Move Over Lisbon! This Sunny City Is Portugal’s Next Digital Nomad Hotspot
Lisbon is one of the world’s most sought-after digital nomad destinations, owing to its pleasant weather, rich culture, and thriving expat scene. However, there’s no denying that there’s growing animosity among locals toward foreigners.
Reports that Lisbon natives are fed up with digital nomads—–which they perceive to have strongly contributed to the worsening housing crisis—–have been around since at least 2023, and things have certainly not improved since then.
The Portuguese capital is experiencing some ‘nomad fatigue,’ yet not all hope is lost for Portugal-bound remote workers.
Albufeira is a sunny city in the subtropical Algarve, in the country’s extreme south, where the sun is (almost) always shining, and the cost of living is lower, and it’s poised to become the ‘next Lisbon’:
From Quaint Fishing Village To Lively Coastal Resort
Formerly a fishing village that’s slowly become a leisure destination over recent decades, following a spike in demand from European vacationers (particularly Brits), Albufeira ticks all the boxes as it pertains to a summer getaway:
It is centered around a picture-perfect, whitewashed historic center, where cobbled streets are bordered by locally run eateries and quirky art galleries. Not to mention, it straddles a busy sand strip, hugging an azure Atlantic and packed with bars.
Picture Albufeira as your average laid-back coastal resort with an unusually high concentration of nightclubs:
It’s not precisely metropolitan by global standards, yet it’s certainly among Portugal’s liveliest places to be in 2025.
Tourists often flock here for the social scene and affordable package holiday deals, with five-star resorts on the beachfront offering overnight rates from only $154. But what of digital nomads and their own basic requirements?
What Can Albufeira Offer Nomads?
We’re not sure about you, but as digital nomads ourselves, we’re looking primarily for 5 characteristics when selecting our next home base, however temporary:
- The attitude towards foreigners has to be friendly
- Safety levels must be high
- Prices must be cheaper than at home
- It would help if it is usually warm, as opposed to cold for most of the year
We’re glad to report Albufeira satisfies all those criteria and then some.
We won’t lie and say it is as vibrant or with a cultural offer as vast as Lisbon’s or Porto’s. However, it does appeal to the kind of nomad who’s mostly looking for a peaceful little corner to chill, go for leisurely strolls down by the promenade in between work, and not overspend.
Albufeira has consistently not featured on lists of cities where anti-tourism or anti-nomad protests have been staged in recent years, and regardless of the nonchalant approach towards non-locals, it’s not like that makes you feel unwelcome.
In Europe these days, you can count yourself lucky if residents are just indifferent to your presence.
As it pertains to safety, crime levels are incredibly low in Albufeira, with 9.47 crimes for every 100,000 inhabitant, as reported by The Portugal News, and that’s largely consisting of pickpocketing and other forms of non-violent, petty crime.
If you’re worried about the rising religious extremism across the pond, and knife attacks in broad daylight, you should know Portugal is much safer in general than England, France, Germany and the like, and that includes Albufeira.
Albufeira Offers A Lower Cost Of Living
According to Numbeo, a trustworthy source for assessing living costs across different destinations, a meal in Albufeira costs on average $12.19––we’re talking a generous seafood platter or a francesinha (a Portuguese roast sandwich), paired with inexpensive beer.
If you feel like treating yourself on the weekend, and maybe your better half or summer fling, a three-course for two in a mid-range restaurant will still only set you back by $49.12.
Rent is where you might feel the pinch a little, and even then, we’d argue you can get a much better deal in Albufeira than most major cities back in the U.S. or Canada, like New York or Toronto, where you’ll be paying upwards of $1,500 for a tiny matchbox apartment outside the Downtown area.
Albufeira doesn’t have the cheapest rent in Portugal, nor the Algarve for that matter––still, you can get an entire apartment with ocean views and pool access from $1,008-a-month on Airbnb.
Last but certainly not least, there’s that glorious Algarve weather to take into account:
The sun shines unobstructed for over 300 days in a single calendar year, and whether you’re staying in Albufeira in the dead of winter or the peak of summer, chances are you won’t need to unpack the raincoat you brought ‘just in case’.
There are differences in temperature, of course, as it’s way warmer from mid-April through September, but even right now, it’s a tolerable 64.4°F out.
Americans Can Stay In Portugal Visa-Free For 3 Months
Portugal has been issuing Digital Nomad Visas for some time now, aiming to provide remote workers with a facilitated immigration route into the country if they can prove they meet a certain financial threshold, and don’t have a criminal record.
In 2025, the sum equals roughly €3,280 per month, or around US$3,442.
This doesn’t mean you can just fly to Portugal and set up residence if you fulfill these prerequisites: you’ll need to complete the official application form, get in touch with the nearest Portuguese Consulate to schedule an interview, and gather the necessary documentation.
If getting a visa sounds too much of a hassle, as you don’t plan to relocate anywhere indefinitely, you should know you can stay in Portugal as a short-term visitor for up to 90 days out of any 180-day period as a U.S. or Canada passport holder, no visas are needed.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.