Living in Portugal vs. Spain: pros/cons, lifestyle, people

It’s wonderful that you will have the opportunity to go to medical school in one of these places, and I wish you well.

There is no manner, however, to describe all the people in a country.

Thank you for your response Kim. I know, but there are certainly general social norms that impact the way people tend to interact in one region versus another, how outgoing they tend to come off, etc.

Where are these Medical schools exactly located in Spain, I'm guessing Barcelona and Santiago de Compostela?

Yes! There are a couple in Pamplona and Oviedo too. There are several more throughout the country of course, but those are the options I'm looking into :)

Nightlife? Scenery? You’re going to medical school. If you are choosing which school based on those sorts of things you’d better re-think. If you’re serious about being a high quality physician get into the best school you can wherever it is, and buckle up, it’s tough, and if you do it right you’ll not have time for much else.

Alan - to clarify, the plan is potentially for a more long-term relocation following school. Hence pursuing studies outside the US. (Not that it ever hurts to at least have a nice view while hitting the books of course :))

I can tell you that Barcelona is quite the cosmopolitan progressive city with a diverse population, we are not all so outgoing (especially in regards to overtourism) but are generally welcoming to all. Including LQBTQ, especially in Sitges just south of Barcelona. Nightlight in Barcelona is some of the most renowned in the world, I don't think anywhere else in Spain (except Ibiza) or Portugal can compare.

On the downside, Barcelona is definitely not as safe as it once was, there has been a sharp increase in not only petty theft but also violent crime. Now neighborhoods like Raval and around Camp Nou who where once considered just "seedy" are now actually dangerous at night. Raval is just across the street from the Barri Gotic.

Of course this was only true pre-COVID, not sure how Barcelona will change for better or worse in a post-COVID world.

I don't know if this matters, but Spain is considerably wealthier than Portugal (look at GDP per capita), and some regions of Spain are much wealthier/ more developed than others (same as in Italy). But I think that's beside the point. I would select the most rigorous and highly regarded medical school/ program above all else.

After living outside of Lisbon for almost 5 years, I can offer some insight into Portugal.

The Portuguese people are quite welcoming to expats, and most realize that our money helps their economy. They will go out of their way to help. However, making close friendships is difficult. In traveling to Spain, I didn’t find the Spanish people to be nearly as welcoming.

The amenities in Portugal are quite good as far as technology, entertainment, etc. In some ways their banking system is superior to the States. The food and wine are great and the nightlife (Lisbon) is reportedly excellent - prior to the last few months. We get first run movies and some tv from the States - again, prior to COVID.

Portugal has consistently rated in the top 5 countries for safety since I’ve been here. I’ve regularly walked home late at night with no fears. It really depends on the age, but a lot of Portuguese people are quite liberal. They decriminalized drugs a number of years ago and they are LGBTQ friendly - at least from my observations.

The northern parts of Portugal are much greener and less arid than a lot of Spain. But further south, both are quite arid for the most part. Around Porto and the Douro is quite green - at least in spots.

Life here differs from the states in many ways and most are positive. The pace of life is slower - at least for a retiree. It might be different for a student. I do find much less focus on what one does (did) for a living. Family is very important to the Portuguese people. The negatives are that things get done a lot slower (repairs, anything having to do with a government office).
Hope this helps. And, lucky you for having this opportunity. I also agree that choosing the best medical school is your best option. Traveling around Europe is so easy from either country so you will be able to enjoy both countries - and the rest of Europe.

I've spent a lot of time (over 4 months) traveling around Spain since 2016. My experiences in Portugal go back to the 1980s, so this is not an even comparison, but I'd say that Portugal feels more laid-back than Spain. I'd have no hesitancy in choosing either country from that perspective if I were interested in relocating.

One possibly-significant difference is the extremely late meal hours in Spain, with dinner typically occurring after 10 PM and lunch after 2 PM. The late dinner hour is a problem for me (sleep issues, and I'm not supposed to have caffeine), but it appears to work for the locals.

Of the specific cities mentioned, I believe you'll find housing costs higher (possibly a lot higher) in Barcelona. On the other hand, that city has a great deal to offer in terms of sights and experiences. There's nowhere in northern Portugal (which area doesn't include Lisbon) that remotely approaches Barcelona in that respect. Barcelona is a place I could enjoy visiting for a long time.

Barcelona has a climate quite different from what you'll experience near the northern and northwesters coasts of Spain, where many of your other options are located. The Basque Country and points west tend to be overcast and coolish. Barcelona has moderate winters but can be fairly hot (and sometimes humid) during the summer. Santiago de Compostela is sort of notorious for lack of sunshine, by Spanish standards at least. I'm not sure how different Porto is from Galicia, weather-wise. The Wikipedia entries for cities usually have weather-summary charts. For greater detail (day-by-day, historical statistics), you can go to timeanddate.com.

Oviedo is an attractive, historic city, but it is most definitely not lively. I have read that the locals head up to Gijon for excitement. Oviedo wouldn't be my first choice of a place to spend a lot of time, and I'm 68 years old. (Then again, I was there during the summer, and I didn't notice any university students about; the academic year would have more going on.) Leon to the south is a lot farther away than Gijon, but it has a lively restaurant/bar district in the historic center.

I haven't seen much of the Spanish Pyrenees (which I assume are beautiful), but I found these parts of northern Spain especially scenic: Picos de Europa (very rural), the Basque Country and Galicia.

The local language in Galicia (Gallego) sounds a good bit like Portuguese, so learning the latter would give you a head start if you end up in Santiago de Compostela.

I would think language skills would play a part in your decision. If you dont have any Spanish or Portuguese to begin with, which one will be more useful to you in the future?

I have visited Spain several times and Portugal twice.

Both countries have a lot to offer.

My sense was that Portugal was a bit cheaper than Spain.

The people in both countries are friendly, but I would give the edge to Portugal on that account.
In my opinion, both countries are gender LGBTQ friendly.

Portugal has a historic connection with Great Britain. The countries have been allies and friends for centuries. Many British people vacation there (also Brits go to Spain as well, but you find many more Germans in Spain).

Petty crime like pickpocketing is an epidemic in Barcelona. It is a problem in Madrid, but not like Barcelona. I didn't feel it was nearly as bad in Portugal.

The cultures are similar, but there are differences that you notice after visiting both countries. Portugal has the Fado, a music that has a melancholy tone. Bullfighting is still major in most of Spain, but in Portugal bullfighting doesn't kill the bull and I didn't sense that it was a major event there.

The languages are not as similar as your might think.

The Douro Valley in northern Portugal is amazing. Spain is a much larger country and has many scenic areas. Also, different areas or Spain are different. Catalonia the NE around Barcelona is the wealthiest area and is a bit like Italy compared to Castile, around Madrid. Andalusia in the south has much Moorish architecture due to longer occupation by the Moors. The people have a distinct culture like the Flamenco dancing. Galacia in the NW is an area that is ethnic Celtic and some people there play the bagpipes and wear kilts. The Basque region on the French border at the Atlantic Ocean is unique.

As for dining, you will find great dining in both countries. Fish is huge in Portugal. Ham is huge in Spain. Both have good wine. Portugal has Port, a wonderful after dinner drink.

I don’t know if it is still the case, but we were told to speak English, not Spanish, in Portugal if we couldn’t speak Portugese. The reason given was that the Portugese were not fond of the Spanish due to their shared histories with Spain being the more powerful. We met. Urban tourists who had shipped speaking Spanish there.

Suki, speaking Spanish in Portugal for a non-native Spanish speaker would be like speaking Italian in Spain, or even speaking Portuguese in Spain. They may be similar but they are different languages. Portuguese is generally not understood in Spain. Portuguese are proud of their country and their language and may feel insulted when addressed in another language by a non-native speaker.