Moving to Estonia from Portugal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to Estonia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Portugal to Estonia, you would find that Estonia is 14.1% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly €57,500 in Estonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Estonian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tallinn averages 48°F vs 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Portugal to Estonia.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €57,500
To maintain the same standard of living in Estonia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 16.9% more
Groceries
pay 12.1% less
Transportation
pay 16.3% less
Housing
pay 33.6% less
Childcare
pay 18.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 39.2% 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 Estonia cost about 14% less 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 Estonia, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Portugal and Estonia 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 Estonia 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 Estonia 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 performs better than Estonia 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 Estonia 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
Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though Estonia leads in gdp per capita.
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
Estonia generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), Estonian Tax and Customs Board (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lisbon | Tallinn |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 57°/41°F (14°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 65°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Tallinn |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Estonia. To live, work, or study long-term in Estonia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Estonia's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Estonia
Visa Free
Estonia 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 Estonia than Portugal?
Generally yes: Estonia runs about 14% cheaper than Portugal on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Estonia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around €14,375 in Estonia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Estonia?
With 35.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Estonia 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 Estonia.
Is Estonia safe for expats?
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Estonia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Estonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Estonia compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Estonia, compared to 58.5 in Portugal. Estonia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Estonia compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Tallinn is 48°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Tallinn receives around 27.3 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Estonia?
The official language in Estonia is Estonian. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
