What if you were born in Portugal?

If you had grown up in Portugal instead of Pakistan, here is what your money, your home and your day in Lisbon could look like.

Try it with my numbers

Dom Luís I Bridge over the Douro, Porto. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Three alternate lives in Portugal

Each person keeps the same place on the income ladder they have in Pakistan. Amounts are per month, after tax, in EUR and in rupees at today’s rate.

Single, starting out

Earns Rs 60,000 a month in Pakistan, on your own.

Take-home in Portugal: EUR 2,260Rs 694,000
Rent (city centre): EUR 652
Transport (public transport): EUR 115
Food: EUR 326
Saved: EUR 338

Family of four

Earns Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, as a family of four.

Take-home in Portugal: EUR 5,180Rs 1,590,000
Rent (suburbs): EUR 1,320
Transport (public transport): EUR 264
Food: EUR 881
Saved: EUR 778

High-earning couple

Earns Rs 300,000 a month in Pakistan, as a couple.

Take-home in Portugal: EUR 8,400Rs 2,580,000
Rent (city centre): EUR 2,060
Transport (car): EUR 786
Food: EUR 1,030
Saved: EUR 2,350

Try it with my own income

A day in Lisbon

The family of four above, with one parent working as an engineer.

Morning
You wake up in Lisbon, a city of mild winters around 13°C and cool summers around 21°C.
Commute
You take a bus and a train: about 40 minutes, a bit longer in bad weather.
Work
As an engineer: You spend the morning on site and the afternoon on drawings and calls with suppliers.
Language
You speak Portuguese at home, and English works almost everywhere.
Lunch
Lunch might be pastel de nata (custard tarts) and bacalhau (salted cod).
Evening
You get home with EUR 778 saved each month. Walking home late feels completely normal here.
Weekend
Weekends are for the coast and the mountains.

Portugal compared with Pakistan

	Portugal	Pakistan
Prices of everyday things	2.8× Pakistan	1×
Average life expectancy	82 years	68 years
Air pollution (PM2.5)	9 µg/m³	58 µg/m³
Unemployment	6.2%	5.4%
Average temperature, main city	17°C	26°C
Languages	Portuguese	Urdu, English, regional languages
Currency	EUR	PKR

Sources: World Bank (price levels, household spending, life expectancy, PM2.5, unemployment), NASA POWER (climate), Dareecha’s daily exchange rates.

Thinking of really moving? See Pakistan vs Portugal, living in Portugal and the visa checker.

Questions

How much would I earn if I was born in Portugal?

It depends on where you are on the ladder. A family earning Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, above the national average, would take home around EUR 5,180 a month at the same level in Portugal (about Rs 1,590,000 at today's rate). Try your own numbers in the simulator.

Is Portugal more expensive than Pakistan?

Yes. Everyday goods and services cost about 2.8 times as much as in Pakistan (World Bank price levels), but incomes there are higher too, so what matters is how far your pay goes.

What language would I speak in Portugal?

Mainly Portuguese. English is widely spoken.

Can I actually move to Portugal?

This page imagines being born there. For a real move, compare costs, safety and jobs on the Pakistan vs Portugal page, and check visa rules in the visa checker.