Moving to California from Portugal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Portugal to California, you would find that California is 82.2% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €65,850 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly $104,620 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Portugal to California. What does your salary buy? €65,850 → $104,620 To maintain the same standard of living in California The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 49.4% more Groceries pay 81.2% more Transportation pay 19.9% more Housing pay 2.1 times more Childcare pay 3.0 times more Entertainment and Sports pay 2.1 times 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 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 California cost about 65% more than cities in Portugal. Compare cities head-to-head We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. Real numbers on people moving from Portugal to California, and how the trend has changed. people moved from Portugal to United States · OECD (latest data available) Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents. How Portugal and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. share of adults with obesity Portugal performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics. share of households with internet California performs significantly better than Portugal across all infrastructure metrics. percentage of the labour force without work a broad measure of economic output per person share of people below the poverty line California performs significantly better than Portugal across all employment & economy metrics. average years of life at birth Portugal performs better than California across all family life metrics. Data: The World Factbook Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority. Portugal passport holder visiting United States United States passport holder visiting Portugal Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. Day-to-day costs in California run about 39% higher than Portugal on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,850 comparable salary, that's around $26,155 in California for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees. Working remotely from California's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Portugal and California. Portugal performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in. The official language in California is English. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese. How Far Will Your Money Go?
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Lisbon Sacramento Jan–Mar 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Lisbon Sacramento Jan 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, 
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Frequently Asked Questions
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