The expats in San Miguel de Allende are very generous and interesting people. There are expats who have lived and traveled all over the world, but they fell for this magical city.
Many expats have done what I did. I was here in San Miguel de Allende less than 24 hours before I bought a lot and contracted with someone to build me a house. I just said, "This is it. This is where I'm going to live." Many expats have the same story.
It's comfortable in San Miguel de Allende and you have a beautiful lifestyle. The expat environment is warm and welcoming. Most of the expats who are here appreciate their lives here so they do their best to give back to the community.
It is very easy to make friends with other expats in San Miguel de Allende.
There is an organization called the San Miguel Newcomers club. The newcomers and expats who live in San Miguel de Allende meet once a month to meet and greet other people and the newcomers are welcomed into the community. This is one popular way to meet new people.
There are multiple churches in San Miguel de Allende like the community church, the UU (Unitarian church), St. Paul's Church, and a Catholic church that has an English-speaking church service. Some expats become involved with the local churches and get to meet other people this way.
Other expats join clubs and organizations like the bridge club, the country club, even a pickleball group that meets every Sunday, a croquet club, and a kayaking group. The Audubon Society has a bird walk every Sunday. There's also the Rotary Club. All clubs and organizations in San Miguel de Allende are listed in the local weekly newspaper. Expats simply go out and join activities that they are interested in.
There are also different charities and non-profit groups in San Miguel de Allende that expats could get involved with. There is the Red Cross, S.P.A. (Sociedad Protectora de Animales), and Feed the Hungry San Miguel. If you can think of something that could possibly be a charity, it's in San Miguel de Allende.
(El Museo Casa Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)
The Portuguese banks are not in a great state of health. The Spanish banks are in much better shape. However, Portuguese banks have a guarantee of up to 100,000 euros, which is provided by the Portuguese government. So generally, I would feel secure putting my money into a Portuguese bank account. 
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