Moving to Portugal from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Portugal — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 53.5% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF58,584 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly €32,385 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 55°F in Bern, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Switzerland to Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
CHF58,584 → €32,385
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 60.8% less
Groceries
pay 48.4% less
Transportation
pay 41.0% less
Housing
pay 44.7% less
Childcare
pay 74.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 60.1% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Switzerland to Portugal, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Switzerland 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
- · · ·
-
14.18,566
Switzerland
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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 performs significantly better than Switzerland across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Switzerland 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
Switzerland performs better than Portugal across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in infant mortality.
Data: Swiss Federal Tax Administration, 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 | Bern | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Switzerland?
Generally yes: Portugal runs about 50% cheaper than Switzerland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 CHF58,584 comparable salary, that's around €8,096 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 Switzerland and Portugal.
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Switzerland 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 Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Switzerland?
Portugal performs significantly better than Switzerland across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 44.4 in Switzerland. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
