Moving to Portugal from Poland

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Poland to Portugal? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Poland to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 19.7% more expensive than Poland overall. A PLN284,812 salary in Poland would need to be roughly €75,948 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 55°F in Warsaw, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Poland and Portugal.

What does your salary buy?

PLN284,812 €75,948

To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 5.4% more

Groceries

pay 27.5% more

Transportation

pay 20.6% more

Housing

pay 46.4% more

Childcare

pay 38.6% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 1.6% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PLN = 0.2307 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.

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 14% more than cities in Poland.

Portugal

Cascais 57%
Almada 52%
Porto 51%
Faro 51%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Poland to Portugal.

Moved in 2023
1,373 ↑ 25% vs 2022

people moved from Poland to Portugal · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Portugal?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Portugal compared to Poland.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

PL
0.7
PT
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PL
6.5
PT
7.2

Poland performs better than Portugal across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

PL
$3,939
PT
$4,928
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PL
33.9
PT
57.7

Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PL
41.0
PT
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PL
7.6t
PT
3.3t

Portugal performs significantly better than Poland across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PL
23.0
PT
43.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PL
32.1%
PT
12.3%

Portugal generally does better on infrastructure, though Poland leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PL
2.9%
PT
6.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PL
$44,100
PT
$41,700

Poland performs better than Portugal across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PL
78.8 yrs
PT
81.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PL
4.2
PT
2.5

Poland generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in life expectancy.

Data: Ministry of Finance, Poland, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Warsaw Rain: 20.9 in/yr (532 mm)
55° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Warsaw Lisbon
Jan–Mar 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) 61°/48°F (16°/9°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) 71°/56°F (22°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) 81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) 65°/53°F (18°/12°C)
View all months
Month Warsaw Lisbon
Jan 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C)
Feb 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C)
Mar 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C)
Apr 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C)
May 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C)
Jun 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C)
Jul 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Aug 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C)
Sep 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C)
Oct 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C)
Nov 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C)
Dec 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C)

Data: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Poland 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.

Poland passport

Poland passport holder visiting Portugal

Visa Free
Poland passport holders can enter Portugal without a visa.
Portugal passport

Portugal passport holder visiting Poland

Visa Free
Portugal passport holders can enter Poland without a visa.

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 Poland?

On average Portugal is around 16% pricier than Poland, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Portugal?

Budget about €18,987 for 3 months in Portugal (based on a PLN284,812 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Portugal?

Connectivity is usually fine (Portugal: 43.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Portugal offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Portugal safe for expats?

Poland performs better than Portugal across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Poland.

How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Poland?

Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 33.9 in Poland. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Poland: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 55°F in Warsaw. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Warsaw gets 20.9 in.

What language do they speak in Portugal?

The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Poland, the official language is Polish.

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At a Glance

PL PT
Population 38,093,101 10,242,081
Currency Polish Zloty (PLN) Euro (€)
Languages Polish Portuguese
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +48 +351
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112 112