Moving to Portugal from Syria
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Syria to Portugal — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Syria to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 2.5 times more expensive than Syria overall. A SYP980,000,000 salary in Syria would need to be roughly €171,000 in Portugal to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Syria to Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
SYP980,000,000 → €171,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 91.1% more
Groceries
pay 77.6% more
Transportation
pay 90.8% more
Housing
pay 4.1 times more
Childcare
pay 7.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 80.3% 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.
Get free moving quotes to Portugal
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Syria 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
- · · ·
-
56.531
Syria
Key Indicator Comparison
How Syria 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
Portugal performs significantly better than Syria 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 Syria 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
Syria generally does better on environment, though Portugal leads in air pollution deaths.
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 performs significantly better than Syria 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
share of people below the poverty line
Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though Syria leads in top income tax 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
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Syria leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), The World Factbook (2009–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Syria (2016), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Damascus | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Damascus | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Syria 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.
Syria passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Required
Portugal passport holder visiting Syria
Visa Online (e-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 Portugal than Syria?
Day-to-day costs in Portugal run about 155% higher than Syria 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 SYP980,000,000 comparable salary, that's around €42,750 in Portugal for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Portugal?
With 45.2 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 Syria and Portugal.
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Portugal performs significantly better than Syria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Syria.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Syria?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Syria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 58.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 15.2 in Syria. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Syria: 64).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Syria?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 78°F in Damascus. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Damascus gets 5.3 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Syria, the official language is Arabic.
