The best country to live: Portugal or Spain? 🇵🇹🇪🇸

In this video, let's take a look at Portugal and Spain. Which country is the best to live? Where should you move? I'll talk about the similarities and differences between Portugal and Spain, so you can choose which country is right for you!
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// timestamps
00:00 Portugal and Spain: similarities
01:36 Language
02:40 Cost of living
03:47 Safety
04:52 VAT & shopping
05:27 Salaries
05:49 Taxes
06:52 Citizenship
07:42 Travelling
09:18 Entertainment
09:57 Beaches
11:00 Education
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The information found on this KZbin Channel and the resources available for download/viewing through this KZbin Channel are for educational and informational purposes only.
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[@cpdrey5985]

I've been to Spain but Portugal is the country that touched my heart. ❤😊

[@bishalpradhan7248]

Hi

[@bishalpradhan7248]

Hi

[@fatmedaher6677]

I have been to Spain briefly, and I live in Portugal. I would live in Portugal, with the freedom to visit Spain whenever I like. Portuguese people are easier to live with, especially outside Lisbon. Old folks are super friendly, very minimal racism. We used to encounter racist old folks in Canada. Here people are chill despite the daily struggles (mainly economic) that they have to go through. Portuguese nature reminds me of my home country. I would choose it over other European countries.

[@Carlos-rf2kj]

Viviria en España. Portugal nos encanta pero el ritmo de vida y la vida social y el mediterráneo son increíbles en Edpaña

[@annavolobueva6232]

Thank you! It’s really interesting and useful information 🫶

[@omarhamed7964]

good video Yulia , keep going

[@ThisisYulia]

obrigada!

[@Lz46_]

Helpful video

[@ThisisYulia]

Glad you think so!

[@AmirMahdi1383]

Yulia , your outfit is gorgeous 😍 and you’re stunning 😍

[@ThisisYulia]

Thank you so much!!

[@ajdrums8075]

Simp 😆 🤣

[@avinashjain9458]

Your the best ❤️

[@tk4c4]

Note: In Spain, there's a Beckham law it's pretty similar to NHR in Portugal. But there're some tricky differs. Looks like Beckham law is better if you're working by a local contract than NHR. Most of things aren't clear.

[@profeagayu]

Thanks for the informative video. You made a great comparison. I am planning to move to Portugal in 2027. I just subscribed to your channel.

[@ThisisYulia]

Thanks for the sub! 🙏🏼

[@helderguerreiro]

Great video, Yulia, with plenty of relevant information. Although Barajas (Madrid airport) is bigger than Humberto Delgado airport (Lisbon) and Barajas is a important hub to Spanish-speaking countries in South America, I will dare to say that the most important hub to Brasil is in Lisbon, operated by TAP and also Brazilian air companies.

[@ThisisYulia]

didn’t know that! thanks for sharing with us ☀️

[@tayozacchaeus3061]

Portugal 🎉

[@LaChicaconSuerte-1111]

In general, people in Portugal have better manners and respect and consideration for others than people in Spain.

[@chrisignacio8422]

Yes, that is true. I’ve lived in both places and found the Portuguese to be a lot quieter and not in your face as much as the Spaniards.

[@oslafoirausuebutuoy5457]

In my experience spanish people are very polite. The main difference is that spanish people are louder than the portuguese, and if you are not used to that it can come across as rude or impolite, but it is just the way they talk.

[@LaChicaconSuerte-1111]

In my experience, not just loud, but often aggressive and without reason. @@oslafoirausuebutuoy5457

[@simoneclarke5104]

Thank you for this informative video💖! We have been tossing around Portugal or Spain for a year now. I think it’s going to be Spain because of ease of travel, warmer ocean and cost of houses.

[@ThisisYulia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@eldescubridor1619]

Portugal, Portugal.I live in Spain around 35 years,but I prefer Portugal.

[@rvicto2017]

For me it's Portugal. I love the country❤Howmuch do like that?😊

[@JuanMoreno-wo5yb]

Learning Portuguese or Spanish from scratch, I would choose Spanish. I do like a lot about Portugal and the people so either way I would want to spend some time there also. ❤

[@JBSpecialMusic]

Good point on cross border rail. Portugal track gauge is not compatible with Spain. Changes are coming to adjust gauges and add track over the next 3-5 years. Rumor has it speed trains from Lisbon and Porto to Madrid are approved as part of the upgrades.

[@ThisisYulia]

Thanks for the info! It would be really nice to have speed trains to Spain 🚂

[@UbuTube]

@@ThisisYulia The tickets will probably be more expensive than flying though...

[@diogorodrigues747]

Portugal track gauge is absolutely compatible with Spain, that's not the problem - both countries use the Iberian gauge. The reason why there are not much border crossings on rail is because there is not much demand, much of inland Iberia is empty of people. Why would you take a 10-hour journey in a sleeping train when you can literally take a flight to Madrid in one hour or drive to Madrid in five or six hours from Lisbon? The only international connexion for passengers between Portugal and Spain is between Porto and Vigo, but that's because both Galicia and Northern Portugal have a big population density. Other places don't have. There are local trains also into Badajoz but that's just one or two trains per day, it's not feasible for most people.

[@susie2251]

One more benefit of Portugal if you’re American: you can exchange your driving license for a Portuguese one. Spain doesn’t allow exchange of US licenses at all, so if you want to drive, you will have to study both the test and Spanish to pass. Honestly, I would move to Portugal for a year first just to get a license and then Spain if I had to do that haha.

[@doncoder13]

Glad to know Spain doesn't do it, go to FOMO Portugal, make the property crisis even worse

[@DanteBMPT]

*We don't want you here in Portugal if all you want is to cheat the system. Stay away.*

[@dor.332]

Also Spain doesnt allow to hold dual citizenships if you are going to get it by naturalization :)

[@ThisisYulia]

I've learnt this literally 2 weeks ago! totally forgot to add this info to my script 🥲

[@dor.332]

@@ThisisYulia haha yeah thanks for the video

[@tatiana.lifeinglow]

Thank you Yulia, how about biking for fun without big hilly roads, where is it easier?

[@CJ-wq7hi]

Eventhough Spain seens to offers more. I would prefer to move to Portugal. Maybe I'll be your neighbor Yulia 😅

[@ThisisYulia]

haha maybe one day!

[@DennyHamilton5]

Nice video. One thing to add: Citizens of Latin countries and the Philippines can apply for Spanish citizenship after only 2 years of legal residence (not as a student) and they don't have to give up their citizenship unlike the rest of the world

[@juanpiedrahita-garcia5138]

If they have any other citizenships other than other Latin American and Philippine citizenship then they have to renounce the others.

[@tolgaucar-gl1vm]

I am a Cypriot EU citizen do l need a residence permit?

[@diogorodrigues747]

01:03 Actually, if you are a Portuguese, you understand much more than "bits and pieces" of the other language. If you speak Portuguese as a native language you'll understand a lot of what's being spoken in Spanish, depending on the Spanish dialect the other person is using or the way the person speaks. If you are a Spanish native speaker then understanding Portuguese is a little bit more difficult - Portuguese has a much more complicated phonetics system than Spanish, specially when it comes to vowels, and European Portuguese specifically has a completely different vowel stress (Spanish is syllable-timed while Portuguese from Portugal is stress-timed). 10:57 You also have the islands of Portugal: Madeira and the Azores. The water temperatures there are very warm - Madeira and the Azores during Summer has water temperatures up to 25/26ºC due to the Gulf Stream.

[@jabato9779]

She did not mention the Balearic Islands either, water there can reach peaks of 29C sometimes, usually around 27C in summer. Mostly, the triangle Cataluña-Murcia-Balearic islands has warm water in summer.

[@juanmontull8550]

4:55 Be careful with that because it's more complicated than it seems, I always recommend to check IVA (VAT) percentages before coming to Spain, I imagine that in Portugal it's similar because we are both part of the EU and most countries have similar policies on this matter.

[@UbuTube]

Ref the data at 3:45, how come Portugal's monthly salary after tax is 60% of Spain's, but the GDP per capita is 81%?

[@jotasenator]

Love your chanel. One question. If I have residence for a year and all proper docs from portugal can I go and live in spain with no problem?

[@ThisisYulia]

I don't think so. Each country has its own immigration rules but Portuguese residence permit won't give you any benefits in Spain (might be a bit easier to exchange it tho)

[@davidmartinspresents]

Madeira has warmer waters than mainland Portugal.

[@olegkon1]

Hi Yulia. What do you think about Portugal vs Spain after NHR death? So now where a retiree will have to pay higher taxes? I was planning to retire in Portugal in 6-8 yrs, but now Spain became much more appealing. I visited both this fall, and to be honest, liked Spain more.

[@olegkon1]

Forgot to say. I am in US. Was thinking of Algarve. Now - more of Valencia or Alikante area.

[@olegkon1]

So does Spain now have lower taxes for retirees than Portugal with NHR gone?

[@Bellasie1]

@8'30, I thought it looked like Japan, but it *was* Japan! Spain is for extroverts and Portugal is for introverts.

[@juanmontull8550]

3:00 Well obviously if you chose to live in both Spanish and Portuguese tourists cities, prices are going to be above the sky, however, since Covid prices haven't stopped rising, even in cities without tourism or in less known areas, buying a house or even renting has become a nightmare.

[@Example2504]

Про Испанию могу сказать, что здесь иногда невозможно поспать ночью. Здесь очень любят салюты, бахают по любому поводу. У нас весь август под домом был кинотеатр по субботам, так что нельзя было уснуть с 10 до пол 1 ночи. Про Las Fallas и говорить не стоит, хоть это и валенсийский праздник, но насколько знаю шуметь любят по всей испании и делают это глубоким вечером, так как весь день стоит жара и люди выбираются когда хоть немного прохладнее(так же душно)

[@mircos6994]

You should go to San Sebastian or Bilbao (or every place in the north of Spain)

[@Example2504]

@@mircos6994 hey! Thank you for the reply. Does north of Spain have less festivals and in general more quiet? I heard that weather is better for those who dont like a very hot weather. Some friends visited north and liked it. Unfortunately, I have an office in Valencia, so cant move that easily. I like the city, but its really really loud sometimes.

[@huliohuliohamijo]

Pretty fair.

[@user-fn8hm2wx2n]

I've never been in Spain, but as a spanish speaker from Mexico, I would love to live in both countries, I will study my bachelor degree this year but idk where to apply. Spain public Universities are much more cheaper than Portuguese, so I might choose Spain. 😊😊

[@jgdesigner]

Hello Yulia! Are all schools in Portugal exclusively in Portuguese? Are there options in English or do they have ESL programs like here in Canada?

[@ThisisYulia]

Hey there! You can study in English in Portugal or you can take language courses similar to ESL. I have a dedicated video about studying in Portugal (hope this helps) kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmWTlXp6h9tnosk

[@RonStochler-oz1qk]

Portugal has always been a British stooge state, hence the affinity to speaking English. Spain had always had conflicts with England and thus reluctantly speak English.

[@mircos6994]

are you serious?? have you been in Alicante or Mallorca? XD

[@RonStochler-oz1qk]

@@mircos6994 You will not find everything translated in English like it is in Portugal. You are referring to Spanish tourist areas, not the entire country.

[@tolgaucar-gl1vm]

I am a retired Cypriot l studied English Linguistics and worked as an English teacher. I have a special interest in learning foreign languages beginning from starter’s level to advanced level in an intensive course how long will it take to master the Portuguese language and how much will it cost?12:33 12:33

[@hamdanshaikh9067]

If someone reach to purtugal then second step what he has to do for citizenship which person we can meet for my papper work please guide me or make video clip

[@JMFS90]

What about healthcare? Seems like Spain has several of the world's top hospitals and pediatric hospitals whereas Portugal is lacking in both. How promptly can one get an appointment with one's family doctor or a specialist through public and private healthcare systems in each country?

[@ThisisYulia]

healthcare in Portugal is pretty good. I’ve filmed a video about that a while ago, check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKeqkHxsndt2Y9E

[@JMFS90]

@@ThisisYulia Perfect! Thanks for sharing this! I'll take a look. Keep up the great content!

[@doncoder13]

It is not pretty good or better than Spain@@ThisisYulia

[@manuelgalego9592]

@@doncoder13Your arrogance is most likely hiding a great deal of insecurity. Get over it.

[@diogorodrigues747]

@@doncoder13 It's ranked no.12 by the World Health Organization though. It's not perfect but still it's one of the best.

[@joe8256]

los portus siempre han sido muy coleguitas de los ingleses ; nosotros no y no tenemos que hablar esa lengua salvo para casos de trabajo, desdichadamente.

[@25ronniemac]

Anybody who says Portugal has never been to Spain. Portugal is ok but Spain is way way way better.. bright energetic people culture and modern and beautiful in every way.. Portugal is a poor man’s Spain

[@letsgetdoing]

I wanted to move to Barcelona, my favorite city in the world so far, sooooo bad but there's one GIANT factor that kills the thought of becoming a Spanish resident. Dual Citizenship. Spain doesn't allow dual citizenship and Portugal does. Game Over for me. Either way I'm gonna be thrilled!

[@______John______]

Actually I have first hand experience that's to the contrary. You will be made to make an oath to Spain, and they won't recognize any foreign passport while you are in Spain. HOWEVER I promise you can keep your other citizenship no problem

[@letsgetdoing]

@@______John______ Yea.... Some dudes promise online vs government website.

[@letsgetdoing]

@@______John______ So I take back my comment after further research. My bad. Does it take full 8 years?

[@______John______]

@@letsgetdoing no worries. I'm curious where you got 8 years from? The exact amount of time you need to live in Spain will depend on your situation, family ties, and country of origin: The general rule is 10 years. 5 years if you are a refugee 2 years if you are from any Latin American country, from Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, Philippines, or Portugal. 1 year for those married to a Spanish national or children/grandchildren of Spanish citizens born in Spain. So let's say you have no exemptions or ties to Spain and are from the US or Canada. So you would have to live most of the year in Spain, being a permanent resident for 10 years TO APPLY for naturalization. The naturalization process once started will take an additional 1-2 years on avg. So from the day you arrive to the day you get a passport will take somewhere in the ballpark of 12 years. If you were born a Mexican American for example then you could become a Spanish national in only around 4 years

[@letsgetdoing]

@@______John______ Damn so it is way faster to go through another country like portugal or even germany now.

[@driverespana]

Spain offers the Beckham law for lowering taxation.

[@abdessamiaaattar9944]

Please tell us more about universities in Spain

[@ThisisYulia]

I'll put it on my list 🙏🏻

[@eurusa]

рубашка классная

[@ThisisYulia]

благодарю ☀️

[@LeoHipolito]

Spain 🇪🇸 is great but need to consider tax implications, especially wealth tax on certain regions, Portugal 🇵🇹 has NHR

[@ThisisYulia]

didn't know Spain had wealth tax! thanks for sharing this info with us 🙏🏻

[@framestomind7548]

Penelope Cruz stayed in SPain for so long on her passport that she was forced to pay whelth tax and so left directly.. she before stating she is a communist and socialist ... hmmm@@ThisisYulia

[@marcind4644]

@@ThisisYuliait is actually a quite nasty tax. Up to 3.5% on all of your assets worldwide depending from region. Portugal has also an extra tax if your house is above a certain value, so technically also a wealth tax, just not as bad as the Spanish one

[@KokaniMitra]

Please help me to move to Portugal after my retirement on passive income.

[@watchcollector873]

PORTUGAL

[@user-oz8il9wg7x]

Portugal is far better lived their on and for forty years the Portuguese are far friendlier to the British than the Spanish

[@TRACTS4JESUS]

Aqele que nao nascer de no3 vo nao pode ver o reino de Deus Joao Joao 3-3 BBN - Um oasis no deserto , Que el que no naciere de nuevo no puede ver el reino de Dios Juan 3-3 SONRIE JESUS TE AMA

[@vxleria_647_]

spain!!!!!!1

[@nidiaponte4378]

Português e Espanhol são de origem Latina e não "romana"

[@ThisisYulia]

Roman languages are Latin and Greek 😉

[@oscarsantas6528]

Si vas a Portugal o a España hay que hablar portugués o español.....no hagan lo que hacen los ingleses que sólo hablan en inglés porque entonces no se integrarán...

[@FranciscoCorreia10]

As a Portuguese go to Spain its way more cheaper and its a country made for its people, not destroyed by foreigners

[@ahmudbrr4940]

😂🤣 what??

[@FranciscoCorreia10]

@@ahmudbrr4940 Yep, Spain is way more cheaper Spain is better

[@carlossaraiva8213]

Immigrant and ex-pat is the same thing

[@valeryzakhar1202]

the best thing is not to live in Africa - there are crocodiles there ))))

[@charlesnorwich5932]

In Portugal the Portuguese people is very welcoming and they always find a way to help tourists. In Spain they know English but they don't want to help tourists. They even pretend they don't know or understand English. What a strange people they are 😕

[@framestomind7548]

sounds like typical Americans... what do you call a person who speaks three languages? trilingual, what do you call a person that speaks two languages, bilingual, what do you call a person that only speaks one language: AMERICAN!!

[@oslafoirausuebutuoy5457]

In my experience the spanish are very welcoming and polite.

[@mircos6994]

You have never been to Spain

[@maximilianschwab9668]

I hope I am getting you wrong! You are really trying to move to another country and you are expecting that they adapt to your language???? WOW you take the concept of arrogance to a whole new level ...

[@ajdrums8075]

Give me Ibiza or Menorca over anywhere in Portugal. Spanish coast destroys Portugal, Marbella is much classier overall than Algarve.

[@edgarcabreira3802]

Not at all, my friend. Have you visited Estoril, Tróia, Comporta, Vila Nova de Milfontes, Zambujeira do Mar, Lagos, Albufeira?

[@ajdrums8075]

@edgarcabreira3802 Estoril I didn't like at all. Lagos is my favourite place so far as it has several cafes that have Australian style/quality coffee like black and white cafe for example plus a nice vibe overall. Water is always freezing in Portugal though and windy af. Lovely people, amazing red wine particularly from Douro though. Understand I'm coming from a place of preference where I like still bays, warm water and little wind which is why I'm moving back to Bodrum Peninsula Turkiye.

[@edgarcabreira3802]

@@ajdrums8075 I understand. We are a land of sailors and wind 💨 Enjoy Turkey 😌😎

[@vommir.]

Thought those were just for holidays and parties haha

[@charlesnorwich5932]

Seriously?

[@carlossaraiva8213]

In terms of food and cuisine Portugal beats Spain, with only Galicia coming close but that's because it is the region that is closest to be like Portugal. 😊😊

[@ISO21DIN]

Keep on dreaming!😂

[@carlossaraiva8213]

@@ISO21DIN It's reality. Many spanish agree too ence why they visit us. Take copium.

[@ISO21DIN]

@@carlossaraiva8213 It's reality in your phantasies😂

[@mircos6994]

XD lo dices por el sandwich gratinado y sumergido en salsa o por los pasteles de crema que venden hasta en el Mercadona. No has comido en España en tu vida.

[@AppleFanat2369kiko]

No me gusta España Считаю дни до Канады 😂

[@ThisisYulia]

удачи в Канаде 🤩

[@AppleFanat2369kiko]

@@ThisisYuliamuchas gracias 😁❤

[@AppleFanat2369kiko]

@@ThisisYuliamuchas gracias 😁❤

[@ISO21DIN]

😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mircos6994]

Te gusta más Ucrania verdad?

[@TheJoaninhaMendes]

Best country is Spain guys... now please go away

[@joan5631]

Do not wear that nose ring , you look so much better without it.

[@virtualworldsbyloff]

Spain is overall more professional regarding services, but their food, after 2 weeks tastes all the same, not even close to Portuguese cuisine

[@AhmedElgammal80]

Hello yulia ,, can i contact you?? I need to talk with you about something important