Moving to Italy from Portugal
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Portugal to Italy — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Portugal to Italy, you would find that Italy is 17.6% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €65,577 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly €69,566 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Portugal to Italy.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → €69,566
To maintain the same standard of living in Italy
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 28.4% more
Groceries
pay 30.0% more
Transportation
pay 19.8% more
Housing
pay 0.2% less
Childcare
pay 0.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 35.4% 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 Italy cost about 6% more than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Portugal to Italy, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Portugal to Italy.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Italy performs significantly better than Portugal across all safety metrics.
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 Italy 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 Italy 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 performs better than Italy across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Italy 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
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Italy 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 | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Italy. To live, work, or study long-term in Italy, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Italy's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Italy
Visa Free
Italy 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 Italy than Portugal?
No — Italy is on average about 6% more expensive than Portugal. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Italy?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €17,392 in Italy on a €65,577 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Italy?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Italy has 31.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Italy safe for expats?
Italy performs significantly better than Portugal across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Italy compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Italy leads in adult obesity rate. There are 42.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 57.7 in Portugal. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Italy compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Italy?
The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
