Best fit by profile
For families
Portugal
For tech workers
Portugal
Lower budget
Portugal
Faster residency
Portugal
Italy vs Portugal
Compare Italy and Portugal across visas, costs, education, healthcare, community fit, and the path to residency.
Overall picture
Portugal leads in 8 of 12 equal-weight categories.
This comparison is based on general data and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Verify details with official sources.
Data last reviewed: 2026-06-03 · 2 sources
| Category | Italy | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
Visa & Entry Leads: Portugal | 3/5 Startup Visa and elective residency are available; bureaucracy can be slow. | 4/5 D7 and D8 visas are straightforward; one of Europe's easiest entry routes. |
Cost of Living Leads: Portugal | 3/5 Affordable outside Milan; Rome and major cities are moderate. | 4/5 Affordable outside central Lisbon and Porto; food and services very cheap. |
Housing Tied | 3/5 Excellent value outside northern cities; Milan comparable to Western Europe. | 3/5 Lisbon rents have risen sharply; 30-min commuter towns offer excellent value. |
Healthcare Tied | 4/5 Servizio Sanitario Nazionale provides universal coverage; quality varies by region. | 4/5 SNS public health system; good private options at low cost. |
Education Tied | 4/5 Good public schooling; strong international schools in major cities. | 4/5 Good public schools; international schools available in Lisbon and Porto. |
Taxes Leads: Portugal | 3/5 EUR 100k flat-tax regime (Res Non-Dom) available for new residents moving to Italy. | 4/5 NHR (Non-Habitual Resident) 10-year regime reduces tax on foreign income significantly. |
Safety Leads: Portugal | 4/5 Generally very safe; low violent crime rates. | 5/5 Consistently top-5 globally on Global Peace Index. |
Language Leads: Portugal | 2/5 Italian required for daily life outside tourist areas. | 3/5 Portuguese required for long-term integration; English widely spoken in Lisbon. |
Israeli/Jewish Community Tied | 2/5 Historic Jewish communities in Rome and Milan; approximately 30k Jews total. | 2/5 Small but growing Israeli community in Lisbon; historical Sephardic heritage. |
Job Market Leads: Portugal | 2/5 High unemployment nationally; best for remote workers or entrepreneurs. | 3/5 Limited local market; excellent for remote workers and entrepreneurs. |
Path to PR Leads: Portugal | 3/5 EU long-term residence available after 5 years of legal stay. | 4/5 Permanent residence available after 5 years; A2 Portuguese required. |
Path to Citizenship Leads: Portugal | 2/5 Standard path requires 10 years; descendancy route faster for eligible applicants. | 4/5 Citizenship after 5 years; also available via Sephardic ancestry route. |
Typical salaries (Software Engineer)
| Low | Median | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 25,000 EUR | 35,000 EUR | 50,000 EUR |
| Portugal | 22,000 EUR | 32,000 EUR | 45,000 EUR |