Moving to Germany from Portugal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to Germany — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Portugal to Germany, you would find that Germany is 39.8% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €65,700 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly €74,760 in Germany to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Berlin averages 56°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 Germany.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → €74,760
To maintain the same standard of living in Germany
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 57.5% more
Groceries
pay 32.3% more
Transportation
pay 42.0% more
Housing
pay 41.9% more
Childcare
pay 27.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 59.8% 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 Germany cost about 16% 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 Germany, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Portugal to Germany · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Portugal and Germany 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 Germany 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 performs better than Germany across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Portugal performs better than Germany 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
Germany generally does better on infrastructure, though Portugal 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
Germany 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 Germany leads in life expectancy.
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 | Berlin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 41°/31°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 72°/55°F (22°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 47°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Berlin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.9°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 47°/34°F (8.5°/1.3°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 56°/40°F (13.2°/4.2°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 66°/48°F (18.9°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.3°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.3°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 74°/57°F (23.6°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 66°/51°F (18.8°/10.6°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 56°/44°F (13.4°/6.4°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 45°/36°F (7.1°/2.2°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 40°/31°F (4.4°/-0.4°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Deutscher Wetterdienst
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Germany. To live, work, or study long-term in Germany, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Germany's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Germany
Visa Free
Germany 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 Germany than Portugal?
Day-to-day costs in Germany run about 14% higher than Portugal on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Germany?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around €18,690 in Germany for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Germany?
With 45.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Germany 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 Germany.
Is Germany safe for expats?
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Germany leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Germany is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Germany compared to Portugal?
Portugal performs better than Germany across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Germany, compared to 57.7 in Portugal. Germany scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Germany compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Berlin is 56°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Berlin receives around 22.5 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Germany?
The official language in Germany is German. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
