Thank you for the feedback! Indeed, the fact that such key things are heavily dependent on your employment status, can be quite daunting IMO. All it takes is an unfortunate health event that leaves you unable to perform the same quality of work you used to do for the company to drop you and then you’re out of the benefits you once had.

I think that’s my main concern with going to the US. The fact that key things like access to maternity leave regardless of employment status, healthcare and other education benefits can just disappear with one unfortunate event. In the EU I don’t have to worry for those basic rights.

For a single person living in Lisbon/Porto looking to rent a T1 in the proximity of the city (not center), around 2500-3000 eur gross (1850-2100 eur net income).

I was making 2100 eur gross salary (nearly double of what the average gross salary is in Portugal) and couldn’t comfortably rent a T1 using a simple finance rule such as 50/30/20 (50 % of net salary for rent, bills and groceries, 30% for wants and 20% for savings). I would’ve to ask for help from family to help with expenses (and all this is without factoring in a car as well).

More often than not, you’ll be paying a minimum of 500-700 eur and you’ll be sharing apartment with 1-4 other people in the main cities

I´m from Portugal and currently working in Norway. While Norway is not Sweden, I´d keep it like this:

• Sweden if you´re planning to work there. Quality of life is much better (GDP per capita, cost of living compared to wages, maternity leave if you plan on having kids, etc).
• Portugal if you want to spend some vacations/retire. I was working in Tech in Portugal (significantly higher salaries than the average wage from Portugal) and I could barely rent a T1 without help from family as rent and bills would eat 50-60% of the salary.
• Ideal condition: Living in Portugal with a Swedish salary.

Only thing with Sweden right now is the massive issue with shootings (Not because the Swedes like guns, but because Sweden accepted everyone and everything without much control).

In my opinion, the food and weather of Portugal does not compensate the low salaries it provides compared to the high cost of living if you plan on going to a major city (unless you manage to get a good salary in Portugal).

While I do miss Portugal, I don’t plan on going back anytime soon. For me to go back would have to be on very very specific conditions (salary being the main one)

You mention gun violence is a concern for you in the US, but Sweden is also the country in Europe with highest/one of the highest fatal shooting rates - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/28/sweden-records-record-high-number-of-shooting-deaths-in-september

Any reason why you didn’t miss Norway? I’m living in NO now and I’ve enjoyed it quite a lot (besides still feeling misplaced since I’m yet learning the language)