France vs Portugal
France is ahead on housing, infrastructure. Portugal is ahead on taxes, legalization, money & crypto, safety, cost of living, language. Full criterion-by-criterion data below.
Verified
Scoreboard
The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.
| France | Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (single, excl. rent) | $1,816/moiCurated by SettleMetric
| ★$1,166/moiCurated by SettleMetric
|
| Rent: 1-bedroom (city avg) | ★$855/moiLocService — Observatoire national des loyers 2025 (national listing-portal averages) Curated by SettleMetric
| $1,020/moiidealista/news — Portugal rental market report, May 2026 (asking rents) Curated by SettleMetric
|
| Freelancer tax burden | 34.1%iCurated by SettleMetric
| ★30%iSettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social) Curated by SettleMetric
|
| Homicide rate | 1.28/100kiEurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB) Open data
| ★0.68/100kiEurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101) Open data
|
| Internet speed | ★51 MbpsiM-Lab NDT country aggregates for France Open data
| 40 MbpsiM-Lab NDT country aggregates for Portugal Open data
|
| English proficiency | ModerateiEF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band) Research
| ★Very highiEF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band) Research
|
| Private healthcare cost | $821/yriCurated by SettleMetric
| ★$650/yriCurated by SettleMetric
|
Verdict
Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
Portugal fits better — 3 of 5
| France | Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer tax burden | 34.1%iCurated by SettleMetric
| ★30%iSettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social) Curated by SettleMetric
|
| Internet speed | ★51 MbpsiM-Lab NDT country aggregates for France Open data
| 40 MbpsiM-Lab NDT country aggregates for Portugal Open data
|
| English proficiency | ModerateiEF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band) Research
| ★Very highiEF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band) Research
|
| Cost of living (single, excl. rent) | $1,816/moiCurated by SettleMetric
| ★$1,166/moiCurated by SettleMetric
|
| Domestic delivery quality | ★ExcellentiLa Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures Curated by SettleMetric
| GoodiCurated by SettleMetric
|
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
Portugal fits better — 3 of 3
| France | Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 1.28/100kiEurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB) Open data
| ★0.68/100kiEurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101) Open data
|
| Private healthcare cost | $821/yriCurated by SettleMetric
| ★$650/yriCurated by SettleMetric
|
| English proficiency | ModerateiEF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band) Research
| ★Very highiEF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band) Research
|
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
Portugal fits better — 2 of 3
| France | Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Crypto regulation | Legal regulatediimpots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime Official source
| ★Legal friendlyiAutoridade Tributária — Criptoativos: conceito fiscal e tributação (folheto informativo) Official source
|
| Financial control level | LowiOfficial source
| LowiASAE — cash-payment limits (Art. 63.º-E Lei Geral Tributária); euro-area free movement of capital Official source
|
| Freelancer tax burden | 34.1%iCurated by SettleMetric
| ★30%iSettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social) Curated by SettleMetric
|
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
Portugal fits better — 2 of 2
| France | Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 1.28/100kiEurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB) Open data
| ★0.68/100kiEurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101) Open data
|
| Cost of living (single, excl. rent) | $1,816/moiCurated by SettleMetric
| ★$1,166/moiCurated by SettleMetric
|
Details
Taxes
CriterionFrancePortugal
Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile34.14.2305.0
What this measures
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Lower is better· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· re-verified every 365 days
France
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
Portugal
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pt-ifici-20 (IFICI 20% flat, NHR successor) at €60,000 revenue: social security 21.4%×70%×60,000 = €8,988; category-B simplified taxable income 0.75×60,000 = €45,000; IFICI IRS 20%×45,000 = €9,000; total €17,988 → 29.98% ≈ 30.0%. IFICI requires being a new resident (not resident in Portugal in the prior 5 years) in an eligible activity (IT/ICT qualifies) — realistic for an incoming remote worker. Without IFICI the same profile under the simplified 0.75 regime (progressive IRS) is ~34.4%.
Legalization
CriterionFrancePortugal
Remote-work legalization easeLong stay path6.0Dedicated nomad visa10.0
What this measures
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
France
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 14, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- France has no dedicated digital-nomad or remote-work visa. The long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur) forbids any professional activity, so it does not fit an actively-earning remote worker. Non-EU self-employed freelancers use the 'entrepreneur/profession libérale' long-stay visa or the Passeport Talent (for qualifying founders/investors/highly-skilled). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens work and freelance freely with no permit. Classified 'long-stay-path'.
Portugal
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Portugal has a dedicated digital-nomad route (D8): a residence visa for remote professional activity carried out for entities outside Portugal (in force since 2022, Law 18/2022), leading to a 2-year residence permit renewable for 3 years and to permanent residence/citizenship after 5 years. A temporary-stay variant (under 1 year) also exists. Income requirement 4× the national minimum wage (4 × €920 = €3,680/month in 2026).
Cost of living
CriterionFrancePortugal
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rent1,8164.81,1666.9
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Lower is better· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· re-verified every 365 days
France
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
Portugal
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- INE 2022/2023 single-person (<65) household average spending €18,121/year = €1,510/month (incl. housing); CPI-uplifted to mid-2026 (×≈1.072 over 2024–2026 HICP) → €1,618/month; the rent/imputed-rent portion of the COICOP-2018 housing division (41.7% of the basket) removed while keeping utilities, then summed by category and converted at 1.1399 USD/EUR (ECB 2026-07-02) → ≈ $1,166/month excluding rent. Cross-checked against Eurostat comparative price level for household consumption (Portugal 2024 = 85.0, EU27=100 — ~15% below the EU average).
- Notes
- National average; Lisbon runs higher. Derived by summing the itemized cost-breakdown categories; see cost-breakdown for the split.
| Category | FranceiINSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, COICOP functional breakdown) Curated by SettleMetric
| PortugaliINE — Household Budget Survey 2022/2023 (COICOP-2018 structure), CPI-uplifted Curated by SettleMetric
|
|---|---|---|
| Food & non-alcoholic beverages | $273 | $240 |
| Transport | $283 | $208 |
| Recreation, sport & culture | $158 | $53 |
| Restaurants & hotels | $191 | — |
| Housing (water, energy, maintenance — excl. rent) | $185 | — |
| Insurance & financial services | $182 | — |
| Utilities (electricity, gas, water) & upkeep | — | $166 |
| Restaurants & eating out | — | $153 |
| Information & communication | $80 | $70 |
| Other goods & services (personal care, social protection, misc.) | $138 | — |
| Clothing & footwear | $65 | $22 |
| Health (out-of-pocket & non-reimbursed) | $85 | — |
| Furnishings & household equipment | $84 | — |
| Household goods & equipment | — | $81 |
| Health (out-of-pocket) | — | $77 |
| Alcoholic beverages & tobacco | $74 | — |
| Personal care & misc goods | — | $63 |
| Alcohol & tobacco | — | $31 |
| Education | $16 | — |
| Total (excl. rent) | $1,814/mo | $1,164/mo |
Housing
Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).
| Apartment | FranceiSettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Nice, Paris) Curated by SettleMetric
| PortugaliSettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Funchal, Lisbon, Porto) Curated by SettleMetric
|
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,464 ($1,196) | $917 ($677) |
| 1-bedroom | $1,714 ($1,401) | $1,441 ($1,064) |
| 2-bedroom | $2,491 ($2,036) | $2,095 ($1,548) |
| 3-bedroom | $3,481 ($2,846) | $2,881 ($2,128) |
Safety
CriterionFrancePortugal
Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/year1.38.40.79.6
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Lower is better· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· re-verified every 730 days
France
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
Portugal
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, 2024 (Eurostat crim_off_cat). Portugal has trended down since 2013 (1.37) to 0.68 in 2024 — among the lowest in the EU.
Healthcare
CriterionFrancePortugal
Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old8219.16509.6
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Lower is better· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· re-verified every 365 days
France
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
- Notes
- A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
Portugal
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover (outpatient + hospitalization) for a healthy 35-year-old run ≈ €35–60/month across the main Portuguese insurers (Médis, Multicare, AdvanceCare/AdvanceCare-network, Allianz, Generali Tranquilidade). Midpoint ≈ €47.5/month ≈ €570/year ≈ $650 at 1.1399 USD/EUR (range ≈ $547–$752). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notes
- Residents are covered by the public SNS; private insurance is optional/supplementary. Cheaper outpatient-only plans start ≈ €10–20/month but exclude hospitalization — this figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen for cross-country comparability. Insurers repriced ~+10% for 2026.
Money & crypto
CriterionFrancePortugal
Crypto regulationLegal regulated8.0Legal friendly10.0
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
France
impots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Legal and regulated. Capital gains on digital assets for private/occasional investors are taxed at the flat PFU — 31.4% from 1 Jan 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies; the social part rose from 17.2% when the 2026 Social Security law lifted CSG on capital income 9.2%→10.6%), with the option to elect the progressive scale instead (since 2023). Total annual disposals ≤ €305 are exempt. Crypto-asset service providers authorise as CASPs under the EU MiCA regulation (the former AMF 'PSAN' regime from the 2019 PACTE law), with the AMF as competent authority.
Portugal
Autoridade Tributária — Criptoativos: conceito fiscal e tributação (folheto informativo)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Legal for individuals; regulated under EU MiCA/CARF. Since Law 24-D/2022: capital gains on crypto held ≥365 days are tax-EXEMPT (declared in Anexo G1); gains on assets held <365 days are taxed at a 28% autonomous rate (Category G, option to aggregate); crypto-to-crypto swaps are deferred (not taxed at the swap). Frequent/professional trading may be reclassified as Category B (general rates). Classified legal-friendly for the explicit long-term-holding exemption; short-term gains are still fully taxed.
Financial control levelLow10.0Low10.0
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
France
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 1, 2015
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Composite: France uses the euro, fully convertible, with EU free movement of capital and NO exchange/capital controls. The main constraint is a cash-payment cap — a French tax resident may pay at most €1,000 in cash to a professional (since Sept 2015; non-resident tourists up to €15,000); cash between private individuals is unlimited (written proof required above €1,500). The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation adds an EU-wide €10,000 cash cap from 2027. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. These are ordinary AML measures, not capital controls → 'low'.
Portugal
ASAE — cash-payment limits (Art. 63.º-E Lei Geral Tributária); euro-area free movement of capital
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: euro-area member, no currency or capital controls, EUR fully convertible; free movement of capital guaranteed by the EU Treaty (Art. 63 TFEU). Non-resident bank accounts routinely available. Standard EU CRS/DAC reporting via banks; no FBAR-style personal foreign-account self-declaration for individuals. Cash-payment limit €2,999.99 for residents (natural persons) and €9,999.99 for non-residents not acting as merchants (Art. 63.º-E LGT) — a limit on cash, not on bank money movement. Rated 'low' state control over personal money flows.
Infrastructure
CriterionFrancePortugal
Domestic delivery qualityExcellent10.0Good7.0
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
France
La Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has one of Europe's densest out-of-home parcel networks. Colissimo/Pickup: 26,000+ pickup points (≈17,500 relay points + ≈6,500 automatic lockers, incl. ≈4,500 24/7 Pickup Station lockers). Mondial Relay: ≈17,000 points (≈9,000 lockers + ≈8,000 relais). Plus Relais Colis, Chronopost, DPD, and La Poste home delivery ~6 days/week, with nationwide next-day/2-day standard options → 'excellent'.
Portugal
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- National operator CTT offers next-day ('Expresso Para Amanhã') and 2-day express nationwide, with the Collectt pickup network (CTT shops + Payshop agents + Locky 24/7 parcel lockers) and real-time tracking. Private carriers DPD, GLS, DHL, UPS, Chronopost and Seur operate nationwide. Rated 'good' — 1–3 day delivery is the norm and lockers exist in cities, but locker density and universal next-day are below the best-in-class (e.g. Poland's InPost).
International delivery easeMinor friction7.0Minor friction7.0
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
France
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market — most European cross-border parcels arrive like domestic ones). For non-EU imports the EU removed the €150 duty-free threshold and from 1 July 2026 applies a temporary flat customs duty per item on ≤€150 consignments (VAT already collected at checkout via IOSS since 2021). Predictable but no longer duty-free — the same EU regime as other member states.
Portugal
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market, all major carriers). Non-EU imports: the €150 duty-free threshold was removed on 2026-07-01 — a temporary flat €3/item duty applies to ≤€150 consignments (until the 2028 EU Customs reform); import VAT has applied from €0 since 2021 (IOSS collects it at checkout). Predictable but no longer duty-free — hence minor-friction.
Internet speedMbps, median fixed download51.45.1403.8
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Higher is better· Mbps, median fixed download· re-verified every 365 days
France
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Portugal
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Portugal
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- M-Lab NDT daily country medians for Portugal cluster at ≈ 39–42 Mbps (2024). Recorded as 40 Mbps. WebFetch truncates the JSON to ~mid-January, so the full-year median should be re-aggregated from the M-Lab BigQuery dataset next cycle.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Portuguese fibre retail speeds are far higher) — comparable only within this criterion. Value should be re-verified against the full 2024/2025 M-Lab aggregate.
Language
CriterionFrancePortugal
English proficiencyModerate5.0Very high9.0
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
France
EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
Portugal
EF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). Portugal ranks 6th of 123 countries (score 612, 'Very High'). English is broadly workable in cities, tourism, tech and services; less consistent in local government/administration.
Deep dives: taxes in France ·taxes in Portugal ·net-income calculator