Is 15 000 €/year a Good Salary in Portugal?
It's a starter salary by Portugal standards. Workable for a single person, especially outside the most expensive cities, but saving requires discipline.
A gross salary of this level in Portugal sits around the 38th percentile — entry-level for the country. After estimated tax, take-home is roughly 11,885 EUR/year.
What does this salary mean?
For Portugal, 15 000 € per year is a modest income. It works for a single adult in mid-cost areas, but it feels noticeably tighter in Lisbon-tier cities.
Broken down monthly, that is roughly 1250 € gross per month — and about 990 €/month (11 885 €/year) after estimated tax in Portugal.
Supporting a family on a single income at this level in Portugal is difficult — most households would need a second earner or significant cost-cutting.
Monthly affordability snapshot
Directional pressure across the main spending categories at this income in Portugal.
Comfortable rent budget across most Portugal regions, including Lisbon.
Day-to-day food and household basics are covered without strain.
Owning a modest car or commuting daily is sustainable.
Realistic savings rate is low single digits — most income is consumed by essentials.
Occasional travel, hobbies, and extras fit, but require planning.
Rent pressure
In Lisbon, rent would consume about 40% of take-home, leaving a usable but watchful budget. Coimbra feels noticeably easier. These are directional figures based on typical 1-bedroom rent benchmarks; actual rent depends heavily on neighbourhood, size, and timing.
Take-home pay context
Gross pay is what's listed on the offer; net pay is what arrives after income tax and Segurança Social. For this level in Portugal, the combined effective deduction is roughly 21%, leaving about 990 € per month. Actual take-home varies with state/regional taxes, filing status, retirement contributions, and benefits — treat these as planning figures rather than payroll numbers.
Lifestyle tier
Manages basic needs but with little slack. Rent, transport, and food consume most of the monthly budget.
Practical interpretation
- Comfortable in mid-cost Portugal cities; tighter in Lisbon.
- Pay-period choice (monthly vs yearly) doesn't change the underlying purchasing power.
- Solo housing fits in most regions, including modest 1-bedroom rentals.
- Targeting a 10–15% savings rate is realistic with steady budgeting.
How it stacks up in Portugal
What this salary means in practice
Supporting a family on a single income at this level in Portugal is difficult — most households would need a second earner or significant cost-cutting.
Realistic savings rate at this level is in low single digits — most income is consumed by essentials.
Renting in Lisbon eats a heavy share of net pay; smaller cities like Coimbra feel much more sustainable.
In Lisbon, costs run roughly 30% above the national baseline — so the same salary feels meaningfully different than it does in Coimbra.
What earners at this level can usually afford
Realistic in most cities
Affordable with monthly budgeting
Possible only by saving over months
Occasional, not routine
Difficult without dual income
Hard while covering essentials
Generally out of range
Adjust the numbers
Try a different country or amount to see how the verdict shifts.
Compared against Lisbon cost-of-living baseline. Estimates only — not financial advice.
Other Portugal salary verdicts
Go deeper
In Portugal, 15 000 €/year is below the national median — about 17% below the median. After ~21% in income tax and social contributions, take-home is around 990 €/month (11 885 €/year). Living costs in Lisbon run noticeably higher than the national average, so the same paycheck stretches further in smaller cities.
- Below national median
- Tight for single person
- Tight for family of 4
- Moderate housing pressure
- Limited savings room
Compare nearby Portugal salaries
- Is 35 000 €/year good in Portugal?Same country, different amount
- Is 55 000 €/year good in Portugal?Same country, different amount
- Is 80 000 €/year good in Portugal?Same country, different amount
- Is 100 000 €/year good in Portugal?Same country, different amount
- 15 000 € after tax in PortugalFull take-home breakdown
Common questions
Last updated: 2026. Verdict uses simplified national statistics. Estimates only — not financial advice.