Moving to Iowa from Portugal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to Iowa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Portugal to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 35.4% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €65,577 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly $73,384 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines averages 60°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 ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Portugal to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → $73,384
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 22.6% more
Groceries
pay 41.8% more
Transportation
pay 15.2% less
Housing
pay 29.8% more
Childcare
pay 2.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 74.5% 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 Iowa cost about 8% more than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Iowa
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Portugal to Iowa, and how the trend has changed.
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
How Portugal and Iowa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Portugal performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iowa 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
Iowa 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 Iowa 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 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°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 Iowa than Portugal?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Iowa and Portugal; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,577 comparable salary, that's around $18,346 in Iowa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
Working remotely from Iowa's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Portugal and Iowa.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Portugal?
Portugal performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
