Moving to Poland from Portugal
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 7.1% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €65,700 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly PLN246,385 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 your spending power changes when you relocate from Portugal to Poland.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → PLN246,385
To maintain the same standard of living in Poland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.8% less
Groceries
pay 15.2% less
Transportation
pay 15.9% less
Housing
pay 1.3% more
Childcare
pay 27.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.2% 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 Poland cost about 12% less than cities in Portugal.
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.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Portugal and Poland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Poland 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 Poland leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Portugal performs better than Poland 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 Poland leads in internet access.
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
Poland 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Poland leads in education spending.
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 | 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,
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 holder visiting Poland
Visa Free
Poland 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 Poland than Portugal?
Generally yes: Poland runs about 13% 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 €65,700 comparable salary, that's around PLN61,596 in Poland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Poland?
With 23.0 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?
Poland performs significantly better than Portugal across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Poland is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 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 33.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Poland, compared to 57.7 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.
