Porto

It used to be a nice city for nomads, but its out-priced now and don't recommend it. I am a single female- remote worker from USA with residence permit of 2 years and have to say its not what it used to be. Stormy tropical weather as we speak so unpredictable these days. Landlords charging ridiculous prices and amenities just don't match quality that should be given. Looking into Spain as we speak..

I've lived here for a year as a solo female expat over 50 (from the US) and I love it more and more every day. There are always events and things to do. I have an large, affordable apartment 20 minutes walking from the city center. I live on $2,000 a month.

Before I found my apartment I was a digital nomad here for 4 months and it was challenging. I found some great co-working spaces but the airbnbs I stayed in were sub-par with terrible internet.

However, as a resident/expat I have fantastic internet (fiber optic) and my apartment rent (for a large apartment near the center of town) is extremely affordable.

The health care is amazing. I ended up in the hospital several times (using my private healthcare) and had better treatments than I ever received in the US. I had a surgery where I was kept overnight and the co-pay for the entire surgery with general anesthesia and was less than a single doctor's visit co-pay used to cost me in the US.

The people are friendly and helpful. I've formed an amazing community of Portuguese women who check in regularly and invite me out. I never had that in the US. A car is not needed because the metro and buses go most everywhere, but it's nice to have a car and extremely affordable.

For expating I give Porto an A+. For nomading, a C.

It used to be a nice city for nomads, but it is happening the same as in Lisbon - it is getting to expensive for what it can offer, losing its character and packed with tourists. I tried to learn Portuguese, but it was difficult to meeto local people. Furthermore, the sea water is quite cold and the beach can be quite windy. Better to be in a Mediterranean city or village. Going to Greece now!

As a digital nomad who has had the opportunity to explore various cities around the world, I must say that my experience in Porto was far from satisfactory. While Porto may be touted as a popular tourist destination, it failed to meet my expectations in several aspects.

First and foremost, the infrastructure in Porto left much to be desired. The city's public transportation system was often unreliable and poorly maintained. Buses and trams were frequently overcrowded, making commuting a frustrating and uncomfortable experience. The metro network, although limited, was somewhat better but still fell short compared to other European cities.

Another significant drawback of Porto was the lack of reliable and efficient internet connectivity. As a digital nomad, having a fast and stable internet connection is crucial, but unfortunately, I encountered frequent outages and slow speeds during my time there. This made it incredibly challenging to work remotely and caused a lot of unnecessary stress and inconvenience.

Moreover, I found the cost of living in Porto to be surprisingly high compared to the quality of life it offered. Accommodation prices were disproportionately expensive for what was provided, and the overall value for money was questionable. Additionally, dining out in Porto was not a particularly pleasant experience either. While the city is known for its culinary scene, I found that many restaurants lacked variety and the service was often lackluster.

Furthermore, Porto did not seem to be a particularly welcoming or inclusive city for digital nomads. The local community appeared rather closed-off and not very supportive of outsiders. Networking opportunities were scarce, and it was challenging to connect with like-minded individuals or find co-working spaces that fostered a sense of community.

Lastly, while Porto may have its charm in terms of architecture and historic sites, it lacked diversity in terms of cultural and entertainment offerings. The city seemed to rely heavily on its past glory without investing enough in contemporary art, music, and cultural events. As a result, I often found myself searching for alternative sources of entertainment beyond the usual tourist attractions.

All in all, as a digital nomad seeking an inspiring and conducive environment for work and personal growth, I found Porto to be a disappointing destination. Its subpar infrastructure, unreliable internet, high cost of living, lack of inclusivity, and limited cultural offerings make it a less-than-ideal choice for those seeking a fulfilling and vibrant digital nomad lifestyle.

Lisbon is getting expensive and Porto is still affordable, cheap except to the locals. They can't even rent or buy there anymore. If you go to Porto or similar and pay for overpriced housing and services, you will be contributing to this small city becoming even more expensive. Portugal is small so Portuguese people don't have anywhere else to go. When Porto becomes expensive like Lisbon you can just go away, but the locals can't. They opened their doors to you, be respectful.

I don’t love Porto but I don’t hate it.

I'll preface this by saying I’m a solo traveler (30s male from the US). Things I like about Porto: it is easy to navigate, has great architecture. It's very quaint and charming. It's very walkable and e-scooters are everywhere (pay 30 bucks and get unlimited rides for a month) which is much more convenient than Uber.

Food is pretty solid and there's a lot of options. It's also a wine lover's paradise. Nightlife is decent. I wouldn't say it's great.

Porto is very international. Almost everyone I met was a transplant or a tourist. I am not a huge fan of this type of thing. I think it kind of gives a place a weird vibe. I would say generally the people are nice. It's not the easiest place to meet people.

I think Porto is a great place for a couple or someone that wants to take things slow and kind of chill. It's a smaller city so it doesn’t have a ton going on like bigger cities obviously.

I’d say if you're a solo traveler I would skip. it's not the best place but it's not terrible. I would say Porto is very average. Nothing about it stands out to me. It just seems like an average European city.

I just wanna give my opinion about Porto for future residents the best areas in Porto is Near Castelo do Queijo, ( Parish nevogilde) Boavista and Foz near beaches if you wanna live with quality of life in Porto.

My experience is best area in Porto city is near castelo do queijo (nevogilde) Boavista(roundabout) and Foz

Porto was like a scaled down Lisbon (I swear they are trying to copy it down to the cable car). Lots to do but manageable walking wise. I walked everywhere and always found stuff to do. Bars and clubs are focused in one main area so everything is just easier. The architecture is wonderful and the people are nice. I'd like to see the city in summer as it's just on the wrong side of comfortable and it rained quite a bit (I was there in December). Dog poo is seemingly an issue generally in Portugal...

Very dirty, graffiti everywhere, people offering drugs around the train station and nightlife areas, plenty of urban blight. All that being said Porto has some of the most beautiful architecture in the world, is extremely lively, and pretty affordable. If you're looking for a longer stay I recommend staying in a more residential area like that to the east.

I've been to ~70 countries. Porto is my favorite city in the world. The people, the people, the people!

It's the perfect size, well connected airport, vibrant and happening, amazing blend of locals and expats, and much cheaper than Lisbon. Looking to call this place home.

more clean than lisbon more welcoming but some locals are rude many gigolos and mafias looking around

I have been living in Porto since September. Portugal is currently in a hard covid lockdown so Porto is not at its best. But in better times the city is amazing. Beautiful, right near the beach, with excellent air and rail connectivity. English is widely spoken and the accommodations for visitors are diverse and excellent.
Restaurants are also diverse and excellent. Prices for those used to northern Europe or USA will seem low. December, January are very rainy and can get cold, down to nearly 0°C. Many units do not have heaters or only electric ones, so may be uncomfortable in winter. And it can rain for over a week straight. However at all other times of the year the climate is amazing. Porto merits its high digital nomad ranking!

Better than Lisbon, much more cozy and welcoming. You can find cheaper places in the “other side of the bridge”, in the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia. Public transports works and is pretty convenient, most part of the city is covered by tram stations. Beaches are freezing cold but nice for a running. Don’t miss the daily sunsets in the garden nearby the bridge, eating pastel de nata and drinking a bottle of Porto Wine. But please, don’t clap your hands to the sun — only Brazilian tourists do that haha

Porto is simply amazing! Really good food, easy atmosphere, nice people, affordable, and great to do some work as well! The amazing history this place has adds to the total, including it being easy to travel south to Coimbra and Lisbon.

Spent 3 years living in Porto, must say it's maybe the best city I've lived in so far. Its super hospitable people, delicious food, good English speaking and well educated population, entrepreneurship opportunities and cheap (comparing to Lisbon) cost of living make a combination that is quite hard to beat in Europe.