Cost of Living in Ericeira

Ericeira's accommodation landscape centers on the historic town core and fans outward along the coast. The old town around Praca da Republica and Rua Dr. Eduardo Burnay is the most walkable area, putting you within steps of cafes, restaurants, and the fishing harbor, though apartments here tend to be older and can lack modern fittings. Heading north toward Ribeira d'Ilhas, you will find quieter surroundings popular with surfers, but most rentals require a car or bicycle since shops and coworking spaces are a 10-15 minute drive away. To the south, the Sao Juliao area offers larger properties and more affordable rents, while the inland town of Mafra, about 10 kilometers east, provides the cheapest housing options in the region with easy bus connections to Ericeira.

Ericeira's food scene blends traditional Portuguese cooking with a growing surf-town cafe culture that keeps prices refreshingly affordable. The heart of the experience lies in the local tascas, family-run taverns where a prato do dia costs between €8 and €12 and typically includes soup, a generous main course, a drink such as house wine or beer, and a coffee. Grilled sardines, bacalhau dishes, and fresh fish platters dominate these menus, and a full seafood dinner at spots like Ti Matilde or A Panela will run €12 to €18 per person. For a proper cataplana or arroz de marisco shared between two, expect to pay €25 to €35 for the dish. Bifanas and pregos, the beloved Portuguese pork and beef sandwiches, cost just €3 to €5 at casual counters and are a reliable quick lunch.

Ericeira has solid supermarket coverage for a small coastal town, giving remote workers several options to keep grocery bills low. Pingo Doce is the most conveniently located chain and carries a wide selection of Portuguese staples plus ready-made meals and a decent bakery section. Lidl, situated slightly outside the center, is the clear budget winner with prices roughly ten to fifteen percent lower than competitors on most items. Intermarche rounds out the options with a strong fresh-meat and deli counter. Basic staples are affordable across all three: a liter of milk runs €0.90 to €1.10, a loaf of fresh bread costs €1.20 to €1.60, a dozen eggs are around €2.50 to €3.00, a kilogram of rice is €1.30 to €1.50, and chicken breast sits at €6.00 to €7.00 per kilo. Portuguese olive oil, a kitchen essential, can be found for €4 to €6 per liter, while local cheese starts at roughly €2 per wedge.

Ericeira sits about 50 km northwest of Lisbon, and reaching the town from Lisbon Airport is straightforward. The most affordable option is public transit: take the Metro green or yellow line to Campo Grande station, then catch a Carris Metropolitana bus (lines 2740 or 2803) from bays 22-24 at the adjacent terminal. The express 2803 reaches Ericeira in roughly 60 minutes and costs around €4.50 per ride, while the slower 2740 takes 75 minutes at a similar fare. Buses run 18 times daily on weekdays and 13 on weekends, with service from about 8:00 to 23:00. For a faster door-to-door trip, Uber or Bolt from the airport typically runs €35-50 depending on demand, taking around 40 minutes outside rush hour. Pre-booked private transfers cost a flat €55-75 for up to four passengers and remove any surge-pricing uncertainty.

Portugal boasts some of Europe's best broadband infrastructure, with over 92% fiber-to-the-home coverage nationwide and average fixed-line speeds above 200 Mbps. Ericeira benefits from this national backbone, and most residential rentals offer fiber connections delivering 100-300 Mbps through providers like NOS, MEO, or Vodafone. While not every apartment in the old town has been upgraded, the vast majority of newer builds and renovated units include fiber as standard. For mobile data, Portugal's three main carriers all provide strong 4G and expanding 5G coverage in the Ericeira area. Prepaid tourist SIM cards are easy to grab at Lisbon Airport or any phone shop: MEO offers 30 GB for €15 valid 30 days, Vodafone has 15 GB for €15 over 30 days, and NOS provides 30 GB for €30 with EU-wide roaming. Monthly post-paid plans for longer stays run €20-30 for generous data allowances.

Ericeira falls under Mafra municipality for public healthcare, and the local Centro de Saude on Rua Dr. Eduardo Burnay is the primary care point for residents and registered expats. The center offers general consultations, family medicine, nursing, and community referrals for nutrition, psychology, and oral health services. To register, bring your passport, NIF number, and proof of residency — once enrolled you receive a Numero de Utente granting access to Portugal's national health service. EU and EEA citizens can use a valid European Health Insurance Card for medically necessary treatment under the same conditions as locals, though the EHIC covers only unplanned care during temporary stays and is not a replacement for proper health insurance.

Ericeira was designated a World Surfing Reserve in 2011, only the second location globally after Malibu to receive this honor from the Save the Waves Coalition, protecting four kilometers of coastline with seven world-class breaks. Surf culture permeates daily life here — the economy revolves around surf schools, board shapers, and wave-side cafes, and the community actively guards its coast from overdevelopment. If you plan to surf, respect lineup etiquette: wait your turn, never drop in on others, and show deference at heavier spots like Coxos where experienced locals can be protective of their waves. Beginners should stick to mellower breaks such as Foz do Lizandro and consider booking a few lessons before paddling out on their own to learn the unspoken social rules of each spot.