Moving to Denmark from Portugal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to Denmark — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Portugal to Denmark, you would find that Denmark is 39.0% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly DKK696,000 in Denmark to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Danish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Copenhagen averages 52°F vs 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Denmark cheaper than Portugal?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 62.2% more
Groceries
pay 57.8% more
Transportation
pay 52.5% more
Housing
pay 17.9% more
Childcare
pay 15.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 96.1% 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.
What salary do you need in Denmark?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → DKK696,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Denmark
Calculate with your salary →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 Denmark cost about 32% more than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Portugal to Denmark, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Portugal to Denmark · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Portugal and Denmark 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 Denmark 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 Denmark leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Portugal performs better than Denmark across all environment metrics.
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 Denmark leads in electricity per capita.
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
Denmark 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
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Denmark leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), Danish Central Tax Administration (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in Denmark vs Portugal
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lisbon | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 58°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 66°/53°F (19°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 46°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Danish Meteorological Institute
Can you move from Portugal to Denmark?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Denmark. To live, work, or study long-term in Denmark, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Denmark's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Denmark
Visa Free
Denmark 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 Denmark than Portugal?
Day-to-day costs in Denmark run about 39% higher than Portugal on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Denmark?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around DKK174,000 in Denmark for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Denmark?
With 43.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Denmark 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 Denmark.
Is Denmark safe for expats?
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Denmark leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Denmark is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Denmark compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Denmark leads in adult obesity rate. There are 45.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Denmark, compared to 58.5 in Portugal. Denmark scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Denmark compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Copenhagen is 52°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Copenhagen receives around 20.7 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Denmark?
The official language in Denmark is Danish. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
