Moving to Portugal from Ghana

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ghana to Portugal — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Ghana to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 2.5 times more expensive than Ghana overall. A GHS864,429 salary in Ghana would need to be roughly €144,754 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 88°F in Accra, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ghana to Portugal.

What does your salary buy?

GHS864,429 €144,754

To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.7 times more

Groceries

pay 6.4% more

Transportation

pay 2.2 times more

Housing

pay 3.2 times more

Childcare

pay 3.4 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 87.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 GHS = 0.0759 EUR (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Ghana to Portugal, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
218 ↑ 14% vs 2015

people born in Ghana live in Portugal · UN DESA

Who's moving to Portugal?

Top countries of origin for Portugal's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Ghana and Portugal stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

GH
1.8
PT
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

GH
25.9
PT
7.2

Portugal performs significantly better than Ghana across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

GH
$234
PT
$4,928
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

GH
1.4
PT
57.7

Ghana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Portugal leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

GH
89.0
PT
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

GH
0.7t
PT
3.3t

Ghana generally does better on environment, though Portugal leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

GH
0.6
PT
43.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GH
6.3%
PT
12.3%

Portugal generally does better on infrastructure, though Ghana leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

GH
3.1%
PT
6.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

GH
$6,700
PT
$41,700

Ghana generally does better on employment & economy, though Portugal leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

GH
69.4 yrs
PT
81.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GH
32.6
PT
2.5

Portugal performs significantly better than Ghana across all family life metrics.

Data: Ghana Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Accra Rain: 29.2 in/yr (741 mm)
88° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Lisbon Rain: 29.6 in/yr (751 mm)
69° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Accra Lisbon
Jan–Mar 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) 61°/48°F (16°/9°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) 71°/56°F (22°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) 81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 89°/75°F (32°/24°C) 65°/53°F (18°/12°C)
View all months
Month Accra Lisbon
Jan 90°/75°F (32.4°/24.1°C) 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C)
Feb 92°/77°F (33.1°/25.0°C) 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C)
Mar 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.1°C) 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C)
Apr 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.1°C) 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C)
May 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.4°C) 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.6°C) 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C)
Jul 83°/74°F (28.4°/23.1°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Aug 83°/73°F (28.3°/22.7°C) 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C)
Sep 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.1°C) 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C)
Oct 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C)
Nov 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.2°C) 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C)
Dec 90°/76°F (32.1°/24.3°C) 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C)

Data: Ghana Meteorological Agency Ghana Meteorological Agency, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ghana 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.

Ghana passport

Ghana passport holder visiting Portugal

Visa Required
Ghana passport holders need a visa to enter Portugal.
Portugal passport

Portugal passport holder visiting Ghana

Visa Required
Portugal passport holders need a visa to enter Ghana.

Data: 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 Ghana?

Day-to-day costs in Portugal run about 121% higher than Ghana 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 GHS864,429 comparable salary, that's around €36,188 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 Ghana and Portugal.

Is Portugal safe for expats?

Portugal performs significantly better than Ghana across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Ghana.

How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Ghana?

Ghana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Portugal leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 1.4 in Ghana. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ghana: 48).

What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Ghana?

The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 88°F in Accra. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Accra gets 29.2 in.

What language do they speak in Portugal?

The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Ghana, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

GH PT
Population 33,107,275 10,242,081
Currency Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) Euro (€)
Languages English Portuguese
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +233 +351
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112 112