Moving to Portugal from Dominican Republic
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Dominican Republic to Portugal — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Dominican Republic to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 58.5% more expensive than Dominican Republic overall. A DOP4,408,790 salary in Dominican Republic would need to be roughly €98,797 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 87°F in Santo Domingo, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Dominican Republic to Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
DOP4,408,790 → €98,797
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 93.5% more
Groceries
pay 30.6% more
Transportation
pay 18.8% more
Housing
pay 84.4% more
Childcare
pay 2.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.1% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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 51% more than cities in Dominican Republic.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Portugal
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Dominican Republic to Portugal, and how the trend has changed.
people born in Dominican Republic live in Portugal · UN DESA
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
- · · ·
-
88.153
Dominican Republic
Key Indicator Comparison
How Dominican Republic and Portugal stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics.
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 Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Dominican Republic generally does better on environment, though Portugal leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Portugal generally does better on infrastructure, though Dominican Republic leads in internet access.
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
Dominican Republic generally does better on employment & economy, though Portugal leads in gdp per capita.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Portugal performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.
Data: Direccion General de Impuestos Internos, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Santo Domingo | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Santo Domingo | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Dominican Republic 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.
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Required
Portugal passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
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 Dominican Republic?
Day-to-day costs in Portugal run about 50% higher than Dominican Republic on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Portugal?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a DOP4,408,790 comparable salary, that's around €24,699 in Portugal for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Portugal?
With 43.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Dominican Republic and Portugal.
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Portugal performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 12.4 in Dominican Republic.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Dominican Republic?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 22.3 in Dominican Republic. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Dominican Republic: 77).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Dominican Republic?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 87°F in Santo Domingo. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Santo Domingo gets 57.0 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Dominican Republic, the official language is Spanish.
