Moving to Portugal from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Portugal — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 12.5% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,152 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly €64,423 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.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from New Zealand to Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,152 → €64,423
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 11.2% less
Groceries
pay 16.4% less
Transportation
pay 3.0% less
Housing
pay 5.7% less
Childcare
pay 20.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.8% 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 9% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from New Zealand 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
- · · ·
-
114.48
New Zealand
Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand 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
New Zealand generally does better on safety, though Portugal leads in homicide rate.
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 New Zealand leads in suicide 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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in infant mortality.
Data: New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Wellington | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 New Zealand?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Portugal and New Zealand; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
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 NZ$130,152 comparable salary, that's around €16,106 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 New Zealand and Portugal.
Is Portugal safe for expats?
New Zealand generally does better on safety, though Portugal leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to New Zealand?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in suicide rate. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 35.7 in New Zealand. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
