How Much Does a Part-Time Cleaner or Nanny Cost in Portugal (2026)?

Hiring a domestic worker on a part-time monthly contract (fixed monthly hours) or paying by the day/hour involves different legal rules and calculations under Portuguese law. This guide breaks down the true cost in 2026 for both arrangements — including base pay, Social Security (Segurança Social) contributions, allowances, and mandatory workplace accident insurance (seguro de acidentes de trabalho).

If you need the figures for a full-time 40-hour schedule, see our guide on full-time housekeeper costs. To learn about the worker’s legal entitlements, see our guide on domestic worker rights in Portugal.

How much does a 20-hour weekly part-time contract cost?

Under a monthly part-time contract, the worker has fixed monthly hours and a set base salary. For a 20-hour work week (half of a full-time 40-hour schedule), the minimum monthly salary in 2026 is €460.00 per month (half of the €920.00 national minimum wage), paid 14 times per year.

For Social Security, contribution deductions under the Conventional Regime (regime de remuneração convencional) use a base proportional to working hours: for 20 hours per week, the contribution base is half of the 2026 Social Support Index (IAS — Indexante dos Apoios Sociais, €537.13), which equals €268.57 per month.

Component	Calculation	Annual Cost
Base salary	€460.00 × 12	€5,520.00
Holiday allowance (subsídio de férias)	€460.00 × 1	€460.00
Christmas allowance (subsídio de Natal)	€460.00 × 1	€460.00
Employer Social Security	€268.57 × 18.9% = €50.76; × 12	€609.12
Workplace accident insurance	€150.00/year	€150.00
Total annual cost		€7,199.12
Monthly average		€599.93

How much net pay does the worker receive?

The worker pays a 9.4% Social Security contribution on the proportional IAS base (€268.57) rather than on the €460.00 actual gross salary, resulting in a monthly deduction of €25.25.

Subtracting this from the €460.00 base salary leaves a net monthly pay of €434.75.

How much does day work or hourly cleaning cost for a few mornings a week?

When a worker is paid by the day or hour, there are no fixed monthly contract hours guaranteed. This is the most common arrangement in Portugal: Social Security records show that most registered domestic workers work on a daily/hourly basis, with an average declared monthly earnings of around €358.00.

Under the Conventional Regime, Social Security sets a reference base of €3.10 per hour in 2026 (derived from the €537.13 IAS). Contributions are calculated on this reference value rather than on the hourly rate agreed with the worker.

Practical example: 2 mornings per week (8 hours weekly)

Consider a schedule of 2 mornings per week, 4 hours each (8 hours per week, equivalent to 34.7 hours per month on average). At €7.00 per hour — above the legal proportional minimum of €5.31/hour — the annual breakdown is:

Component	Calculation	Annual Cost
Wage (8h/week at €7.00/hour)	€7.00 × 34.7h × 12 months	€2,914.80
Holiday allowance (subsídio de férias)	€242.90 × 1	€242.90
Christmas allowance (subsídio de Natal)	€242.90 × 1	€242.90
Employer Social Security	€3.10 × 34.7h = €107.57; × 18.9% = €20.33; × 12 months	€243.96
Workplace accident insurance	€150.00/year	€150.00
Total annual cost		€3,794.56
Monthly average		€316.21

How much net pay does the worker receive?

The worker pays 9.4% Social Security on the hourly reference base of €3.10, resulting in roughly €0.29 deducted per hour worked.

For 34.7 monthly hours, the deduction is €10.06 (€0.29 × 34.7h). Net monthly pay averages €232.84 (€242.90 average monthly gross wage − €10.06).

What is included in the employer’s total cost?

To avoid surprises in your household budget, remember that total domestic worker employment costs comprise four parts:

1. Base wage/salary: The agreed monthly salary or total pay for hours worked in the month.
2. Holiday and Christmas allowances: Domestic workers in Portugal are legally entitled to both allowances, even when paid hourly. Each allowance equals one month’s regular pay.
3. Employer Social Security: The employer rate is 18.9%, applied to the Social Security contribution base.
4. Workplace accident insurance: Insurance covering domestic service is compulsory by law. The €150.00/year figure used in our examples is an estimated market average.

What factors can alter hourly cleaning costs?

• Agreed hourly rate: The €7.00/hour in our example is a benchmark. In practice, home cleaning rates across Portugal range between €8.00 and €20.00 per hour depending on location, with a typical market average of around €12.00 (see our 2026 domestic worker wage table). The legal proportional minimum is €5.31 per hour. To formalise the agreement, see our domestic work contract template.
• Declared working hours: Social Security calculates monthly contributions based on the exact hours declared. More hours proportionally increase the contribution base and tax owed.
• Working for multiple households: If the worker cleans for several households, each employer declares only the specific hours worked at their own residence and maintains separate workplace accident insurance for those hours.

Let the calculator do the maths

Enter your salary and schedule in the Domicilia calculator to see the exact monthly cost for your household, with Social Security and allowances included.

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Sources and legal notice

• Decree-Law No. 139/2025 — Guaranteed national minimum monthly wage for 2026.
• Order No. 480-A/2025/1 — Update of the Social Support Index (IAS) to €537.13 for 2026.
• Law No. 110/2009 — Code of Contributory Regimes of the Social Security System.
• Social Security Practical Guide for Domestic Service — Contributory framework and admission.
• Working Conditions Authority (ACT) — Official information and contacts on employment relationships.