motorbikes do not pay the "imposto automóvel", and it is easier to buy one in Portugal than to go through the complicated and expensive registration.

Education
The Cascais - Lisbon area is well served by a number of international schools for the expatriate community. The most important ones are the American School of Lisbon, St. Dominic's International School, St. Julian's School, Instituto Espanhol de Lisboa, Lycée Charles Lepierre, Deutsche Schule Lissabon, Svenska Skolan Lissabon, etc.