Moving to Ohio from Portugal

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to Ohio — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Portugal to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 37.8% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €65,577 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly $74,476 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

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 Ohio.

What does your salary buy?

€65,577 $74,476

To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 19.9% more

Groceries

pay 46.3% more

Transportation

pay 18.9% more

Housing

pay 36.5% more

Childcare

pay 2.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 55.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.14 USD (July 2026)

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 Ohio cost about 7% more than cities in Portugal.

Portugal

Cascais 57%
Almada 52%
Porto 51%
Faro 51%

Ohio

Dayton 58%
Akron 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Portugal to Ohio, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1,290 ↑ 23% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Portugal and Ohio stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

PT
20.8%
OH
39.5%

Portugal performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

PT
82.0%
OH
89.0%

Ohio performs significantly better than Portugal across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PT
6.5%
OH
4.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

PT
$41,700
OH
$60,669

Ohio performs significantly better than Portugal across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PT
81.5 yrs
OH
75.3 yrs

Portugal performs better than Ohio across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Lisbon Rain: 29.6 in/yr (751 mm)
69° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Columbus Rain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lisbon Columbus
Jan–Mar 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) 84°/62°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 90°/71°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Lisbon Columbus
Jan 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)
Feb 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)
Mar 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Apr 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)
May 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)
Jun 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)
Jul 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)
Sep 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)
Oct 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)
Nov 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Dec 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C)

Data: Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, National Weather Service 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

Portugal passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Portugal passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Portugal

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Portugal without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than Portugal?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Ohio and Portugal; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

How much money do I need to move to Ohio?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,577 comparable salary, that's around $18,619 in Ohio for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Ohio?

Working remotely from Ohio's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Portugal and Ohio.

How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Portugal?

Portugal performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Ohio compared to Portugal?

The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.

What language do they speak in Ohio?

The official language in Ohio is English. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.

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At a Glance

PT
Population 10,242,081 11,536,504
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Portuguese English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +351 +1
Time zones 2 11
Emergency number 112 911