Destination intelligence
Compare Your Best Countries to Move Abroad
Compare relocation costs, visa pathways, shipping timelines, VAT, customs requirements and expat communities — side by side.
Select 2–4 destinations for an independent expat destination comparison and see where each country stands before you plan your move abroad.
Compare
2 of 4 destinations selected
Spain
Europe
Leading destination for remote workers and retirees
Cost of living: $$
Portugal
Europe
Popular international relocation destination
Cost of living: $$
Your comparison below updates as you change your selection.
Decision filter
Which destination fits your priorities?
Start with what matters most to you, then compare the countries that fit.
Select one or more priorities — relevant destinations and metrics are highlighted in the comparison.
Your priorities
What matters most to you?
Tell us what you're looking for and we'll highlight the destinations that best match your priorities.
Select up to 5 priorities.
Destination decision
Your comparison at a glance
Simple 1–5 scores across the factors that decide where people actually settle. Hover or tap the info icon to see what each score means.
Spain stands out for lifestyle and healthcare, while Portugal may offer a stronger combination of lifestyle and safety.
Spain
Europe
- Cost of living
- Affordable
- Visa accessibility
- Strong
- Tax burden
- Moderate
- Housing affordability
- Moderate
- Healthcare
- Excellent
- Safety
- Strong
- Quality of life
- Excellent
- English friendliness
- Moderate
- Remote-work friendliness
- Excellent
- Strong lifestyle appeal
- Excellent healthcare
- Well suited to remote work
Consider
- Housing costs vary significantly by city
Portugal
Europe
- Cost of living
- Affordable
- Visa accessibility
- Strong
- Tax burden
- Moderate
- Housing affordability
- Moderate
- Healthcare
- Strong
- Safety
- Excellent
- Quality of life
- Excellent
- English friendliness
- Strong
- Remote-work friendliness
- Excellent
- Strong lifestyle appeal
- High everyday safety
- Well suited to remote work
Consider
- Housing costs vary significantly by city
Indicative planning benchmarks only. Costs, visa rules and tax treatment vary substantially by city, nationality and personal circumstances.
Cost of living
Cost of Living Comparison
Indicative monthly ranges in USD for a mid-market lifestyle in each country's main expat cities.
Indicative 2026 estimate
| Metric | Spain | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Overall cost of living | Moderate | Moderate |
| 1-bed rent — city centre | $900–$1,600 | $1,000–$1,700 |
| 1-bed rent — outside centre | $650–$1,100 | $700–$1,150 |
| Utilities | $120–$220 | $110–$200 |
| Internet | $30–$40 | $30–$40 |
| Groceries | $270–$380 | $260–$380 |
| Public transport | $40–$70 | $40–$55 |
| Inexpensive restaurant meal | $12–$18 | $12–$18 |
| Mid-range restaurant for two | $50–$80 | $50–$75 |
| Monthly budget — single person | $1,700–$2,400 | $1,700–$2,400 |
| Monthly budget — couple | $2,300–$3,200 | $2,300–$3,100 |
| Monthly budget — family | $3,200–$4,600 | $3,200–$4,400 |
Visa & immigration
Visa & Immigration Comparison
A high-level view of the residence routes each country offers, and how demanding they typically are.
Spain
Relatively accessible
Visa difficulty
Portugal
Relatively accessible
Visa difficulty
| Metric | Spain | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Visa difficulty | Relatively accessible | Relatively accessible |
| Main visa pathways | Digital Nomad · Non-lucrative · Highly Qualified Professional · Family | D8 Digital Nomad · D7 Passive Income · D2 Entrepreneur · Family |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes — a dedicated digital nomad visa exists | Yes — the D8 digital nomad visa |
| Work visa | Employer-sponsored and highly qualified professional routes | Highly qualified and sponsored routes |
| Self-employed / freelancer | Self-employed (autónomo) route available | D2 route for entrepreneurs and freelancers |
| Retirement / passive income | Non-lucrative visa for passive income | D7 visa for passive or pension income |
| Typical processing time | Typically 3–8 weeks for the nomad route | Typically 2–6 months including AIMA steps |
| Approximate application cost | Visa fee plus TIE card issuance | Visa fee plus residence permit issuance |
| Minimum income requirement | Multiples of the national minimum wage on most routes | Multiples of the minimum wage on D7 and D8 |
| Permanent residency pathway | Long-term residence usually after 5 years | Permanent residence usually after 5 years |
| Citizenship pathway | Usually after 10 years; 2 for some nationalities | Usually after 5 years of legal residence |
Visa rules depend on your nationality
Taxes
Tax Comparison
Tax systems are too complex to reduce to a single score, so these are concise summaries of the parts that most affect new residents.
| Metric | Spain | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Personal income tax | Progressive, roughly 19%–47% including regional bands | Progressive, roughly 13%–48% |
| VAT / sales tax | 21% standard rate | 23% standard rate |
| Social security | Social security for employees and autónomos | Social security for employees and freelancers |
| Tax residency | 183-day rule plus centre of economic interests | 183 days or a habitual residence in Portugal |
| Capital gains | Savings income taxed on a separate scale | Taxed, with partial relief on some assets |
| Expat / remote-worker regimes | Beckham-style regime can apply to qualifying arrivals | A tax incentive regime for qualifying professions exists |
High-level summaries only, not tax advice. Confirm your position with a qualified adviser in both your origin and destination country.
Housing
Housing Costs by Country
Indicative rents and market conditions in each country's main expat cities.
| Metric | Spain | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed rent — city centre | $900–$1,600 | $1,000–$1,700 |
| 1-bed rent — outside centre | $650–$1,100 | $700–$1,150 |
| 2-bed rent | $1,200–$2,000 | $1,300–$2,200 |
| Typical security deposit | Usually 1–2 months plus a deposit | Usually 2 months plus a deposit |
| Rental market competitiveness | Competitive in Madrid, Barcelona and the islands | Very competitive in Lisbon and Porto |
| Buying as a foreigner | Open to foreign buyers | Open to foreign buyers |
| Major expat cities | Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga | Lisbon, Porto, Cascais, Algarve |
Healthcare
Healthcare Comparison
How each system is organised, and what new residents usually need to arrange.
| Metric | Spain | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| System type | Public system with a large private sector | Public SNS with a strong private layer |
| Insurance mandatory? | Private cover is required on several visa routes | Private cover is required for visa applications |
| Public healthcare access | Broad once registered and contributing | Broad once registered with a utente number |
| Private healthcare | Affordable and widely used | Affordable and widely used |
| Typical expat cover | Full-cover private policies are the norm for visa applications | Private policies are inexpensive relative to northern Europe |
| Healthcare quality |
Quality of life
Quality of Life Comparison
The everyday factors that decide whether a move sticks.
Spain
- Safety
- Healthcare
- English accessibility
- Overall quality of life
- Infrastructure
- Very good
- Public transport
- Excellent metro and high-speed rail
- Climate
- Warm, dry, high sunshine
- Work–life balance
- Relaxed, long lunch culture
- Family friendliness
- Very child-friendly
- International community
- Very large across the coast and cities
Portugal
- Safety
- Healthcare
- English accessibility
- Overall quality of life
- Infrastructure
- Good and improving
- Public transport
- Good in Lisbon and Porto
- Climate
- Mild winters, warm summers
- Work–life balance
- Relaxed
- Family friendliness
- Safe and welcoming for children
- International community
- Very large and fast-growing
Work & income
What about work and earnings?
A high-level read on earnings, industries and how easy it is to work for yourself.
| Metric | Spain | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Average salary indicator | Lower than northern Europe | Lower than northern Europe |
| Minimum wage | Statutory minimum wage applies | Statutory minimum wage applies |
| Key industries | Tourism, renewables, services, tech | Tourism, tech, services, renewables |
| Remote-work friendliness | ||
| Entrepreneur / freelancer friendliness | Autónomo status is simple but contributions apply | Straightforward freelancer registration |
| Job-market strength | Softer job market, strong for remote income | Softer locally, excellent for foreign income |
Salary data varies significantly by profession, seniority and city — use these as directional indicators only.
Relocation logistics
Relocation Costs & Logistics
Once your shortlist is set, these are the logistics that shape the move itself. For your exact route, use the estimator.
| Metric | Spain | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Typical international moving cost | from $3,900 | from $3,600 |
| Shipping complexity | Straightforward — Valencia, Barcelona, Algeciras | Straightforward — Lisbon and Leixões |
| Typical shipping timeframe | 4–6 weeks | 3–5 weeks |
| Customs complexity | Moderate — Franquicia por traslado de residencia (AEAT) | Moderate — Certificado de Bagagem (Portuguese consulate) |
| Pet relocation | Well-established | Well-established |
| Vehicle import | Moderate — technical inspection and registration | Moderate — ISV tax can be significant |
Overall decision
Which destination fits you best?
There is no universal winner — only the destination that fits your priorities. These calls are generated from the comparison above and are editorial and indicative, not objective truth.
Best for affordability
Highest combined cost-of-living and housing affordability in your shortlist.
Best for career opportunities
Strongest combination of job-market depth and English accessibility.
Best for remote workers
Best mix of remote-work readiness, cost and a usable residence pathway.
Best for a lighter tax burden
Lightest indicative personal tax and contribution burden in your shortlist.
Data & methodology
MyExpatGo combines official government information, destination research and market data. Figures are intended for planning purposes and may change. Always verify visa, tax and legal requirements with the relevant authority.
Compare & next steps
Found a destination you like?
See what your international move could cost, then compare up to three vetted moving companies for your route.
- 01Plan
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- 03Compare
- 04Move
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