Digi vs MEO in Portugal: gigabit fibre in Lisbon, priced over two years

Digi is the cheaper gigabit line in Portugal by a wide margin: on 26 September 2026 its 1 Gbps fibre was listed at 10 euros a month with a three month minimum, free installation and a free router, against 29.99 euros a month for MEO's internet only 1 Gbps plan on a standard 24 month contract (Digi configurator; MEO internet packages). Over two years that is about 240 euros against about 720 euros. MEO's case rests on coverage and on the bundle, not on price.

Every price below comes from the operators' own pages, read on 26 September 2026, and the other figures cite their source. Telecom prices in Portugal move with each campaign, so check the live page for your address before you sign.

How much does gigabit fibre cost in Lisbon?

Between 10 and about 46 euros a month, depending on the operator and on whether TV comes with it. The internet only offers are close to each other at the incumbents and far below them at Digi.

Three details sit in the small print. NOS's 30 euros includes a 1 euro discount that only applies with direct debit and electronic invoicing, and its conditions were marked valid until 30 September 2026 for new customers on a 24 month contract (NOS Net packages). MEO's M1 price includes the basic FiberGateway router, with a Wi-Fi 6 model at 2.99 euros a month extra. Vodafone publishes its prices per address, so its page showed no fixed figure we could quote (Vodafone packages).

Is Digi cheaper than MEO over two years?

Yes, by about 480 euros on a like for like internet only line. The arithmetic is short:

1. Digi, 1 Gbps: 24 months at 10 euros is 240 euros, with installation free on the standard fibre product.
2. MEO M1 Net 1Gbps: 24 months at 29.99 euros is 719.76 euros.
3. NOS 1 Gbps: 24 months at 30 euros is 720 euros, if you keep the direct debit discount.
4. MEO M3 bundle: 4 months at 29.49 euros plus 20 months at 45.49 euros is 1,027.76 euros.

The bundle comparison is the one people usually quote, and it overstates the gap for anyone who does not want Portuguese TV. Even on internet only, though, the incumbents cost about three times Digi's list price. Digi's own 10 Gbps PRO-DIGI tier, at 15 euros a month, carries a 20 euro installation charge on the first bill, which still leaves it cheaper than any incumbent gigabit line.

What is fidelização, and what does it cost to leave early?

Fidelização is the minimum term, and breaking it costs money. ANACOM, the Portuguese telecom regulator, caps the charge for contracts signed from 14 November 2022 at the lower of two amounts: the value of the advantage you received for committing (which must be stated in the contract), or a share of the remaining monthly fees, 50 percent if you cancel in the first year and 30 percent in the second (ANACOM, fidelização FAQ).

Run that on MEO's internet only line. Leave after eight months and sixteen payments of 29.99 euros remain, about 480 euros. Half of that is about 240 euros, so the most MEO can charge is around 240 euros, and less if the advantage written in your contract is smaller. That is roughly what a full two years of Digi costs.

The same ANACOM page sets the maximum initial term at 24 months and requires operators to offer contracts without fidelização. MEO confirms that option exists, and warns that it can mean higher installation, activation and monthly charges (MEO TV Net Voz). Vodafone lists 24, 12 and 6 month terms plus a no commitment option, and says its 24 month plans usually come with installation and activation at 0 euros.

Can you cancel a Portuguese internet contract if you move abroad?

Sometimes, and the condition matters. ANACOM says that if you emigrate and this was unforeseeable when you signed, the operator cannot charge the early exit fee. You cancel in writing with at least 30 days' notice and show a certificate of residence in the other country, or a work or service contract that requires you to live abroad (ANACOM, emigration and contracts). A nomad who always planned a one year stay will struggle to call the departure unforeseeable. Do not treat this rule as a free exit.

Which one should a digital nomad in Lisbon pick?

For a stay of under two years, Digi, if your address is covered. The three month minimum means the worst case is a short, cheap mistake. Where Digi fibre has not arrived, its Net Fixa 5G home internet over the mobile network is listed at 5 euros a month (Digi Portugal). For a stay of a few months, fixed internet may not be worth the paperwork at all: Woo, a no commitment mobile brand, listed 100 GB of data and 2,500 minutes or texts for 5 euros a month, for sign ups until 30 September 2026 (Woo).

For a long stay, an incumbent can make sense, but for coverage rather than price. Fibre reaches about 95.4 percent of Portuguese households and premises (TelecomLead, July 2026), and Digi does not cover every building that MEO, NOS or Vodafone reach. If Digi cannot connect you, take an internet only tariff rather than a bundle, and put the renewal date in your calendar: that is when a better price is easiest to ask for.

For the wider setup, from speeds to backup connections, read our internet guide. To weigh Lisbon against other bases, use the destination comparison.

What do you need to sign a fibre contract in Portugal?

A NIF (tax number), a Portuguese address and Portuguese bank details, and a credit check may apply. A prepaid SIM needs only a passport (GrowIN Portugal, August 2026). Before you sign:

1. Check coverage for your exact address on the operator's site.
2. Ask for the internet only price per month, and the price after any promotional months end.
3. Ask for the installation and activation fee without a 24 month commitment.
4. Read the advantage the contract says you get for the fidelização, because it caps your exit fee.
5. Sign the lease before the internet contract, never the other way round.

Plan for the wait. A price survey dated 17 September 2026 put typical installation lead times at 3 to 7 days for MEO and Vodafone, 5 to 10 days for NOS and 7 to 14 days for Digi (Unlock Portugal). If you start work the day you arrive, a mobile plan covers the gap.

Updated on 25 September 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm with the official source linked above before you act.