Moving to Portugal from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to Portugal — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 28.0% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥11,948,175 salary in Japan would need to be roughly €82,045 in Portugal to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Japan to Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
¥11,948,175 → €82,045
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 87.1% more
Groceries
pay 17.4% less
Transportation
pay 10.3% more
Housing
pay 50.0% more
Childcare
pay 26.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.3% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Japan to Portugal, and how the trend has changed.
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
- · · ·
-
67.352
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
How Japan 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
Japan performs better than Portugal 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Portugal performs significantly better than Japan across all health & wellbeing metrics.
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 Japan 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
Portugal generally does better on infrastructure, though Japan leads in electricity per capita.
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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in education spending.
Data: National Tax Agency Japan, 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 | Tokyo | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal passport holder visiting Japan
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 Japan?
Day-to-day costs in Portugal run about 28% higher than Japan 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 ¥11,948,175 comparable salary, that's around €20,511 in Portugal for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 Japan and Portugal.
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Japan performs better than Portugal across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Japan?
Portugal performs significantly better than Japan across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 26.1 in Japan. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
