Latest news and stories about cost of living in daily life in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Portugal has launched the 'Volta' deposit return scheme, adding a 10-cent surcharge to plastic bottles and cans to boost recycling rates to 90% by 2029, though early public feedback highlights concerns over system efficiency and accessibility.
A section of a newspaper or publication where readers' letters are published.
After Lisbon and Porto urban lines were opened to the possibility of sub‑concession, the mayor of Cascais has proposed that Cascais — together with Oeiras and Lisbon — take over management of the Cascais suburban line and make train journeys within the municipality free for residents, workers and students. The proposal reframes the sub‑concession debate as an opportunity for local control but raises practical questions about funding the revenue shortfall, coordinating services across municipalities, the legal and contractual steps required, and the potential impacts on ridership, local traffic and equity.
The green rail pass has generated over 20 million euros in revenue for CP since its introduction in October 2024, with more than one million passes sold, the Government announced this Monday, the 20th. About 84% of customers purchase and top up the pass through digital channels, such as the app and online ticket office, the Minister of Infrastructure announced today. 'The sale of one million passes confirms the trust of the Portuguese people in CP as a public operator committed to sustainable, modern, and customer-focused mobility,' said Miguel Pinto Luz during the presentation of the green rail pass report at Santa Apolónia train station in Lisbon. According to the latest data from last March, nearly 70,000 active monthly passes were recorded. 'We will continue to focus on the digital experience and service quality, positioning the train as a central piece of mobility. These results are only possible thanks to the professionalism, commitment, and innovation of the workers,' the minister added. The green rail pass came into effect on October 21, 2024, at a cost of 20 euros per month, allowing travel on all CP trains, except for the Alfa Pendular and urban trains already covered by intermodal passes. CP will spend 72.3 million euros by 2036 on fleet maintenance and repair.
The current president of Kyndryl built his career in consulting and reached the top in an international role. It was in that position that he realised that success, happiness, and personal fulfilment do not always go hand in hand. José Gonçalves is the guest on this episode of the podcast 'O CEO é o limite'.
Traders point to the rise in fuel prices as the biggest difficulty.
Due to the war, the Portuguese are spending less money on Santa Casa games. In an interview with Antena 1 and Jornal de Negócios, the Provedor of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML), Paulo Sousa, reveals that there was a 40 million euro drop in game sales, linked to how the war has affected purchasing power.
Due to the war, the Portuguese are spending less money on Santa Casa games. In an interview with Antena 1 and Jornal de Negócios, the Provedor of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML), Paulo Sousa, reveals that there was a 40 million euro drop in game sales, linked to how the war has affected purchasing power.
Easter Sunday is also the day for last-minute shopping for the Easter lunch.
Home News Portugal opens new low-cost fuel station Portugal opens new low-cost fuel station Located in Castanheira do Ribatejo, in the Lisbon region, Petroprix has opened a new fuel station. By Bruno G.
The Feira da Ladra has also been hit by the rising cost of living and fuel prices, resulting in fewer vendors and lower sales.
Until now, Tapada das Mercês in Sintra did not have a social kitchen. Now inaugurated, it is expected to open in April and address a waiting list in the parish of Algueirão-Mem Martins.
The environmental association Zero argued this Friday for the daily opening of the Lisbon Metro to be brought forward to 05:30, alongside increased service frequency and improvements to transport hubs and stations, in response to the escalating rise in fuel prices. The recommendations come in a context marked by the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and the subsequent...
The environmental association Zero has called for the Lisbon Metro to open earlier at 05:30, alongside increased service frequency and station improvements, to provide a viable alternative to private cars amid soaring fuel costs. The association argues that the current 06:30 opening time fails to serve essential workers starting early shifts and highlights operational inefficiencies on the Yellow Line, particularly between Campo Grande and Odivelas. Zero acknowledges staffing and infrastructure constraints but insists that management must re-evaluate priorities to ensure a reliable public transport service.
In a context of rising fuel prices, the environmental association lists Metro problems that it attributes to “management choices” and not just a lack of train drivers or rolling stock.
The recommendations come at a time when the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is reflected in the extraordinary increase in oil product prices.
Consumers are mainly noticing the increase in fresh produce, buying only the essentials, while merchants try to balance prices so as not to lose customers.
The proposed programme is developed along two axes, including extraordinary compensation for electricity, gas, fuel, and transport costs incurred by private social solidarity institutions (IPSS).
The association states that the stoppage is not more noticeable only due to the fleet of electric vehicles, which continues to operate.
The Left Bloc has requested an urgent debate at the Lisbon City Council regarding a 25-point plan to mitigate the rising cost of living, energy, and fuel prices. Proposals include free school meals from preschool to secondary level by 2026/27, a 30% tax deduction on essential expenses, and a freeze on municipal housing rents until the end of the year. The party also suggests creating a Municipal Cost of Living Observatory and providing subsidies for thermal insulation and transport passes for the unemployed. The initiative follows similar national efforts led by party figures to address inflationary pressures.
In addition to Lisbon, 15 other locations responded this Saturday to the call from the Casa para Viver platform.
Hundreds of people gathered in Lisbon this Saturday to defend the right to housing, filling Avenida da Liberdade with placards demanding action against rising property prices. The protest, organised by the 'Casa Para Viver' (Home to Live In) platform, saw participation from political parties including the PCP, BE, and Livre. Demonstrators marched towards Praça dos Restauradores, calling for lower rents and higher wages. The platform criticised the Government's recent measures, particularly those facilitating evictions, as irresponsible. Lisbon, where residents reportedly spend over 100% of their income on housing, was one of 16 locations across Portugal hosting protests today.
“Tired of choosing between paying rent or eating” was among the slogans of the demonstrators gathered at Marquês do Pombal. The protest organized by Casa Para Viver is heading towards Restauradores.
Protesters demand answers against the continuous rise in house prices
See the answer in the video. Polígrafo TVI (from the same group as CNN Portugal) is a fact-checking programme about current events.
The lack of a successor for Luís Neves as Director-General of the Judiciary Police (PJ) is the main topic in the online edition of Expresso this Tuesday, March 17. It was announced on February 21 that he would replace Maria Lúcia Amaral at the Ministry of Internal Administration, and no one has been appointed to his former position yet, which the newspaper reports is causing 'perplexity' and 'concern' within the PJ. Público reports that the PJ has opened nearly 1,400 investigations into sextortion over the last two years, with the majority of victims being men. Jornal de Notícias writes that home auctions have halved in the last seven years, a decline driven by banks due to a reduction in non-performing loans. Correio da Manhã highlights that five ministers—Labour, Economy, Parliamentary Affairs, Justice, and Defence—are required to disclose their client lists to the Transparency Entity, a consequence of the Constitutional Court rejecting the Prime Minister's appeal regarding Spinumviva. CNN Portugal reports that violent WhatsApp conversations have left the school community in Oeiras concerned, involving threats such as 'You were supposed to bring the guns' and 'I'll bring the knives,' along with photos of teachers taken from Teams shared among dozens of students at Quinta do Marquês Secondary School. Diário de Notícias focuses on public transport prices in Lisbon, which are among the highest relative to income, and notes that the Western Lisbon Local Health Unit (ULS) is requiring Portuguese nationality for recruitment competitions, a practice lawyers claim is illegal. Negócios reports that REN anticipates rising energy bills due to fuel costs, with CEO Rodrigo Costa stating that while Portugal is better prepared for energy shocks than in 2022, the market escalation will likely impact gas and electricity prices.
A comparison of public transport costs across European capitals reveals that while Lisbon's single-ticket prices are comparable to those in cities like Madrid or Paris, they represent a significantly higher financial burden due to Portugal's lower average wages. Lisbon ranks 8th in a normalized index of transport costs relative to income, trailing only behind Eastern European capitals. Despite subsidized monthly passes, low usage rates persist, driven by an inefficient network, long wait times, and a lack of restrictive policies on private car use compared to other major European cities.
Sintra City Council is set to increase parking fees and extend paid parking zones to two of the municipality's largest beaches. The decision was approved at a council meeting and includes the creation or expansion of metered parking zones in several parishes across the municipality.
