Moving to Texas from Portugal

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Portugal to Texas, you would find that Texas is 46.2% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €65,579 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly $80,394 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Austin averages 79°F vs 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€65,579 $80,394

To maintain the same standard of living in Texas

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 32.7% more

Groceries

pay 47.5% more

Transportation

pay 9.6% more

Housing

pay 57.8% more

Childcare

pay 2.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 68.8% 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 Texas cost about 18% more than cities in Portugal.

Portugal

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

Texas

Dallas 68%
Plano 64%
Houston 63%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Portugal to Texas, 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 Texas 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%
TX
36.8%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

PT
82.0%
TX
90.1%

Texas 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%
TX
3.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

PT
$41,700
TX
$70,071

Texas 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
TX
76.5 yrs

Portugal performs better than Texas 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

Austin Rain: 36.2 in/yr (920 mm)
79° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lisbon Austin
Jan–Mar 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) 65°/40°F (18°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) 85°/63°F (29°/17°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 93°/70°F (34°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) 71°/47°F (22°/8°C)
View all months
Month Lisbon Austin
Jan 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C)
Feb 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C)
Mar 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C)
Apr 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C)
May 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C)
Jun 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C)
Jul 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C)
Aug 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C)
Sep 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C)
Oct 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C)
Nov 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C)
Dec 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°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 Texas than Portugal?

Day-to-day costs in Texas run about 7% higher than Portugal on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Texas?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,579 comparable salary, that's around $20,098 in Texas for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Texas?

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

How is healthcare in Texas compared to Portugal?

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

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

The average high temperature in Austin is 79°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Austin receives around 36.2 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.

What language do they speak in Texas?

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

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At a Glance

PT
Population 10,242,081 25,145,561
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Portuguese English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +351 +1
Time zones 2 11
Emergency number 112 911