Goodbye Hawaii, Hello Portugal; Comparing Housing Costs

After a scouting trip in 2022, Min and I sold our home in Hawaii and bought our first home in Portugal along the Silver Coast. We went from a 3,000 sf home on Oahu to a 1,000 sf condo in the historic fishing village of Nazare.

One could think that being retired and having no debt in the land of "Aloha" one could live a simple life on Mai Tai's and fresh poke, but that is far from reality. Insurance premiums, property taxes and utility costs can still continue to eat away at the nest eggs of many kama'aina.

Hawaii used to be known for some of the lowest property taxes in the US. Property taxes on the Hawaii home we sold were $400 per month compared to the $53 we now pay. Since property taxes are based on square footage, that may be a bit apples to oranges but a similar condo on Oahu to where we live in Portugal would average $250 per month.

Homeowners and Hurricane Insurance premiums on the Hawaii home were $350 per month. In Portugal we now pay $50 per month and there's no need for Hurricane coverage.

Utility costs have gone up considerably on Oahu. For our two bedroom condo in Portugal our electric, water, cable, internet and HOA fees average $300 per month.

Combined with better healthcare than the US, a safer environment than the US, no traffic, cleanliness, excellent cuisine and close proximity to all of Europe for us making this move was a no-brainer. Watch our latest video here to see how the housing costs compare between Oahu and Portugal.