Moving to Cuba from Portugal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to Cuba — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Portugal to Cuba, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Havana averages 84°F vs 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Portugal and Cuba stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Cuba 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 Cuba 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 Cuba 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 performs better than Cuba across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though Cuba leads in unemployment 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 Cuba leads in education spending.
Data: 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 | Havana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 80°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Havana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 78°/65°F (25.8°/18.6°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.6°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 82°/67°F (27.6°/19.7°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 83°/70°F (28.6°/20.9°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 86°/72°F (29.8°/22.4°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 87°/74°F (30.5°/23.4°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 88°/75°F (31.3°/23.8°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 89°/75°F (31.6°/24.1°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 88°/75°F (31.0°/23.8°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 85°/73°F (29.2°/23.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 82°/70°F (27.7°/21.3°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.5°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Instituto de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Cuba. To live, work, or study long-term in Cuba, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Cuba's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Cuba
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Cuba passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Cuba?
With 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Cuba can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Portugal and Cuba.
Is Cuba safe for expats?
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Cuba leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Cuba is 4.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Cuba compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Cuba leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 94.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Cuba, compared to 57.7 in Portugal. Cuba scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Cuba compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Havana is 84°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Havana receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Cuba?
The official language in Cuba is Spanish. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
