Living in a European country is a dream for many people. Living in Greece and Portugal is no exception either. Both countries welcome lots of tourists and expats every year. They offer these people safety and affordability besides other benefits.
This article provides information about how these countries attract thousands of people each year. Let’s begin with the cost of living.
Cost of Living in Greece
Moving to Greece comes with many benefits including the low cost of living, a special cuisine, and beaches. You can enjoy the diversity here since foreigners come and settle in this country.
Besides all these, Greece offers affordability when especially compared to many other European and North American countries. Affordability includes transportation, apartment rent, and food.
Cost of Living in Portugal
Living in Portugal in summary means you’re a lucky person. Like Greece, Portugal is another affordable European country. Low costs of grocery shopping and rent are some examples of affordability in the country. Like in other countries, rents are higher in larger cities such as Porto and Lisbon. When you move away from city centers, you’ll find fewer rent costs. The same applies to property prices for sale as well. Overall, Portugal still offers quite affordable options in terms of property prices.
Public Transportation in Greece
Various public transportation options are available in Greece. You can find ferries, buses, metros, and a rail network as well. Especially ferries are practical options to reach islands. Public transportation is available in towns as well.
You can find more about transportation in Greece on the Athenser guide.
Public Transportation in Portugal
Portugal, too, provides various ways for public transportation. You can use the bus, metro, train, taxi, and Uber to reach many destinations within the country. Especially the bus and train lines connect faraway cities and towns to each other.
Find further information about living in Portugal on Lisbongo.
Healthcare in Greece
The unified healthcare system in Greece is called EFKA. Expats, residents, and citizens in Greece can get access to the Greek healthcare system. Both private and public healthcare institutions are available in Greece. To find more English-speaking staff, your chances are higher in the private ones. Also, healthcare equipment in private institutions is newer compared to public institutions.
Healthcare in Portugal
There’s a national healthcare service (SNS) as well as private institutions and private insurance options in Portugal. Not to mention that private institutions provide sooner appointment dates compared to public institutions.
If you’re a legal resident of Portugal, you can benefit from the Portuguese healthcare system. If not, you need to have private health insurance. If you’re a European citizen, it’s sufficient to indicate your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) card.
If you wish to learn more about the Portuguese healthcare system, check Lisbongo.
Education in Greece
Like the healthcare system, the education system comes in public and private forms as well. In Greece, education is compulsory for individuals between the ages of six and 16. You can find international schools, too. In such schools, children can take education in different languages besides English. Most of these schools are located in Athens and Thessaloniki.
Find more about life in Greece on Athenser.
Education in Portugal
If you have children, moving to Portugal is not a big issue in terms of education. The country offers some of the best colleges worldwide. Also, there are international schools that provide English and American curriculums, for instance. Education in Portugal is compulsory until the age of 18.
Jobs in Greece
You can find jobs in Greece as an English speaker. Greece jobs for foreigners include jobs related to the tourism sector. For instance, you can be a bartender, waiter, or guide. Other available jobs for foreigners include English teaching, childcare, and housekeeping.
If you have qualifying work experience, you can apply for other positions as well. The process usually goes like this: your Greek employer sponsors you. After the documentation process is complete, you can start working here as a foreigner. Find more about Greece on Athenser.
Jobs in Portugal
As in Greece, the tourism sector in Portugal is also growing and attracts many customers. For this reason, the need for English-speaking staff is also growing. Besides that, the startup ecosystem is developing each year in Portugal. For an English speaker, Portugal jobs for foreigners are available in the IT sector, call centers, multinational companies, and language schools, too.
For more details about life in Portugal, take a look at Lisbongo.
In short, you can enjoy your time and live comfortably in both Portugal and Greece. Both countries are friendly and welcoming to expats and tourists.