What struck me was this "There isn’t an average Portuguese who, even if earning two thousand euros a month — I don’t know anyone who earns that much". Thats only 24k USD a year!
I don't know where they got that number... most of my friends in Lisbon (outside tech) make some 900€ a month if they're lucky :( Qualified make more than 1k, but still less than 2k
