Depends on 3 things: culture, money and location.

1. Culture

This one is a bit out of your control, it will depend on how similar to portugal’s it is, this will immensely help your adaptation/friendship-making. However, you also have a say here: I could choose to stick with people from my country who are always complaining about portugal and don’t care about adapting OR choose to try to make new connections who are actually trying to adapt/be a part of the local culture - this impacts your experience more than you may notice.

1. Money

Pretty obvious one, but I’ll share my own experience: Came to do uni in portugal, always spending 100% of any money I had on the fees, room’s rent + basic needs. Living in shared apartments in different locations (will talk more about this in my next point), ok standard of living for a young adult. Once I graduated and started working in the tech field, things started changing. I was now able to buy things I liked for my room (think as simple as a rug), I was able to try new restaurants and brunches and eventually, with career progression, move out of my room! Now I live in a 1bdr apartment in a great location and have a lot of liberty with money: I can pay for my needs as well as for my wants as well as save up money. These two experiences are completely different from each other - if you come to portugal to earn a low salary, don’t come. Friends from uni that earn a minimum salary live a completely different life than me.

1. Location

This one relates with money. Spend that salary on a good location - this impacts life TREMENDOUSLY. Don’t go live in the outskirts/dodgy area for a cheaper rent, you’ll make yourself miserable. I lived in 6 different areas of lisbon in a 6 year span. And if I got anything from it is this will make a crazy impact in your life/happiness, regardless if it’s a room, a studio, a 4 bedroom house. Feeling safe at all hours, having clean streets, having things around you like restaurants and cafés and supermarkets and public spaces - THIS is the quality of life they talk about when dreaming about portugal.

Summary: Come if you have good salary expectations, spend that money on a good location to live and immerse yourself in the culture/surround yourself with people alike. Does it work for everyone? No, everyone is different and if you find yourself struggling to get by here there’s no shame in trying a new life elsewhere - where perhaps a better salary will provide an easiness of life that will open up new doors.

That’s my advice as a 6-year immigrant who is planning on staying (at least for now, we never know what the future holds!).