Spain vs Portugal: Expats break down which of the two countries offers a ‘better quality of life’
Expats relocating to Europe are usually drawn to Portugal and Spain for their idyllic climate.
Since the pandemic, Britons have been flocking to both countries in search of a better quality of life.
According to relocation experts at Expat Everywhere, however, Spain takes the crown as the country with the highest quality of life, for various reasons.
Josh and Kalie acknowledged that both countries tick most of the boxes expats look for in a new home.
Both Spain and Portugal cater to the needs of expats
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Subtle differences between the two spots could make all the difference to a person’s overall experience, however.
Having lived in both countries, the expats broke down the pros and cons of relocating to Spain versus Portugal.
Josh said: “Quality of life does have some indexes that we can look at, but we can also talk about our personal experience.
“It’s quite similar because of the similar lifestyle that each country has culturally. You eat late at night and you stay up later.
“Portugal does have safety and does have better population ratings,” added Josh. “So that’s something to take into consideration.”
When looking at quality indices, Spain and Portugal are pretty much neck and neck.
Spain is slightly ahead in terms of quality of life, however, due to its warmer weather and lifestyle.
Touching on the climate of the country, the travellers pointed out that Spain has more variety due to its size.
“Spain has more variety,” they noted. “The coast in Portugal throws a few more storms our way. Particularly in the north, you tend to have more rain.”
They also pointed out that the Mediterranean in Spain is typically warmer than the Atlantic, with temperatures sometimes becoming unbearable.
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Expats have been relocating to Spain in record numbers
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“If we look at it overall, and the variety of what you could choose from in terms of climate, you’re going to have more variety in Spain, whatever your desired lifestyle is,” said Josh.
It should be noted that other reports on both countries say Portugal comes out on top in terms of friendliness.
“Though people in Spain are definitely friendly, Portugal actually comes out on top as the most welcoming country in all of Europe,” explained the expats before the blog Our Rich Journey.
“Moving from the US to Portugal (compared to from US to Spain) felt so easy, almost as if we were having our hands held throughout the relocation process.”
