Portugalvs
ItalyPortugal vs Italy: salary, tax & cost of living
Average wage, take-home after tax and cost of living, side by side — on real OECD wage data, PPP-adjusted. The headline salary and the net paycheck don't always point the same way.
Italy leaves the bigger net paycheck on the average wage.
Highest headline salary isn't always the most in your pocket — here's who takes each dimension:
ItalyItalyPortugalPortugalHead to head
Portugal vs Italy, visualised
The exact figures:
| Metric | Portugal | Italy | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average wage (PPP) | $40,002 | $51,019 | Italy |
| Payroll deduction | 31% | 35% | Portugal |
| Net take-home (avg wage) | $27,601 | $33,417 | Italy |
| Cost index (NY=100) | 67 | 75 | Portugal |
Average wage: OECD (PPP). Tax is an effective single-filer rate at the average wage; cost index is each country's anchor city (Lisbon / Rome).
Purchasing power
Where does the average salary go further, Portugal or Italy?
Italy. Adjusted for local prices, the average net wage in Italy buys about $44,557 of NY-baseline living costs per year vs $41,196 — a 8% gap.
Formula: net average wage ÷ (cost index / 100). Based on OECD average full-time wages (PPP), not median household income — averages skew above the median.
Distance
How far is Portugal from Italy?
Portugal is about 1,860 km (1,160 mi) from Italy in a straight line — roughly 2 h 55 m of nonstop flight time.
Great-circle distance, not a routed itinerary; flight estimate assumes ~850 km/h cruise plus 45 minutes of taxi, climb and descent. Measured between the anchor cities Lisbon and Rome.
Climate
Is Lisbon warmer than Rome?
Lisbon and Rome have broadly similar temperatures across the year. Lisbon gets noticeably more sun — about 390 more sunshine hours per year.
| Month | Lisbon | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| January (high / low) | 15° / 8°C | 13° / 4°C |
| July (high / low) | 28° / 18°C | 31° / 19°C |
One of Europe's mildest capitals. Atlantic-moderated summers (rarely above 30°C) and wet but warm winters.
Mediterranean. Hot, dry summers and mild winters — pleasant year-round but August heat regularly tops 35°C.
Remote work logistics
Time zones and language: Lisbon vs Rome
Lisbon (Europe/Lisbon) and Rome (Europe/Rome) sit 1 hour apart in standard time. A 9-to-5 in one overlaps the other's for 7 hours a day.
Official: Portuguese · English: High · Local language: Helpful
Portuguese is the working language for bureaucracy but English is widely usable in central Lisbon for daily life and most tech jobs. Younger residents are fluent in English.
Official: Italian · English: Moderate · Local language: Recommended
Italian needed for daily-life bureaucracy. English in international firms and tourism but limited in most local services. Italian fluency materially helps the relocation experience.
Data signals
What actually separates them
Who keeps more
On the average wage, Italy leaves the bigger net paycheck — about $5,816 more per year ($27,601 in Portugal vs $33,417 in Italy, PPP).
Payroll deduction
Portugal takes less off the top: ~31% vs ~35% combined income tax + social security.
Cost of living
Portugal is the cheaper base: cost index 67 vs 75 (Lisbon / Rome, New York = 100). Higher net pay doesn't help if rent eats it.
Purchasing power
Adjusted for local prices, the average net wage goes further in Italy: $44,557 vs $41,196 of NY-baseline living costs per year. Based on OECD average full-time wages (PPP), not median household income.
Banking & transfers for either move
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FAQ
- Is the average salary higher in Portugal or Italy?
- Italy has the higher OECD average wage: $40,002 in Portugal vs $51,019 in Italy (PPP-adjusted). But after tax, Italy keeps more net.
- Where do you take home more after tax?
- Italy — about $5,816 more net per year on the average wage, once income tax and social security are applied.
- Which is cheaper to live in?
- Portugal, by cost index (Lisbon 67 vs Rome 75, NY = 100). Weigh net pay against cost together, not separately.
- Where does the average salary go further, Portugal or Italy?
- Italy. Adjusted for local prices, the average net wage in Italy buys about $44,557 of NY-baseline living costs per year vs $41,196 — a 8% gap. Based on OECD average full-time wages (PPP), not median household income — averages skew above the median.