Townleap

Cost of Living: Ljubljana vs Porto (2026)

Slovenia vs Portugal — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Ljubljana
Porto
$1,118/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$1,297/mo
—
PR path
5 yr
—
Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

IFICI (NHR 2.0) (Limited)
Freelance setup
—
Trabalhador Independente
  • VAT-free under €15k
  • 21.4% social
  • €900/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRLjubljana is 14% cheaper on rent ($1,118/mo vs $1,297/mo). Porto has milder winters (43°F vs 30°F lows). You can get by in English in both — your Duolingo streak can wait.
Porto edges ahead 82 to 77. Ljubljana isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.
How the livability score breaks down
Ljubljana
Porto
18.1/25
💰 Affordability
16.4/25
14.4/15
🔒 Violent Crime
14.3/15
7.8/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
6.6/10
9.7/15
⚡ Internet
15/15
11.7/15
🗳️ Democracy
12.1/15
8.7/10
🗣️ English
8.7/10
9/10
☀️ Climate
9.2/10
8/10
📊 Stability
7.6/10
4.3/10
🚗 Road Safety
7.5/10
8.4/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
8.5/10
Household
Ljubljana
Metric
Porto
$701/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$503/mo✓
—
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$6,049
86 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
83 / 100
✓0.6 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.7 / 100k
—
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
7.2 / 100k
✓78 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
66 / 100
81°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
73°F
30°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
43°F
130 Mbps
⚡
Internet speed
higher is better
226 Mbps✓
—
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
11.8 μg/m³
—
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
83 / 100
7.8 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
8.1 / 10
4.4 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
6.7 / 9✓
50 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
67 / 100✓
72/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
72/100
✓$57k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$52k
✓2.0% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
2.4% · Boringly steady
—
⚡
Grid reliability
higher is better
78/100 — Mostly stable
—
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
96/100
See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Ljubljana
$179/mo cheaper on rent alone
☀️
Weather
—
81°F vs 73°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

47% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
58% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
8.8h
Shortest day
Dec
9.2h
15.7h
Longest day
Jun
15.1h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

—
Democracy trend
stable →
—
Inflation trend
improving ↑
—
Industries
fintechsoftware-ithealthtechlogistics-tech
—
Startup ecosystem
active
—
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
—
EU visa
Easy
—
RU visa
Complex
—
UA visa
Moderate
—
Spouse works
✅ Partner can work immediately
Recognized
izvenzakonska skupnost (extramarital community)
Partner pathway
Recognized (2+ yr)
união de facto
—
Retiree visa
€920/mo

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request
Abortion access
On request
10 wk
Gestational limit
10 wk

On request up to 10 weeks. From 10-20 weeks, approval by a medical committee required.

On request up to 10 weeks since 2007 referendum. Mandatory 3-day reflection period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal
Marriage
Legal
Joint adoption
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Ljubljana vs Porto — Common Questions

Is Ljubljana cheaper than Porto?▾

Ljubljana is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1118/month there vs $1297/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Ljubljana or Porto?▾

Ljubljana is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Ljubljana has a rate of 0.57 per 100,000 and Porto has 0.69 per 100,000.

Should I move to Ljubljana or Porto?▾

Porto edges ahead 82 to 77. Ljubljana isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Ljubljana or Porto?▾

Ljubljana: no specific remote work visa. Porto: Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 2 years (renewable for 3-year periods)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Ljubljana or Porto?▾

Ljubljana is warmer in summer (81°F vs 73°F). Porto has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Ljubljana vs Porto?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1118/month in Ljubljana, $1297/month in Porto (Numbeo). That's 14% cheaper rent in Ljubljana.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

Quiz →