Moving to Colombia from Portugal
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Portugal to Colombia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Portugal to Colombia, you would find that Colombia is 12.9% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly COP208,000,000 in Colombia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Colombia cheaper than Portugal?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 26.4% less
Groceries
pay 1.4% more
Transportation
pay 10.2% less
Housing
pay 25.6% less
Childcare
pay 3.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.6% 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.
What salary do you need in Colombia?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → COP208,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Colombia
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Portugal to Colombia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal performs better than Colombia 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 Colombia leads in healthcare spending per person.
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 Colombia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Portugal generally does better on infrastructure, though Colombia 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
Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though Colombia leads in top income tax rate.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Colombia leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN) (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Colombia vs Portugal
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lisbon | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 60°/45°F (15°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 62°/42°F (16.4°/5.6°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 62°/44°F (16.7°/6.5°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 62°/46°F (16.7°/7.6°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.6°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 61°/48°F (16.2°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 60°/47°F (15.7°/8.3°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 59°/46°F (14.9°/7.7°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 60°/45°F (15.8°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 61°/46°F (15.9°/7.7°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 61°/46°F (16.0°/7.9°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 61°/43°F (16.1°/6.3°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environment Studies
Can you move from Portugal to Colombia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Colombia. To live, work, or study long-term in Colombia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Colombia's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Colombia
Visa Free
Colombia 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 Colombia than Portugal?
Yes — Colombia is on average about 13% cheaper than Portugal. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Colombia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly COP52,000,000 in Colombia on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Colombia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Colombia has 17.2 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 Colombia safe for expats?
Portugal performs better than Colombia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Colombia is 24.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Colombia compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Colombia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Colombia, compared to 58.5 in Portugal. Colombia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Colombia compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Bogota is 61°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Bogota receives around 31.5 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Colombia?
The official language in Colombia is Spanish. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
