Moving to Portugal from Netherlands
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Netherlands to Portugal — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Netherlands to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 32.5% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €65,577 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly €47,900 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 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Netherlands to Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → €47,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 42.1% less
Groceries
pay 23.0% less
Transportation
pay 33.4% less
Housing
pay 34.6% less
Childcare
pay 37.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 41.7% 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.
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 26% less than cities in Netherlands.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Netherlands to Portugal, based on official data.
people moved from Netherlands 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
- · · ·
-
25.4,542
Netherlands
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Netherlands to Portugal.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Netherlands 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands 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 Netherlands 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
Netherlands generally does better on infrastructure, though Portugal leads in water stress level.
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
Netherlands 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
Netherlands generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in infant mortality.
Data: Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst, 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 | Amsterdam | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Amsterdam | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.
Netherlands passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal passport holder visiting Netherlands
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 Netherlands?
Yes — Portugal is on average about 27% cheaper than Netherlands. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Portugal?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €11,975 in Portugal on a €65,577 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?
Netherlands performs better than Portugal across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Netherlands.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Netherlands?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in adult obesity rate. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 39.1 in Netherlands. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Netherlands?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.
