Lisbon, Portugal… if you know, you know! Lisbon and its historical center are some of the best-kept secrets of Europe —warm, stunning, and packed full of friendly Portuguese people living by the sea, it’s easy to see why tons of digital nomads find themselves living in Lisbon. Settled more than 3,000 years ago, it predates other better-known European capitals like Rome, Paris, or London, so there’s tons of history, art, and culture here, and it has a growing tech scene popular among nomads.
Thanks to its stunning location on the sea (did we mention it’s stunning?), Lisbon provides the perfect mix of city-meets-beach vibes—although you will have to take a train to get to the closest sandy swath of playa. If you’re really a surfer who moonlights as a digital nomad, even better—Portugal is known for both its giant and beginner-sized waves, although it might be a bit of a bungle fitting your board on the train. By the way, public transit here is fantastic, which makes it even more digital nomad-friendly—leave those cars at home and hit the cable cars instead.
Another lovely Lisbon thing to note; the weather. It stays fairly mild year-round with the hottest months occurring in July and August. It gets hot—really hot—and touristy here, so be prepared, but otherwise, Lisbon is still a fabulous place for Digital Nomads year round.
QUICK SUMMARY
| Pros | Cons |
|
Beautiful Big Digital Nomad Community Culture/Food Affordable Safe |
Can get hot Very touristy Somewhat removed from rest of Europe Not car-friendly |
| Similar destinations: Barcelona, Las Palmas | |
WHERE TO STAY?
Bairro Alto is a popular area to go out with lots of restaurants, bars, clubs, and cafés—this is definitely where you want to go out at night, but has a distinctly Portuguese vibe during the day, making it a solid central location.
Alcantara is a great neighborhood for Digital Nomads thanks with its easy access to everyday necessities like the gym, supermarket, cafés and coworking spaces. It’s also quite affordable compared to the more touristy areas.
Alfama is the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon, which makes it an excellent place to visit, but also quite expensive. Close to all the major site-seeing, it’s very touristy but has tons of AirBnbs, hostels, and hotels to choose from.
ACCOMMODATION IN LISBON FOR DIGITAL NOMADS
Lisbon’s popularity in recent years has made housing a bit more difficult to come by than a few years ago. Airbnb, of course, is a solid, reliable resource for finding temporary or rental housing, but you will likely pay tourist prices, and there’s also Uniplaces which is popular in Europe. We highly recommend these FB groups:
- Accommodations for digital nomads in Lisbon FB Group
- Lisbon Expat Rooms, Flats & Roommates
- Casas e apartamentos parra arrendar em Lisboa
Coliving options
Hostels with Digital Nomads in mind
Good Morning Hostel Lisbon highly rated budget option in the center of town.
Home Hostel Lisbon features a coworking area.
Selina Secret Garden Lisbon is well-known for its coworking/living spaces.
COWORKING AND GOOD PLACES TO WORK
Coworking spaces
Heden Creative Coworking TRAVESSA DA PEREIRA 35A
Cowork Central Rua da Alegria 122B, 3° 1250-096 Lisbon
Favorite Cafes to work
Copenhagen Coffee Lab is a lot like a coworking space thanks to everyone on their laptops.
Libraries
Livraria Ferin – More of a bookstore than a library, this place is still highly recommended as a place to hang, work, concentrate and/or study.
Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal
WHERE TO MEET NOMADS
Here’s the Lisbon Digital Nomads Meetup Group with a weekly meetup at Logradouro da Bempostinha and nearly 6k members!
Lisbon Digital Nomads FB group
GENERAL INFO
One of the most fabulous parts of living in Lisbon is its affordability—particularly in comparison to other European countries. A solid lunch (even with wine!) at a non-touristy spot will run you about €10, and a 1br studio in the city center costs around €650. That being said, there are tons of rooms online that base range from €300 if you’re willing to have a roommate.
To be a happy nomad, we recommend budgeting €2,000 per month.
€2 for a beer
€6 basic dinner
€1 coffee
€149/month coworking space
MONEY (ATM PRICES)
ATMs (multibanco or caixa automático) in Lisbon, Portugal usually only allow you to withdraw €400 per transaction. Unless your bank is part of the Global ATM Alliance or is based in Portugal, you’ll likely have to pay ATM fees
Most shops and restaurants accept international chip and pin credit cards, but you’ll likely want to carry some extra pocket change around Lisbon as a backup—especially if you want to purchase items from street vendors, etc.
Azimo App transfers to Portugal
Transferwise to Portugal info
WIFI SPEED INFO
Thanks to the fact Portugal integrated WiFi and broadband technology systems later than the rest of Europe, WiFi speeds in Lisbon are on par or better than some places in the UK—particularly if you spend time in coworking locations, cafés, and places of the like. The Portuguese government has even set up a Espaco Internet for free public WiFi spaces, so you should be able to get connected simply strolling around the plazas at times.
GETTING AROUND
Getting to/from Lisbon Airport (LIS): a fast, cheap way to get to the airport is by taking the Metro. At €1.45 per ticket, it’s the most affordable way to get from the city center to the airport, but you can also take the Aerobús, which leaves every 20 minutes from the financial district and city center and costs €4. For more information on trains, buses, taxis and airport transfer services, visit the Lisbon Airport website.
Uber is legal in Lisbon, and according to Portugalist, it’s sometimes slightly less expensive than a regular taxi. The benefits of taking Uber (it’s safe, reliable, affordable) often go without saying, but there are Uber alternatives such as Bolt and MyTaxi in Lisbon.
Taxis are a wonderful way to get around Lisbon thanks to the drivers’ thorough knowledge of the city. Hail one of the green-and-black or cream-colored taxis yourself, or go to a marked taxi bay to snag one. Want to call one instead? Radio Taxis has English-speaking operators you can reach here: Tel. 218119000, 969531660 or 919781000
With an array of buses, trains, the Metro, and its infamous trams, Lisbon is no stranger to public transit, and you may want to commit to going car-less in order to avoid parking tickets and fees. To avoid juggling a bunch of different tickets, buy a Colinas Card at the airport, any metro station or a newspaper stand.
Not keen on getting around via public transit or paying for a car? Lisbon now has dockless E-scooters to rent (Lime, Voi and Hive just to name a few), and you can find bicycles and other moto-friendly options available throughout the city. Check out Lisbon Scooter or Lisbon Bike Rentals for more info.
MOBILE INTERNET/SIM CARD USE
Looking to buy a SIM card in Lisbon? Easy—just head to a Vodaphone store or kiosk (there’s one in the airport) to get the goods. Thanks to the “roam at home” regulations in the EU, your SIM card should work outside of Portugal if you’re traveling between countries.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
If you decide to enter Portugal as a tourist, you are allowed to stay for 90 days. Your passport must be valid for 6 months after entry.
RESOURCES
Include at least 4-6 resources /high-quality articles that link to helpful information about the destination. These should include the following:
Lost LeBlanc Travel Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsnLGEQea4s
General Lisbon City Guide:
- Geeky Explorer Guide to Lisbon Portugal
- Expedia Guide
- Lisbon Instagram: Visiting Lisbon
Vegan and Vegetarian Blog Lisbon:
- Very thorough article from The Nomadic Vegan
Best things to do:
A great local magazine:
HOW TO SPEND YOUR FREE TIME
There are tons to do and see in the city of seven hills —nightlife, food and drink included. Check out the miradours scattered around the city for some epic views, or head to Tram 28 for an iconic Lisbon experience on the cable car. Take a quick trip to the beach for some surfing, head to the Tagus River for some history… the list goes on! The Crazy Tourist notes 25 things to do here.
SHORT TRIPS & ADVENTURES
Outline 3-4 awesome short (weekend trips) trips just a few notes with links to other content… we could also link to other articles or videos here.
Sintra is one of the top weekend or day trip destinations. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s situated in the mountains and features picturesque churches, castles, and colorful, picturesque scenery.
No trip to Lisbon would be complete without hitting the beach. Cascais is the perfect seaside beach town to practice your surf or perfect your suntan.
Delightfully surrounded by olive groves and villages, Evora is your ideal romantic getaway.
Historic town Obidos is located in central Portugal and is just an express ride away from Lisbon.