Moving to Portugal from Denmark
What to Expect
Considering a move from Denmark to Portugal? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Denmark to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 28.1% cheaper than Denmark overall. A DKK500,000 salary in Denmark would need to be roughly €48,100 in Portugal to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Lisbon averages 69°F vs 52°F in Copenhagen, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Portugal cheaper than Denmark?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 38.4% less
Groceries
pay 36.6% less
Transportation
pay 34.4% less
Housing
pay 15.2% less
Childcare
pay 18.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 49.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Portugal?
What does your salary buy?
DKK500,000 → €48,100
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Portugal cost about 24% less than cities in Denmark.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Portugal
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Denmark to Portugal.
people moved from Denmark to Portugal · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Portugal?
Top countries of origin for Portugal's foreign-born residents.
- 179,524
- 154,017
- 104,164
- 80,570
- 68,299
- 53,384
- · · ·
-
61.451
Denmark
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Portugal compared to Denmark.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Denmark generally does better on safety, though Portugal leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Denmark leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Portugal performs significantly better than Denmark across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Denmark generally does better on infrastructure, though Portugal leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Denmark performs better than Portugal across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Denmark leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Danish Central Tax Administration (2017), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Portugal vs Denmark
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Copenhagen | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 58°/44°F (15°/7°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/53°F (19°/12°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/37°F (8°/3°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Copenhagen | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Danish Meteorological Institute,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Can you move from Denmark to Portugal?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Denmark and Portugal. To live, work, or study long-term in Portugal, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Portugal's immigration authority.
Denmark passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal passport holder visiting Denmark
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Portugal than Denmark?
On average Portugal is about 28% less expensive than Denmark, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Portugal?
Budget about €12,025 for 3 months in Portugal (based on a DKK500,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Portugal?
Connectivity is usually fine (Portugal: 45.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Portugal offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Denmark generally does better on safety, though Portugal leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Denmark.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Denmark?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Denmark leads in adult obesity rate. There are 58.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 45.0 in Denmark. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Denmark: 82).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Denmark?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 52°F in Copenhagen. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Copenhagen gets 20.7 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Denmark, the official language is Danish.
