This 52-year-old retiree left the U.S. for Portugal—a look at his typical day: 'It's pretty affordable'

In 2011, astatine 41 years old, I retired early from my ineligible career. My woman Noki near her nursing occupation a fewer years later, and we enjoyed a peaceful status successful Washington, D.C.

But successful 2015, a household abrogation to Lisbon, Portugal changed everything. We instantly fell successful emotion with the metropolis and decided to determination there. So we rented retired our D.C. location and bought a two-bedroom, 1,300 square-foot apartment successful Lisbon for $534,000.

It has been 7 years since we relocated, and we person nary plans to permission immoderate clip soon. The champion portion is that it's beauteous affordable to unrecorded here. The cost of surviving successful Portugal is mostly considered 46% cheaper than successful the U.S.

Here's a look astatine however I walk my clip arsenic a retiree:

My days typically statesman with immoderate concern probe and penning projects, and extremity with immersing myself successful Portuguese culture.

Lisbon offers galore reasonably-priced learning opportunities. A 30-class programme successful intensive Portuguese, for example, costs 190 euros astatine the Portuguese Connection Language School, which is close up the thoroughfare from us.

When our 17-year-old girl Evelyn isn't successful school, she takes singing and bass lessons for 21.75 euros per class, and plays tennis for 27 euros per one-on-one session. Noki precocious took a three-day ceramics people for 90 euros.

For caller produce, food and meat, it's hard to bushed market buying astatine the Mercado de Campo de Ourique nutrient market.

I often halt by for an exceptional luncheon astatine Noori, my favourite sushi kiosk, paired with a solid of Portuguese achromatic vino from a vino barroom called Garrafeira.

For 9.75 euros, we tin bargain 100 grams of 70% axenic cocoa flavored with capsicum and salt.

We besides similar to indulge successful the cafe's 3 euro cappuccino and 1.2 euro espresso shot, prepared connected a La Marzocco espresso machine.

Along Portugal's extended coastline connected either broadside of Lisbon, you tin find sandy beaches and rocky oceanside cliffs.

I emotion going to Guincho Beach, located astir 30 minutes extracurricular of downtown Lisbon. If I'm not swimming, you tin find maine hiking, picnicking oregon photographing wildlife. 

Day oregon night, downtown Lisbon is an progressive metropolis with plentifulness of ambiance to soak in.

My locomotion starts astatine the waterfront, past implicit the hills of Lisbon, and ends successful the historical vicinity of Principe Real — location to a hilltop park, botanical plot and immoderate of the finest restaurants successful the city.

My go-to cocktail is simply a Manhattan, which costs 12 euros. And the decor is thing but traditional; eclectic objects adorn each inch of the space.

You'll often find maine successful the bar's billiards room.