DAILY POSTCARD | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2026 |
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Dear International Living reader, Sharie and David were 70 and 71 and still working to keep up with their bills. Between $7,000 a year in property taxes, health insurance, and a mortgage, they could see the road ahead clearly—more years of work, less time to live. Despite all this, they still made time to travel. And one town in Portugal kept calling them back. Visit after visit, it became clear, this was where they were meant to be. Eventually, they stopped dreaming about "someday" and made the move with their two cats. Now their lives are filled with community, culture, and ease—instead of the pressure of rising costs and constant financial stress. They have a laidback lifestyle that never would have been possible back home. | |
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Life in a Medieval Town for $1,900 a Month |
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| Sharie and David were 70 and 71 years old and still working just to make ends meet in Portland, Oregon. Sharie had set up and worked at the first-ever day spa in Oregon and David worked as a land developer, consultant, and planner for 30 years before setting up a business which sold mulch to garden centers and farmers' markets. There was no way they could stop working and retire with the high cost of living, health insurance, property taxes, and a mortgage. |
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"It was costing us $4,000 a month just for our house, which included over $7,000 a year for property taxes," David says. "That didn't include utilities or anything else." Plus, the Oregon weather was typically rainy and cool. When this busy, active couple were not working, they loved to travel and they explored much of Europe. But one country in particular stood out and they returned time after time. One country captured their hearts and they knew they wanted to make it home. "It was the people that really sealed the deal for us," David explains. "They are so gracious and welcoming, even to those of us who don't speak the language." And they fell in love with the laidback lifestyle. "Americans are so work oriented, and just live to work," David says. "Europeans work to live and find plenty of time to relax with friends and family." David convinced his wife to take the plunge and move . Finally, they would be able to stop working and enjoy life. They sold their house in Oregon along with their businesses, packed up their two cats, and boarded a one-way flight to Portugal in 2019. Their search brought them to an area that has similar weather to Oregon. Summers are spring-like and winters are mild with rain. David and Sharie found the perfect home just a 10-minute walk outside a walled medieval city. Their townhouse features three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and came fully furnished. "And the best part," Sharie says, "is that we can sit outside on our terrace and see the castle." |
They paid €185,000 ($214,497) for the home. David adds that the best part is the low-cost property taxes that will only set them back $350 a year. "Back in Oregon, our property taxes were over $7,000 a year!" Although David and Sharie are retired, they enjoy taking long walks in the countryside and take full advantage of the very affordable wine and eating out. A typical meal with wine costs less than $20 for two. David and Sharie estimate that they live on about one-third of the money they lived on in Oregon. "Since our house is paid for and we can walk most places, which saves us from using the car all the time, we live comfortably on about €1,700 ($1,970) per month." They bought a health insurance policy at a cost of just €113 ($131) per month for the two of them. "It does only cover 50% of our healthcare costs, but with healthcare here costing so much less than the US, we are not worried," David says. "We have made many friends in the two years that we have lived here, and I feel so blessed," Sharie adds. "Life is good." |
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Editor's Note: Sharie and David's new home is the kind of place people find and never want to leave—a close-knit, slow-paced community where expats live well and quietly hope the rest of the world never catches on. But towns like this exist all over the world—hidden gems where a lower cost of living meets an extraordinary quality of life. And we introduce you to 51 of them in our brand-new book, Live Better Overseas. Inside, you'll find 51 secret destinations where you can live richly for less—before the rest of the world catches on. Join International Living today International Living today, and we'll send you a FREE copy. But hurry—this offer expires soon! |
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Stop googling. Stop spending hours on YouTube or Instagram or Facebook. Stop trawling forums. Just click the link above to learn how to claim your free ticket (with a special offer) right to our online event Retire to Portugal Summit. Release date in just a few weeks… it's all online… and your ticket is FREE with this special membership offer – includes 10 bonus gifts... Click here to learn how to claim your FREE ticket... |
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