North American Veronica Ondrejech retired early and decided to fulfill an old dream: to live in Europe. He chose Vila Real de Santo António, in the Algarve, where he bought a house overlooking the Guadiana River and found the balance he was looking for between cost of living and quality of life. His story, told to the Poppin Smoke blog, illustrates the growing demand for foreign retirees in Portugal, and in particular in the south of the country.
According to the same publication, Veronica and her husband, Ray, an Air Force veteran, decided to retire at age 50. They had planned to move to Portugal together, but Ray passed away unexpectedly before the trip. Even so, Veronica stuck to her plans and moved alone to the Algarve in 2017, fulfilling both of their dreams.
New beginning in the Eastern Algarve
Veronica chose Vila Real de Santo António after traveling through several Portuguese regions. As he stated in statements to the same blog, the city offered everything he was looking for: beach, river, peaceful life and good accessibility to other areas of Europe. “It has a beach, river, a central square and easy access to Faro and Seville”, he describes. The mild climate of the Algarve was another decisive factor.
The publication states that the house where Veronica lives, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment, with a garage, cost around 150,000 euros in 2018. The property overlooks the Guadiana River and the ocean, one of the points she values most. He adds that, with an additional 10,000 euros, he was able to purchase the garage in the same building, something considered rare in the area.
Live with less, but live better
The retired American considers that the cost of living in the Algarve is much lower than in California. Rents vary between 750 and 1,500 euros per month, depending on location.
“I’m shocked every time I receive a bill at a restaurant,” she says, noting that a complete menu can cost between 11 and 12 euros, including drink, dessert and coffee.
Beers and wine vary between one and three euros, and the dish of the day can cost less than seven euros. According to the same source, Veronica often prefers to eat out rather than cook at home, as the prices are similar.
Integration and daily life
O writes that Veronica did not encounter any major language barriers in the Algarve, where English is widely spoken. Still, he tries to learn Portuguese, mainly out of respect for the local culture. He explains that the Portuguese are welcoming and that the region attracts a large community of British and American expatriates.
In addition to the cost of living, Veronica highlights the safety and tranquility of the region. Spend your days in cafes overlooking the marina, local markets and meetings with foreign and Portuguese friends. “Many days, we sit having a snack and chatting for hours. The bill rarely exceeds 20 euros”, he said.
Reform overlooking the Guadiana
The American currently lives alone, but receives frequent visits from her children and maintains close contact with her family in the United States. “Living in Portugal is not very different, because we were already spread across several states”, he says.
The choice of Portugal was the result of a combination of factors: climate, cost of living, security and ease of integration. For Veronica, retiring in the Algarve was more than a change of country, it was a new way of living.
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