Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Portugal instead of California, you would:

Health

be 36.4% less likely to be obese

In California, 28.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Portugal, that number is 18.1% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 20.8% more likely to be unemployed

In California, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Portugal, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.

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be 40.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Portugal, however, that number is 16.4% as of 2021.

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make 61.8% less money

California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $32,082 as of 2025.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: California vs. Portugal

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Portugal is 45.1% cheaper than California
→
Size Comparison · See true size
California is about 4.4 times bigger than Portugal.
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Moving from California to Portugal · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Los Angeles vs Lisbon
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Portugal: At a glance

Portugal is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 91,470 sq km. Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
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How big is Portugal compared to California? See an in-depth size comparison.

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