Moving to Portugal from Spain
What to Expect
Considering a move from Spain to Portugal? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Spain to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 1.3% cheaper than Spain overall. A €65,700 salary in Spain would need to be roughly €63,324 in Portugal to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Spain and Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → €63,324
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 16.7% less
Groceries
pay 7.6% less
Transportation
pay 1.7% less
Housing
pay 6.3% more
Childcare
pay 18.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.9% 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 3% less than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Spain to Portugal.
people moved from Spain to Portugal · OECD (latest data available)
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
- · · ·
-
15.18,175
Spain
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Portugal compared to Spain.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Spain generally does better on environment, though Portugal leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 Spain 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
Spain generally does better on employment & economy, though Portugal leads in unemployment rate.
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
Spain generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in education spending.
Data: Agencia Tributaria, Spain, 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 | Madrid | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.
Spain passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal passport holder visiting Spain
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 Portugal than Spain?
On average Portugal is about 4% less expensive than Spain, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Portugal?
Budget about €15,831 for 3 months in Portugal (based on a €65,700 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Portugal?
Connectivity is usually fine (Portugal: 43.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Portugal offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Spain performs better than Portugal across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Spain?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in suicide rate. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 44.8 in Spain. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
