DIGI vs MEO in Portugal (2026)
The short answer
This is a price against coverage decision and nothing else. DIGI is the cheapest mobile in Portugal at EUR 4 for 50 GB and it reset the whole market when it arrived in November 2024, but its own network is concentrated on the main urban axes and it is not yet the answer for villages, mountains or the Spanish border. MEO costs more through UZO at EUR 5 for 100 GB and works everywhere. Check the DIGI coverage map at your address before deciding.
DIGI
DIGI Communications
DIGI entered Portugal in November 2024 by acquiring NOWO. It is building its own network and is not a reseller of MEO, NOS or Vodafone, which is why its coverage differs from all three.
Cheapest entry: DIGI, EUR 4 per month for 50 GB
MEO
Altice Portugal
MEO is the retail brand of Altice Portugal. It is not the same as UZO or Moche, which are its own low-cost and youth brands running on the same radio network.
Cheapest entry: UZO, EUR 5 per month for 100 GB
Row by row
Fees verified August 2026 against each provider's published data
| Criterion | DIGI | MEO |
|---|---|---|
| 4G population coverageWhether you have signal at all, anywhere | Own network plus national roaming, still building | ~99%Wins |
| 5G base stationsHow dense the 5G layer is, not just whether it exists | 2,695Wins in 18 months of operation | 2,465 |
| Rural and interior reachThe one place the three networks genuinely differ | Weak outside the main urban axes | Best in the interior and mountainsWins |
| Independent benchmark rankMeasured speed and reliability, not marketing | Fastest fibre in Portugal, nPerf 2025 the nPerf win is fixed fibre, not mobile | 1st on mobile, nPerf, Ookla and RootMetricsWins |
| Cheapest way onto the networkNobody should pay the parent-brand price | DIGI, EUR 4 for 50 GBWins | UZO, EUR 5 for 100 GB |
| Prepaid eSIMWhether you can be connected before you land | Yes, monthly with no minimum termWins | Not on prepaid, only Moche |
| Youth brandAn age gate can halve the price under 25 | None, the base price is already the lowest | Moche, under 35Wins |
| Home fibre reachWhether one provider can cover both | Expanding, verify the address | ~89% of householdsWins |
| Parent-brand contractWhat it costs to change your mind | 3 monthsWins | 24 months |
So which one
Pick DIGI if
- You are in Greater Lisbon or Greater Porto and stay there
- You want the lowest price in the market
- You want several lines: DIGI discounts from the third number
- You want television, internet and mobile on a three month term
Pick MEO if
- You live inland, in the mountains or near the Spanish border
- You want the network that leads the independent benchmarks
- You need reliable coverage more than the last two euros
- Home fibre matters as much as mobile
Other comparisons
3 more pairsHow we compared these two
The criteria are fixed
Every comparison on this site uses the same 9 rows in the same order, so two pages can be read against each other. We do not add a row because one side happens to win it.
A win is a stated threshold
A row is won on the published number or capability, not on judgement. Ties are declared rather than broken. Figures come from provider price lists and official sources.
How we get paid
Both links earn a commission at the same rate, so the winner of a row is never the higher-paying one. Fees come from each provider's own published price list, not a comparison feed.
Sources: provider price lists and official data, accessed August 2026. Next review: November 2026.