San Marino vs Portugal

Portugal costs roughly 31% less than San Marino, though San Marino scores higher on safety. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.

Household
Lifestyle
Schooling

Portugal is approximately 31% less expensive than San Marino based on cost of living including rent. This makes Portugal a more expensive option for expats considering a move.

San Marino has a FIRE Score of 71/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The country's safety index is 84.7, which is relatively safe.

Recommended profile: San Marino is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.

Overall Winner

San Marino

City of San Marino

About San Marino

San Marino works for high-net-worth retirees, not budget expats. Its retirement visa demands EUR 10,000/month in income, filtering out anyone without serious assets. Safety is reflected in an 84.7 safety index and rent runs around $635/mo, but the small expat community and medium English proficiency limit day-to-day ease. Progressive tax up to 40% erodes the appeal unless the facilitated regime applies.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$1,465/mo

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Living Costs (excl. rent)

Single (excl. rent)$900
Family (excl. rent)$2,600

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$635
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$577
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$848
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$779

Attractiveness Scores

FIRE Score
71/100
Retiree Score
65/100
Nomad Score
73/100


Country Details →

About Portugal

A one-bedroom in central Lisbon runs about $1,040/month, roughly a third of comparable Boston or DC rents. Combined with $776 in monthly living costs, a couple can live well under $2,500/month total, and the D7 visa only requires $1,031 income to qualify. The catch: Portuguese progressive tax hits 48% (top bracket), so this works best for retirees on fixed foreign income, not high earners staying tax resident.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$1,185/mo

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Living Costs (excl. rent)

Single (excl. rent)$776
Family (excl. rent)$2,805

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$1,040
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$824
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$1,755
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$1,329

Attractiveness Scores

FIRE Score
59/100
Retiree Score
68/100
Nomad Score
77/100


Country Details →

Battle of Lifestyles

Scroll to compare

MetricSan MarinoPortugal
Travel Advisory
Level 2: Increased CautionLevel 1: Normal Precautions
Quality of Life Index
182.3 +14.5
167.8
Healthcare Index
65.4 72.2 +6.8
Safety Index
84.7 +16.8
67.9
Cost of Living Index
54 41.2 +12.8
Living Costs (Single, excl. rent)$900 $775.7 +124.3
Living Costs (Family, excl. rent)$2,600 +205.2$2,805.2
1BR Apartment (Center)$634.84 +404.92$1,039.76
1BR Apartment (Outside)$577.13 +246.84$823.97
3BR Apartment (Center)$848.37 +906.63$1,755
3BR Apartment (Outside)$779.12 +549.72$1,328.84
Avg Internet Speed101.53 Mbps 351.94 Mbps +250.4

Frequently Asked Questions

Click any question to expand the answer.

We use a "Pure Data" approach, pulling raw facts from high-authority sources including private sources for real-time crowd-sourced pricing, the World Bank for stability metrics, and official government visa portals.

The FIRE Score is a dynamic metric based on your Monthly Income vs. Total Expenses. It calculates your potential savings rate; the more you save, the higher the score.

Our indices (Quality of Life, Healthcare, Safety, Cost of Living) are relative metrics. For example, a higher Quality of Life Index indicates better purchasing power, safety, and healthcare, while a higher Cost of Living Index means the country is more expensive relative to others.

The Retiree Score is a holistic measure of how suitable a country is for long-term retirement. It is calculated from three main factors: healthcare system quality, safety index, and the general cost of living.

The Nomad Score measures how well a country supports remote workers. It is calculated from average internet speeds, the cost of living, and the safety index.

The "Single" toggle calculates costs based on a 1-Bedroom apartment. "Family" assumes a 3-Bedroom apartment and the expenses for a household of four.