Moving to Portugal from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Portugal — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 49.9% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly €81,493 in Portugal to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Lisbon averages 69°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Saudi Arabia to Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → €81,493
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.8 times more
Groceries
pay 20.4% more
Transportation
pay 59.9% more
Housing
pay 48.0% more
Childcare
pay 53.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.7% less
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 Portugal cost about 15% more than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and Portugal stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Portugal leads in road traffic deaths.
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 Saudi Arabia 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 significantly better than Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Portugal leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Saudi Arabia performs 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in life expectancy.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, 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 | Riyadh | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Portugal. To live, work, or study long-term in Portugal, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Portugal's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Required
Portugal passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Portugal than Saudi Arabia?
Day-to-day costs in Portugal run about 24% higher than Saudi Arabia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Portugal?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR281,786 comparable salary, that's around €20,373 in Portugal for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Portugal?
With 43.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Saudi Arabia and Portugal.
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Portugal leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Saudi Arabia?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
