Moving to Illinois from Portugal
What to Expect
Considering a move from Portugal to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Portugal to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 55.4% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €65,577 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly $82,402 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Portugal and Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → $82,402
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 25.4% more
Groceries
pay 55.0% more
Transportation
pay 13.3% more
Housing
pay 53.8% more
Childcare
pay 2.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 79.5% 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 Illinois cost about 20% more than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Portugal to Illinois.
people moved from Portugal to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
42.191,313
Portugal
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to Portugal.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Portugal performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Illinois performs significantly better than Portugal across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois performs significantly better than Portugal across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Portugal performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lisbon | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 Illinois than Portugal?
On average Illinois is around 10% pricier than Portugal, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $20,600 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a €65,577 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
From major Illinois cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Portugal and Illinois are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Portugal?
Portugal performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
