Moving to Portugal from Malaysia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Malaysia to Portugal — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Malaysia to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 2.0 times more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR307,192 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly €96,617 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Lisbon averages 69°F vs 90°F in Kuala Lumpur, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Malaysia to Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
MYR307,192 → €96,617
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.1 times more
Groceries
pay 20.1% more
Transportation
pay 2.4 times more
Housing
pay 2.6 times more
Childcare
pay 2.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.0% 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 41% more than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Malaysia to Portugal, based on official data.
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
- · · ·
-
113.54
Malaysia
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Malaysia to Portugal.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Portugal leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Portugal leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
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 Malaysia 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
Malaysia 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
Malaysia 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 Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Data: Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia, 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 | Kuala Lumpur | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia 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.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal passport holder visiting Malaysia
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 Malaysia?
No — Portugal is on average about 47% more expensive than Malaysia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Portugal?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €24,154 in Portugal on a MYR307,192 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Portugal?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Portugal has 43.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Portugal leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Malaysia?
Malaysia 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 23.2 in Malaysia. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
