Moving to Netherlands from Portugal
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Portugal to Netherlands — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Portugal to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 50.6% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly €101,000 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Amsterdam averages 56°F vs 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Portugal to Netherlands.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €101,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 65.6% more
Groceries
pay 31.3% more
Transportation
pay 51.2% more
Housing
pay 56.3% more
Childcare
pay 92.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 68.5% 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 Netherlands cost about 30% 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 Netherlands, based on official data.
people moved from Portugal to Netherlands · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Portugal to Netherlands.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Netherlands 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 Netherlands 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 Netherlands 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 Netherlands 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
Netherlands 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 Netherlands leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (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 | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Netherlands. To live, work, or study long-term in Netherlands, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Netherlands's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Netherlands
Visa Free
Netherlands 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 Netherlands than Portugal?
No — Netherlands is on average about 51% more expensive than Portugal. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €25,250 in Netherlands on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Netherlands?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Netherlands has 43.0 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 Netherlands safe for expats?
Netherlands performs significantly better than Portugal across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in adult obesity rate. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 58.5 in Portugal. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Netherlands compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Netherlands?
The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
