8 Ways to Make Money Online in Portugal (Experience from an Expat)

For over 2 years, I have been living with my Portuguese family in Porto, Portugal enjoying my life as a freelancer. This country is super laid back, with so much culture and history to soak in while eating an iconic Pastel de Nata. For anyone who works online, Portugal is a dream come true. 

An issue we all face at some point, however, are the opportunities and ways to make money online in Portugal. The competition is high, and maybe its just not possible to get a steady income. So what can you do? What are the options?

I've found some ways that I tested and use to this day, that can make you money online in Portugal Whether you are trying to keep your head above water, or simply add a little extra to your income, these methods can help you. 

Participate on Reward Platforms (€5-€25 hour)

While Portugal does not monetize reward programs as highly as other countries, the country has seen a huge increase in mobile use which has increased the demand for online money making opportunities. Freecash has been one of the most widely successful online gigs since this inflation. With over 15.625 offers available, you can play games, complete surveys, test out product websites, and earn instant rewards. 

To sign up, you don’t need to provide anything super complicated. 

I have lived in Portugal for three years, and finding Freecash or other reward platforms like Freecash has earned me up to €120 extra monthly. I could use that extra cash to pay for gas, house bills, or even groceries. Compared to other ways to earn money in Portugal, reward platforms have definitely been one of the easiest and fastest. 

Sign up for Cashback Apps (€5-€10 monthly)

There are some rather useful apps that will pay you to walk, sleep, and exercise. In Portugal, cashback apps are a must, as you can earn by simply walking to and from the metro. Cashback apps monitor your habits so the producer knows how to better monetize their product, to then provide you with pay and motivation to stay active. 

I have been testing cashback apps while living in Portugal and have found these apps the most rewarding:

There are a few complaints about ads, and honestly, yes, they can get pretty annoying from time to time. But you can skip them easily; just wait for the skip prompt to appear and be on your way. 

Not every month will look the same, but you can also explore multiple ways to earn money online through reading, watching Netflix, or even coming up with ideas. 

Complete Surveys on Apps (€0.15-€3 per survey) 

A really popular way to make money online in Portugal is by taking online surveys. Surveys are easy, and literally anyone can do them. If you like to give your opinion or answer questions, surveys are an easy outlet. 

You do not earn too much money for each completed survey, but you can complete them within a few seconds. Ideally, you can make around €5 per hour doing surveys if you sit down on the couch and just answer questions. If you do this for an hour a day, you can easily make €150 extra a month. 

A couple of apps I recommend that I found easy to cash out in Portugal would be: 

While I do like to answer surveys, they may not be a very reliable source of consistent income. Learning a skill like writing or design could boost your potential for a more stable gig with a better long-term retention. 

Online Freelance Writer (€5-€15 per article)

Freelance writing is a very popular way to make money online in Portugal. There are hundreds of ways to get paid, such as translating, posting on social media, or even writing a blog. Depending on your skill level and the platform that you use to find gigs, you can easily earn from €5 to €15 per article or €200 per month.

I have been a freelance writer in Portugal for a while, and I have to say this is probably the best way to get started in a fantastic side gig or even a career. There are so many opportunities if you speak both Portuguese and English, including in Porto, Lisbon, or even in the Algarve. 

A few places I would recommend that are Portuguese-friendly and full of opportunities would be:

Once you sign up for a freelance platform, you can also take some Udemy certifications to help sharpen your skills in content writing or SEO basics. However, if you are not looking to spend money, there are many ways to make money with no initial investment to consider. 

Online Freelance Graphic Designer (€5-€15 per gig)

If you are not very interested in writing but have an eye for graphics and want to help design images for websites, YouTube, or social media, there are tons of ways to get started in the graphic design field. Not only this, but you do not necessarily need a higher education or degree to get freelance gigs. 

Similar to freelance writing gigs, you will need to find design gigs on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. However, if you are completely new at graphic design and do not even know where to start, check out this graphic design masterclass that covers everything you need to know before getting started. 

If you are getting serious about this and have some investment to put in, I also found these super affordable courses (not US prices, but Portugal-friendly prices, I promise) on Udemy that could enhance your skills:

Once you have the skills, you can start applying for gigs like creating thumbnails for Youtube, Blogs, etc. 

Create a YouTube Channel (€0.02 per view)

I have so many friends in Portugal who make money on YouTube channels. Whether they perform live streams or share how-to videos, YouTube is an awesome choice if you have a passion for video games, teaching, or maybe even reviews. 

If I were not so camera-shy, this would be my first choice as a side gig. But it does require you to be rather outgoing, with a solid camera and microphone and ambient that is, for the most part, quiet.

YouTube channels can be low-performing and slow to progress. But you can earn passive income by just leaving up lives and videos on your channel. Once you get about 10,000 initial views, your channel will become properly monetized, bringing in a small income per month.

Sell Crafts or Art Online (€5-€20)

If you are looking for a way to make money online in Portugal but have no tech skills to offer, selling crafts or art online is extremely easy. Simply create an Etsy account and build up a profile of items that you would like to sell. These can be anything from jewelry to plush toys, hats, socks, stickers, or even paintings. 

You can earn €5-€25 per piece sold, or even more depending on the value. I have a friend, who sells her own stickers as a side gig and travels all over Portugal, making easily €300-€400 per month from sales. She would simply befriend co-workers, and they would ask her for a folder of her sticker collections. From there, it was easy money. 

Invest in Stocks or Crypto (€5-€30 per share)

Investing has been a very difficult option for Portuguese or anyone who lives in Portugal. With high taxes and complicated paperwork, investing can seem impossible. However, I was able to find some simple, easy ways to invest without running into problems. 

Some Portuguese banks actually make it simple to invest directly, like Millennium BPD. You can use their app and learn more about how to invest in Portugal. I personally DO NOT recommend using Revolut in Portugal, however, as they charge super high transaction fees. With Portuguese low salaries and taxes applied to larger investments, it is just not optimal to use this app, regardless of its popularity.

I would recommend these alternatives for investing in Portugal:

Alternatively, if you are looking for crypto investment apps, I would recommend Metamask or Coinbase as some of the more user-friendly and flexible options.