Moving to Poland from Portugal

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Portugal to Poland, you would find that Poland is 17.4% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly PLN243,000 in Poland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Polish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Warsaw averages 55°F vs 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Portugal to Poland.

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → PLN243,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Poland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 13.2% less

Groceries

pay 21.4% less

Transportation

pay 18.8% less

Housing

pay 21.2% less

Childcare

pay 26.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 4.39 PLN (October 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 Poland cost about 18% less than cities in Portugal.

Portugal

Oeiras 54%
Algarve 53%
Albufeira 52%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2021
259 ↑ 69% vs 2020

people moved from Portugal to Poland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Poland?

Top countries of origin for Poland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

PT
0.7
PL
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PT
7.2
PL
6.5

Portugal generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

PT
$4,928
PL
$3,939
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

PT
58.5
PL
40.3

Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PT
10.0
PL
41.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PT
3.3t
PL
7.5t

Portugal performs better than Poland across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PT
45.2
PL
25.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PT
12.3%
PL
32.5%

Portugal generally does better on infrastructure, though Poland leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PT
6.2%
PL
3.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

PT
$32,082
PL
$28,420

Poland generally does better on employment & economy, though Portugal leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

PT
82.4 yrs
PL
78.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PT
2.7
PL
3.6

Portugal generally does better on family life, though Poland leads in literacy rate.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), Ministry of Finance, Poland (2016). How we calculate this

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

Warsaw Rain: 20.9 in/yr (532 mm)
55° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lisbon Warsaw
Jan–Mar 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) 66°/46°F (19°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 72°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) 44°/33°F (7°/1°C)
View all months
Month Lisbon Warsaw
Jan 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C)
Feb 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C)
Mar 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C)
Apr 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C)
May 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C)
Jun 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C)
Jul 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C)
Aug 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C)
Sep 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C)
Oct 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C)
Nov 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C)
Dec 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C)

Data: Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Institute of Meteorology and Water Management Institute of Meteorology and Water Management

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Poland. To live, work, or study long-term in Poland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Poland's immigration authority.

Portugal passport

Portugal passport holder visiting Poland

Visa Free
Portugal passport holders can enter Poland without a visa.
Poland passport

Poland passport holder visiting Portugal

Visa Free
Poland 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 Poland than Portugal?

Generally yes: Poland runs about 17% cheaper than Portugal on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Poland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around PLN60,750 in Poland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Poland?

With 25.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Poland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Portugal and Poland.

Is Poland safe for expats?

Portugal generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Poland is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Portugal.

How is healthcare in Poland compared to Portugal?

Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Poland, compared to 58.5 in Portugal. Poland scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).

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

The average high temperature in Warsaw is 55°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Warsaw receives around 20.9 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.

What language do they speak in Poland?

The official language in Poland is Polish. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.

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At a Glance

PT PL
Population 10,804,871 36,435,861
Currency Euro (€) Polish Zloty (PLN)
Languages Portuguese Polish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +351 +48
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 112 112