Moving to Portugal from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to Portugal — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 21.1% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩113,056,500 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly €72,912 in Portugal to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Korea to Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
₩113,056,500 → €72,912
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 67.0% more
Groceries
pay 36.6% less
Transportation
pay 34.5% more
Housing
pay 70.9% more
Childcare
pay 2.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.7% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Korea to Portugal, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Portugal?
Top countries of origin for Portugal's foreign-born residents.
- 179,524
- 154,017
- 104,164
- 80,570
- 68,299
- 53,384
- · · ·
-
91.146
South Korea
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea 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
South Korea performs 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index.
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 South Korea 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
South Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Portugal leads in water stress level.
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
South Korea 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
South Korea generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in infant mortality.
Data: National Tax Service, South Korea, 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 | Seoul | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea 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.
South Korea passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal passport holder visiting South Korea
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 South Korea?
Day-to-day costs in Portugal run about 13% higher than South Korea 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 ₩113,056,500 comparable salary, that's around €18,228 in Portugal for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 South Korea and Portugal.
Is Portugal safe for expats?
South Korea performs better than Portugal across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to South Korea?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 25.2 in South Korea. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
