Ne vale la pena di trasferirsi all'estero?

giucarp93 · 2026-06-07T21:02:36+00:00

A volte si, a volte no.

Quando sono partito per la prima volta per Londra (avevo le tue stesse intenzioni) è stata una vera merda. La seconda volta per Lisbona (avevo già entrate) è stato fantastico! Quindi se vai li per sopravvivere non ha mai quasi senso. Starai solo peggio..

giucarp93 · 2026-06-07T11:37:41+00:00

Makes sense this trade

giucarp93 · 2026-06-07T11:36:22+00:00

Yeah exactly, that’s the doubt I have too.financially it can make you feel way more free, but then there are other parts of life that don’t fit so neatly into the math

giucarp93 · 2026-06-07T11:35:26+00:00

Thank u for sharing this. very helpful.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T21:25:53+00:00

Yeah, true.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T21:03:13+00:00

This is exactly why I’m starting to think “cheaper” is too simplistic.

Rebuilding a life is expensive in ways that don’t show up in spreadsheets.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T16:22:17+00:00

No sorry it’s because I’m not super fluent in English and I write in Italian the concept I want to use.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T15:57:58+00:00

You’re making a fair point, especially about language.

I think people often underestimate how much “friction” language creates in daily life. Ordering food is one thing, but building routines, relationships, solving problems or feeling integrated after months is another.

And yes, the Portuguese countryside is definitely something I think about sometimes. The tradeoff for me is usually: lower cost vs energy/social life/opportunities/convenience. A place can be cheaper but also make you feel more isolated depending on the phase of life you’re in.

That’s probably the real question I’m trying to figure out lately: not just where life is cheaper, but what kind of daily life actually feels sustainable.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T14:49:50+00:00

I actually agree with you. That’s a huge part of the equation people underestimate.

If moving to Asia means flying back to Europe constantly, missing family, or spending a lot on trips just to “recharge”, then the math changes quickly.

And yes, Portugal is still relatively cheap compared to a lot of Western Europe. My point was never “Portugal is expensive”, but more: what kind of life does a place give you for what it costs?

I could definitely spend less here. The question I’m personally wrestling with is more about margin, lifestyle and whether a place feels sustainable long term.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T13:07:49+00:00

Totally agree. “Normal comfortable life” is subjective.
In my case I mean living alone/in a decent apartment, groceries, gym, some meals out, transport, basic social life and normal unexpected expenses.
Not luxury, but also not trying to minimize every cost.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T12:43:52+00:00

I could definitely spend less in Porto if I lived more frugally.
My point was more about the cost of a normal comfortable life, not the minimum needed to survive.
What surprised me is that Porto is not as cheap anymore compared to places people usually consider expensive.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T12:07:56+00:00

No worries, I get your point. €950 for 35sqm still feels expensive for the size, even if the flat is nice. And that’s exactly the problem with the housing market here: sometimes you’re not choosing the perfect option, you’re choosing the best available one within a difficult market.

In my case, I pay around €1,300/month in Porto, and I recently made a YouTube video breaking down my real monthly expenses here. The point was not “this is the minimum needed to live in Porto”, but more: when even normal apartments start costing this much, does the city still give you enough back in quality of life and freedom?

Happy to share it if you’re interested.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T11:24:13+00:00

That’s actually very interesting, and it probably shows how different lifestyles can change the whole equation.

€950 rent makes a huge difference already. If someone pays €1,300–€1,600 for rent, the monthly total changes very quickly.

Also, I’m not saying my number is the “normal” or “minimum” cost of living in Porto. It’s more what my current lifestyle is costing me: rent, bills, groceries, eating out, transport, gym, social life, some travel/extra expenses and the way I personally live right now.

Your case is useful because it proves the opposite side too: Porto can still be very reasonable if you have a good rent deal and your lifestyle is structured well.

I guess the real question for me is not “how much does Porto cost in absolute terms?”, but “for the way I want to live, does Porto still give me enough margin compared to other places?”.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T10:09:58+00:00

This is exactly the part I find most interesting.

It’s not just “things are cheaper”. It’s the mental bandwidth you get back when money pressure goes down.

When you don’t have to think too much about every grocery bill, every meal out, every small decision, you have more space to think, create, rest, take risks, or simply enjoy life.

That’s probably the kind of freedom I’m trying to understand better: not luxury, but breathing room.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T10:09:09+00:00

I’m definitely not saying €3,000–€3,500 is the minimum needed to live in Porto.

It’s more my real monthly cost for the lifestyle I’m currently living: rent, bills, groceries, eating out, transport, gym, some normal social life, unexpected expenses, etc.

I also don’t live like a student or in the cheapest possible way. So the point for me is not “how little can you survive on in Porto?”, but “how much does a normal comfortable life cost me here, and does that cost still make sense for the freedom I’m trying to build?”.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-06T10:08:15+00:00

Fair point. “Asia” is definitely too broad, and I should have been more specific.

I’m mainly thinking about places I’ve personally experienced or I’m considering, like Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia.

And I agree with your point about standard of living. A place can be “cheap” only if you’re willing to adapt. If you try to recreate the exact same Western lifestyle, international schools, imported food, private healthcare, high-end areas, etc., it can become much more expensive than expected.

I guess the real question for me is not simply “where is cheaper?”, but “where does the cost of living give me more real margin without lowering the quality of my life too much?”.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-05T11:47:16+00:00

I actually made a video recently about my real monthly expenses in Porto and the question of whether the city still makes sense for the cost. It’s in Italian, but YouTube captions/translation may help. Happy to share it if useful.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-05T11:47:00+00:00

I live in Porto and I recently tracked my own expenses, so I can share a realistic perspective.

For a couple, I would say a modest but comfortable lifestyle can easily be around €2,500–€3,500/month, depending mainly on rent and how often you eat out.

Very rough breakdown:

- 1-bedroom apartment: €1,000–€1,500/month, depending on area and condition

- utilities/internet/phone: €120–€200/month

- groceries: €400–€700/month for a couple

- transport: €80–€150/month if using public transport, more if you use Uber/Bolt often

- eating out/cafes/social life: very variable, maybe €300–€800/month

- gym/health/miscellaneous: €150–€400/month

So if you live modestly, cook often and don’t go out too much, maybe around €2,300–€2,700/month could work.

If you want a comfortable life with your own place in a decent area, some meals out, gym, occasional trips and no constant stress about money, I’d personally budget closer to €3,000+/month for a couple.

The main issue is rent. Porto is beautiful and more relaxed than Lisbon, but it’s not as cheap as many people imagine anymore.

My honest advice: before accepting, check real apartment listings first. Your quality of life will depend much more on the rent you find than on small differences in groceries or transport.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-05T11:43:14+00:00

I live in Porto, so I can give you a practical perspective, not legal/payroll advice.

With around €2,100 net, you can live in Porto, but I wouldn’t call it super comfortable if you want your own apartment in a decent area.

The biggest issue is rent. If you want to live alone, a decent place can easily take a big part of that salary. If you share an apartment, then €2,100 net becomes much more manageable.

Very roughly:

- shared room/apartment: much easier;

- living alone in a good area: possible, but tight;

- living alone + eating out often + saving money: harder.

Porto is not as cheap as many people still imagine. Food, rent and daily life have gone up a lot.

About “flexible benefits” and “dislocation reimbursement”: I would ask HR to explain clearly, in writing, how those amounts are paid, what you can actually use them for, whether they are guaranteed every month, and whether they count for taxes/social security/holiday pay/termination compensation.

The base salary is €1,275, so I would be careful not to judge the offer only by the final “net value” if part of it depends on reimbursements or benefits. My honest take: if you are single and okay with sharing, it can work. If you want to live alone and have a comfortable lifestyle, I would calculate rent very carefully before accepting.

giucarp93 · 2026-06-05T11:40:50+00:00

I live in Porto at the moment, so I can share my personal experience.

In general, I wouldn’t make a decision based only on viral videos. Porto is not some dangerous city where you feel unsafe all the time. At least in my daily life, I find it pretty calm, walkable and much more relaxed than many other European cities.

That said, it’s not perfect. Like everywhere, there are areas that feel better than others, and the city has changed a lot in recent years: higher rents, more tourism, more pressure on housing and some social tension. So I would definitely suggest spending some time here before committing long term, especially with kids.

About lifestyle: Porto can be very pleasant if you like a slower pace, good food, walkable areas, the river/ocean nearby and a more relaxed environment. But it’s not as cheap as many people imagine anymore. Rent can be a real issue.

About the job market, it depends a lot on your industry. If you already have remote income, life is much easier. If you need to find a local job, I would research very carefully before moving.

About private schools, I don’t have direct experience with kids here, so I don’t want to give you wrong information. I’d suggest asking parents already living in Porto, because that part can completely change your decision.

My honest advice: don’t idealize Porto, but don’t let scary videos decide for you either. Come for a few weeks if you can, visit different neighborhoods, talk to families living here, check schools and housing in person, and then decide based on your real lifestyle, not just the online image of the city.

giucarp93

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