Moving to Canada from Portugal
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Portugal to Canada — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Portugal to Canada, you would find that Canada is 26.2% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €65,577 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly CA$118,297 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ottawa averages 52°F vs 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Portugal to Canada.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → CA$118,297
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 14.7% more
Groceries
pay 46.5% more
Transportation
pay 6.0% more
Housing
pay 33.5% more
Childcare
pay 27.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 63.9% 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 Canada cost about 9% more than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Portugal to Canada, based on official data.
people moved from Portugal to Canada · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Canada?
Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.
- 720,083
- 699,190
- 633,547
- 537,504
- 273,226
- 254,831
- · · ·
-
13.150,166
Portugal
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Portugal to Canada.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Canada 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
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Portugal generally does better on environment, though Canada leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Canada 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
Canada performs significantly 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
Canada generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in infant mortality.
Data: Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, 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 | Lisbon | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Canada. To live, work, or study long-term in Canada, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Canada's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Canada passport holder visiting Portugal
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 Canada than Portugal?
No — Canada is on average about 12% more expensive than Portugal. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CA$29,574 in Canada on a €65,577 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Canada?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Canada has 42.6 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 Canada safe for expats?
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 57.7 in Portugal. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
