Last Updated on June 8, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Spain vs Portugal for Expats: The Key Question
“I love both Spain and Portugal. I speak Spanish but not fluently. I’d have to learn Portuguese. I’m leaning towards Portugal because I love the culture, the water, the people but I haven’t been to Spain as recently. I’ll be visiting this fall. Was anyone else considering both countries and if so, what made you choose one or the other? Thx!!”
How Expats Decide Between Spain vs Portugal
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
Planning your move to Spain?
Get the free step-by-step roadmap used by 10,000+ expats — covering visas, budget, housing, and the mistakes to avoid.
Start the Moving to Spain Hub →“We live in Portugal, but if I could do it over, probably would have gone to Spain instead.”
“Nah, Spain always.”
“I loved both, but I grew up on the Atlantic and wanted to live on the Mediterranean. Valencia is in between Madrid and Barcelona and I wanted to be close to big cities, good transportation, great weather, near the beach and mountains, great people, culture, siestas, fiestas etc. Spain won comparing everything for me.”
“Both Spain and Portugal are amazing choices! Spain: Rich, diverse culture, great for improving Spanish, vibrant cities, and a mix of landscapes. Portugal: Laid-back vibe, beautiful beaches, and a friendly local culture. If you’re still deciding, visiting both will help you feel the vibe. It’s not just about language — it’s about where you feel at home!”
Not sure which city is right for you?
Compare cost of living, weather, expat community size, and lifestyle across 13 Spanish cities in our free guide.
Explore Cities →
“I own a house in Portugal and love it. But I feel there are more opportunities in Spain, for my kids.”
“I was considering both until I realized I only meet the minimum income requirement for Portugal. I have no other choice in the EU, unless the rules change.”
“I considered both, but a large part of my goal in being in Europe is to be able to travel to other areas of the continent where I haven’t been yet. Spain is better connected – faster trips to other areas. I also feel like Spain is more diverse, and improving my Spanish was preferred over learning a new one.”
“We considered both but Spain just felt like the right choice for us and it is easier to learn Spanish than Portuguese. We love Valencia and can’t wait to live there full time starting in August!”
“I want a warm beach, so I ruled out Portugal. I’m leaning towards Valencia.”
“Spain wins for a relatively well-functioning bureaucracy – visa renewals etc. Portugal wins if you want to speak English. My Spanish is a work in progress.”
“The weather in Valencia is much better than the winters in Portugal.”
“In Portugal, as in the rest of Europe, people go to bed at 9 pm. In Spain, life starts at 10 pm.”
“We considered Portugal and visited quite a bit. For us, our decision to move to Spain was due to learning Portuguese (for us…more difficult), vs learning Spanish (easier for us). The second factor was we preferred to be on the Mediterranean Sea.
The sea is warmer than the Atlantic (Portugal). We have been so happy with our choice to live in Spain! But, we do visit Portugal frequently and it is an easy, quick flight!”
“We have had no problems with bureaucracy, dampness, or mold. My only issue is our apartment (we rent) has no heating or air conditioning. We bought space heaters and fans and a portable air conditioning unit for our bedroom at night. We make it work, but it is not perfect.”
“Lived in Portugal and I am now living in Spain. Spain is better communicated than Portugal unless you plan to live in Lisbon. Portugal has gotten very expensive and healthcare is so much better in Spain!
Getting any packages is horrendous in Portugal with them delivering anywhere they wanted… sometimes giving up altogether and canceling an order. Oh, and Portugal was a bit boring to me.”
“Portugal was a dump…. Really didn’t like the humidity of Porto, it rains consistently, the food isn’t great, and the rents are climbing out of control. Spain is better.”
“We considered both and moved to Portugal and regret it. We moved to Portugal mostly because of the NHR tax regime which is no longer available. We plan to move to Spain within the next year or two.
Reasons we regret moving to Portugal include the rainy weather, poor home construction quality, not many good food options, lack of infrastructure (walking and biking paths, public transport and horrible sidewalks that will kill your knees). Rampant animal abuse. Bureaucracy is awful—my residency permit expired almost a year ago so we can’t travel within Schengen and there’s no way to renew but to wait to be sent an email.
I’m fluent in Spanish and took two years of Portuguese so I can speak it and somewhat understand it but it’s a very difficult language. I would suggest you join the FB group Portugal Propaganda – The truth about living here.”
“They’re also considering lengthening the residency requirements to apply for citizenship from 5–10 years in Portugal.”
“Yes. Stray dogs, dogs chained to walls for their entire lives, dogs mutilated and abandoned. The local dog shelter in our small town is at capacity and every day people leave dogs chained to the shelter during the night when no one is there. It’s very sad. Never seen anything like it.”
“Valencia is a beautiful place to settle down in Spain, that’s where we hope to move. My family is from there so I spent a lot of time in the area and smaller surrounding towns (Vallada, Xàtiva and Gandia) when I was younger and we go back often, driving from Portugal. It’s so vibrant, good food, beautiful coastline and lots to do.”
“NHR was a tax program in Portugal where you wouldn’t pay taxes in Portugal for 10 years on money earned outside of Portugal. So my capital gains, dividends and interest earned on my US accounts are only taxed in the US.
Retirement income was also capped at a lower tax rate. That program no longer exists so taxes now are probably the same or higher than Spain.”
“Spain is 25%, and Portugal is 20% or 21%.”
“If you sell the family home in January, move in March the next year you will be taxed 25% in the capital gains in that same year even though you weren’t living there. That’s probably the biggest mistake people make. I made that which caused me to escape two years later. I never paid tax. I’m on the lamb now, a wanted fugitive.”
“Back in AUSTRALIA. The heart says return to EU but to be honest it’s just too costly. Also they don’t tell you about inheritance tax. If you die they take 49% of your gross wealth then the balance is given to the children, the spouse gets nothing by law.
The wife can live in the house but can’t own it. Draconian? Sí. But that’s Spain. France is worse again, daughters get nothing only the male children which was old Spanish law as well. These are deal breakers.”
“Spanish inheritance laws are a bit complicated. Spain has a strong tradition of forced heirship — meaning you can’t just leave your estate to whoever you like unless you take specific steps. But using Brussels IV Regulation in a Spanish will allows you to elect your home country’s law for your estate, avoiding Spanish heirship rules.”
Conclusion: Spain vs Portugal for Expats
Expats who have weighed living in Spain vs Portugal share a variety of reasons for their decisions. Spain is often preferred for its stronger infrastructure, easier language, better healthcare, and more efficient bureaucracy. Many also value its Mediterranean climate and improved travel connections.
Portugal, while cherished for its charm, has drawn criticism for rainy weather, housing quality, limited infrastructure, and the end of its headline NHR tax regime (now replaced by the narrower IFICI scheme).
Here’s a video from Spainguru about a 2023 expats’ survey comparing Spain and Portugal
Several expats shared regret over choosing Portugal first due to outdated information or tax incentives that no longer apply.
There’s also an important immigration update on both sides. Spain ended its Golden Visa program in April 2025. Portugal still offers a Golden Visa, but since the 2023 Mais Habitação reform it no longer includes any real-estate route — qualifying investments are now limited to options such as regulated investment funds, scientific research, cultural heritage, and job creation. It remains one of the few EU residency-by-investment programs still open, though it is no longer the straightforward real-estate play it once was.
📌 2026 update: what has actually changed in Portugal
Several comments above reflect Portugal’s rules as they stood in 2023–2024. Here is where things stand in 2026:
- Taxes (NHR → IFICI): Portugal’s old Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) regime is closed to new arrivals. It has been replaced by IFICI (“NHR 2.0”), a 20% flat-rate incentive aimed only at qualified professionals, researchers and innovators in specific sectors. Unlike the old NHR, it does not cover pension or passive (dividend/rental) income, so Portugal’s former appeal for retirees and passive-income expats has narrowed sharply.
- Citizenship takes longer: A 2026 reform raised the general naturalisation requirement from 5 to 10 years of legal residence (7 years for citizens of Portuguese-speaking / CPLP countries), with the qualifying period counted from the first residence permit. Applications already in progress under the old 5-year rule are protected.
- Golden Visa: Still open, but with no real-estate route since the 2023 reform. Qualifying investments now focus on regulated funds, scientific research, cultural heritage and job creation.
- Stricter entry rules: Law 61/2025 abolished the old job-seeker visa and the “manifestation of interest” regularisation route, and introduced a two-year wait before most family reunification.
Bottom line: Portugal still appeals for lifestyle, climate and community reasons, but the “move to Portugal for easy tax breaks and a fast path to an EU passport” narrative is much weaker in 2026 than it was a few years ago.
Language and family needs also influenced decisions. Ultimately, most recommend visiting both countries and considering long-term goals before deciding.
Prefer to watch? In this 2026 breakdown, Bruno compares Spain and Portugal across seven rounds — taxes, visas, cost of living, healthcare, quality of life, language and citizenship — drawing on running both Spainguru and Portugalguru:
Get your free step-by-step Spain move plan
10 emails over 2 weeks covering visas, budget, housing & the mistakes to avoid.
Join 10,000+ expats who used this roadmap.
100% free · No credit card · Unsubscribe anytime
