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Italy vs. Portugal

Italy va por delante en impuestos. Portugal va por delante en dinero y cripto, idioma, infraestructura. Abajo, los datos criterio por criterio.

Verificado

Marcador

Las cifras clave cara a cara, con el lado más fuerte señalado. La puntuación global es decorativa; lo que importa es qué datos encajan contigo.

Resultado principal

Italy va por delante en 3 de 6

Italy

3

Portugal

2

01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Italymejor
$1093/mo

ISTAT — Spese per consumi delle famiglie, Anno 2024 (Prospetto 4, tavole allegate)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
ISTAT household budget survey 2024: average monthly household spending €2,755.09, of which imputed rent (affitti figurativi) €617.39 → monetary spending €2,137.70. Actual rentals removed using Italy's 2025 HICP weight for COICOP 04.1 (29.51 per 1,000 = 2.951%, Eurostat prc_hicp_inw) = €63.08 → €2,074.62 excluding all rent. Divided by the average household size of 2.2 (Eurostat ilc_lvph01) = €943.01 per person per month; uplifted by HICP annual averages 2024→2025 (122.3 → 124.3, ×1.0164) = €958.43; converted at 1 EUR = 1.1399 USD (ECB, 2026-07-02) → $1,093.
Notas
Per-capita basis, to match how Spain, Czechia, Austria and France are computed in this dataset. ISTAT also publishes the real single-person household basket, which is what a solo mover actually faces: €1,931.70/month total, €1,347.48 after removing imputed and actual rent — about $1,561/month on the same uplift and FX. A person living alone has no household economies of scale, so read the $1,093 as the comparable cross-country figure and the $1,561 as the realistic personal one. No extrapolation into 2026 was applied beyond the 2025 annual average.
Portugal
$1166/mo

INE — Household Budget Survey 2022/2023 (Inquérito às Despesas das Famílias), single-person households, CPI-uplifted

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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).
Notas
National average; Lisbon runs higher. Derived by summing the itemized cost-breakdown categories; see cost-breakdown for the split.
02Freelancer tax burden
Italymejor
24,9%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Agenzia delle Entrate regime forfetario; INPS circolare 8/2026)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 revenue for an IT freelancer = it-forfettario-it-67. Taxable base 67% × 60,000 = 40,200 (ATECO group 9 coefficient; expenses never reduce the base). INPS Gestione Separata 26.07% = 10,480.14, deducted from the forfeitary income → 29,719.86. Imposta sostitutiva 15% = 4,457.98. Levies 14,938.12 → 24.9%. The first five years of a new activity run at 5% instead (19.9%); the ordinary IRPEF route on the same profile is near 41%.
Portugal
30%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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%.
03Homicide rate
Italymejor
0,57/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (2023 was also 0.57). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29. Among the safest large countries in Europe — roughly half the French rate and a fifth of the global average — and down from 1.05 in 2008.
Portugal
0,68/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.
04Internet speed
Italy
27 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Italy

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for IT in 2023 (17.42M download tests; daily medians ranged 8.6–29.9 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below advertised or Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
Notas
Low by Western European standards on this metric: Italy's copper legacy is long and FTTH rollout, while accelerating under the national broadband plan, still lags France and Spain. Fibre is available in the three modelled cities; rural and southern coverage is where the national median is lost.
Portugalmejor
40 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Portugal

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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.
Notas
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.
05English proficiency
Italy
Moderate

EF EPI 2025 — Italy (score 513, rank 59/123, Moderate band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Italy score 513, global rank 59, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), down 15 points on the previous edition. Reading scores highest (534) and speaking lowest (417), which matches the lived experience: written and technical English is workable in Milan's professional world, but Italian is required for administration, healthcare and most daily life, and proficiency falls sharply from north to south.
Portugalmejor
Very high

EF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.
06Private healthcare cost
Italy
sin datos verificados
Portugal
$650/yr

Médis / Multicare / AdvanceCare / Allianz comprehensive (with-hospitalization) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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.
Notas
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.

Veredicto

Cada perspectiva pondera solo los datos que importan a ese plan y dice a qué lado favorece.

Informática remota / autónomo

Contrato o trabajo por cuenta propia en tecnología, facturando a clientes de fuera.

Muy reñido para este plan

01Freelancer tax burden
Italymejor
24,9%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Agenzia delle Entrate regime forfetario; INPS circolare 8/2026)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 revenue for an IT freelancer = it-forfettario-it-67. Taxable base 67% × 60,000 = 40,200 (ATECO group 9 coefficient; expenses never reduce the base). INPS Gestione Separata 26.07% = 10,480.14, deducted from the forfeitary income → 29,719.86. Imposta sostitutiva 15% = 4,457.98. Levies 14,938.12 → 24.9%. The first five years of a new activity run at 5% instead (19.9%); the ordinary IRPEF route on the same profile is near 41%.
Portugal
30%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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%.
02Internet speed
Italy
27 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Italy

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for IT in 2023 (17.42M download tests; daily medians ranged 8.6–29.9 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below advertised or Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
Notas
Low by Western European standards on this metric: Italy's copper legacy is long and FTTH rollout, while accelerating under the national broadband plan, still lags France and Spain. Fibre is available in the three modelled cities; rural and southern coverage is where the national median is lost.
Portugalmejor
40 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Portugal

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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.
Notas
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.
03English proficiency
Italy
Moderate

EF EPI 2025 — Italy (score 513, rank 59/123, Moderate band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Italy score 513, global rank 59, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), down 15 points on the previous edition. Reading scores highest (534) and speaking lowest (417), which matches the lived experience: written and technical English is workable in Milan's professional world, but Italian is required for administration, healthcare and most daily life, and proficiency falls sharply from north to south.
Portugalmejor
Very high

EF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.
04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Italymejor
$1093/mo

ISTAT — Spese per consumi delle famiglie, Anno 2024 (Prospetto 4, tavole allegate)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
ISTAT household budget survey 2024: average monthly household spending €2,755.09, of which imputed rent (affitti figurativi) €617.39 → monetary spending €2,137.70. Actual rentals removed using Italy's 2025 HICP weight for COICOP 04.1 (29.51 per 1,000 = 2.951%, Eurostat prc_hicp_inw) = €63.08 → €2,074.62 excluding all rent. Divided by the average household size of 2.2 (Eurostat ilc_lvph01) = €943.01 per person per month; uplifted by HICP annual averages 2024→2025 (122.3 → 124.3, ×1.0164) = €958.43; converted at 1 EUR = 1.1399 USD (ECB, 2026-07-02) → $1,093.
Notas
Per-capita basis, to match how Spain, Czechia, Austria and France are computed in this dataset. ISTAT also publishes the real single-person household basket, which is what a solo mover actually faces: €1,931.70/month total, €1,347.48 after removing imputed and actual rent — about $1,561/month on the same uplift and FX. A person living alone has no household economies of scale, so read the $1,093 as the comparable cross-country figure and the $1,561 as the realistic personal one. No extrapolation into 2026 was applied beyond the 2025 annual average.
Portugal
$1166/mo

INE — Household Budget Survey 2022/2023 (Inquérito às Despesas das Famílias), single-person households, CPI-uplifted

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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).
Notas
National average; Lisbon runs higher. Derived by summing the itemized cost-breakdown categories; see cost-breakdown for the split.
05Domestic delivery quality
Italy
Good

Poste Italiane — Rete Punto Poste (punti di ritiro e Locker)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
28 jul 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Poste Italiane's Punto Poste network lists over 18,000 pickup points and lockers, and more than 30,000 proximity points counting post offices, alongside private networks — BRT, GLS, SDA, DHL, UPS and InPost Italia. Home delivery is nationwide with next-day options in the north and centre. Rated 'good' rather than 'excellent': locker density is far below Poland's or France's (Poste's own locker estate is in the low thousands, against ~26,000 InPost lockers in Poland), and delivery reliability is noticeably weaker in the south and on the islands.
Notas
Cash on delivery (contrassegno) is still a mainstream consumer option in Italy, unlike in France — a legacy of lower card penetration that remains useful for anyone without an Italian bank card yet.
Portugal
Good

CTT Correios de Portugal — express delivery times, coverage and Collectt/Locky network (official service pages)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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).

Familia

Mudarse con pareja e hijos en edad escolar.

Muy reñido para este plan

01Homicide rate
Italymejor
0,57/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (2023 was also 0.57). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29. Among the safest large countries in Europe — roughly half the French rate and a fifth of the global average — and down from 1.05 in 2008.
Portugal
0,68/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.
02Private healthcare cost
Italy
sin datos verificados
Portugal
$650/yr

Médis / Multicare / AdvanceCare / Allianz comprehensive (with-hospitalization) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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.
Notas
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.
03English proficiency
Italy
Moderate

EF EPI 2025 — Italy (score 513, rank 59/123, Moderate band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Italy score 513, global rank 59, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), down 15 points on the previous edition. Reading scores highest (534) and speaking lowest (417), which matches the lived experience: written and technical English is workable in Milan's professional world, but Italian is required for administration, healthcare and most daily life, and proficiency falls sharply from north to south.
Portugalmejor
Very high

EF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.

Dinero y cripto

Optimizar impuestos, banca y normas sobre cripto.

Muy reñido para este plan

01Crypto regulation
Italy
Legal regulated

Agenzia delle Entrate — Quadro RT, sezioni V-A1/V-B1: imposta sostitutiva 33% sulle plusvalenze da cripto-attività realizzate dal 1° gennaio 2026

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Legal and fully regulated, but taxed harder than most of Europe from 2026: the substitute tax on crypto capital gains (art. 67(1)(c-sexies) TUIR) rose from 26% to 33% on gains realised from 1 January 2026, and the previous €2,000 annual exemption threshold was abolished from 2025 — so the first euro of gain is taxable. Euro-denominated e-money tokens stay at 26%. Service providers operate under the EU MiCA regime, supervised by CONSOB and the Bank of Italy. Note that the regime forfettario's substitute tax does not cover capital gains: crypto is declared separately in quadro RT whatever your business regime.
Portugalmejor
Legal friendly

Autoridade Tributária — Criptoativos: conceito fiscal e tributação (folheto informativo)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.
02Financial control level
Italy
Low

Agenzia delle Entrate — Limitazione all'uso del contante e deroga per cittadini stranieri non residenti

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2023
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Composite: Italy uses the euro, with EU free movement of capital and no exchange or capital controls. The binding constraints are ordinary anti-money-laundering rules — a ceiling on cash transfers between parties (art. 49 of D.Lgs. 231/2007), a reporting duty on large cash tourism sales, and the RW section of the tax return, in which residents must declare foreign accounts and assets including crypto. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. None of this restricts moving your own money, so the classification is 'low', the same as France and Spain.
Notas
Two official sources disagree on the general cash ceiling and we flag rather than hide it: the 2023 Budget Law (law 197/2022) raised it from €1,000 to €5,000 from 1 January 2023, and this Agenzia delle Entrate page tracks that by setting the tourism cash-sale reporting threshold at €5,000 ('previously €1,000 until 2025'), while the Treasury's own prevention-of-financial-crime FAQ still displays €1,000 as the limit in force since 2022. Either figure lands Italy in the same band. Worth knowing separately: Italy's declaration duty for foreign-held assets is broad, and penalties for undeclared foreign accounts are real.
Portugal
Low

ASAE — cash-payment limits (Art. 63.º-E Lei Geral Tributária); euro-area free movement of capital

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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.
03Freelancer tax burden
Italymejor
24,9%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Agenzia delle Entrate regime forfetario; INPS circolare 8/2026)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 revenue for an IT freelancer = it-forfettario-it-67. Taxable base 67% × 60,000 = 40,200 (ATECO group 9 coefficient; expenses never reduce the base). INPS Gestione Separata 26.07% = 10,480.14, deducted from the forfeitary income → 29,719.86. Imposta sostitutiva 15% = 4,457.98. Levies 14,938.12 → 24.9%. The first five years of a new activity run at 5% instead (19.9%); the ordinary IRPEF route on the same profile is near 41%.
Portugal
30%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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%.

Vida tranquila

Priorizar la seguridad, el aire y una vida diaria sencilla.

Italy encaja mejor: 2 de 2

01Homicide rate
Italymejor
0,57/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (2023 was also 0.57). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29. Among the safest large countries in Europe — roughly half the French rate and a fifth of the global average — and down from 1.05 in 2008.
Portugal
0,68/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.
02Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Italymejor
$1093/mo

ISTAT — Spese per consumi delle famiglie, Anno 2024 (Prospetto 4, tavole allegate)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
ISTAT household budget survey 2024: average monthly household spending €2,755.09, of which imputed rent (affitti figurativi) €617.39 → monetary spending €2,137.70. Actual rentals removed using Italy's 2025 HICP weight for COICOP 04.1 (29.51 per 1,000 = 2.951%, Eurostat prc_hicp_inw) = €63.08 → €2,074.62 excluding all rent. Divided by the average household size of 2.2 (Eurostat ilc_lvph01) = €943.01 per person per month; uplifted by HICP annual averages 2024→2025 (122.3 → 124.3, ×1.0164) = €958.43; converted at 1 EUR = 1.1399 USD (ECB, 2026-07-02) → $1,093.
Notas
Per-capita basis, to match how Spain, Czechia, Austria and France are computed in this dataset. ISTAT also publishes the real single-person household basket, which is what a solo mover actually faces: €1,931.70/month total, €1,347.48 after removing imputed and actual rent — about $1,561/month on the same uplift and FX. A person living alone has no household economies of scale, so read the $1,093 as the comparable cross-country figure and the $1,561 as the realistic personal one. No extrapolation into 2026 was applied beyond the 2025 annual average.
Portugal
$1166/mo

INE — Household Budget Survey 2022/2023 (Inquérito às Despesas das Famílias), single-person households, CPI-uplifted

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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).
Notas
National average; Lisbon runs higher. Derived by summing the itemized cost-breakdown categories; see cost-breakdown for the split.

Detalles

Impuestos

01+Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileItalymejor24,9Portugal30

Qué mide esto

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.

Cuanto más bajo, mejor· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Italy

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Agenzia delle Entrate regime forfetario; INPS circolare 8/2026)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 revenue for an IT freelancer = it-forfettario-it-67. Taxable base 67% × 60,000 = 40,200 (ATECO group 9 coefficient; expenses never reduce the base). INPS Gestione Separata 26.07% = 10,480.14, deducted from the forfeitary income → 29,719.86. Imposta sostitutiva 15% = 4,457.98. Levies 14,938.12 → 24.9%. The first five years of a new activity run at 5% instead (19.9%); the ordinary IRPEF route on the same profile is near 41%.

Portugal

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Autoridade Tributária + Segurança Social)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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%.

Legalización

01+Remote-work legalization easeItalyDedicated nomad visaPortugalDedicated nomad visa

Qué mide esto

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.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 180 días

Italy

Decreto interministeriale 29 febbraio 2024 — ingresso e soggiorno di nomadi digitali e lavoratori da remoto (GU Serie Generale n. 79 del 4 aprile 2024)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
4 abr 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Italy has run a dedicated digital-nomad and remote-worker visa since the decree took effect on 4 April 2024. It sits outside the decreto-flussi quotas, needs no nulla osta, is issued for up to a year and renews annually. It is not a low bar: the work must be highly qualified in the sense of art. 27-quater of the immigration act, with at least six months of prior experience in the activity.

Portugal

AIMA — residence authorization for remote professional activity (Nómadas Digitais, Art. 88.º/1 Law 23/2007)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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).

Coste de vida

01+Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentItalymejor1093Portugal1166

Qué mide esto

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.

Cuanto más bajo, mejor· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Italy

ISTAT — Spese per consumi delle famiglie, Anno 2024 (Prospetto 4, tavole allegate)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
ISTAT household budget survey 2024: average monthly household spending €2,755.09, of which imputed rent (affitti figurativi) €617.39 → monetary spending €2,137.70. Actual rentals removed using Italy's 2025 HICP weight for COICOP 04.1 (29.51 per 1,000 = 2.951%, Eurostat prc_hicp_inw) = €63.08 → €2,074.62 excluding all rent. Divided by the average household size of 2.2 (Eurostat ilc_lvph01) = €943.01 per person per month; uplifted by HICP annual averages 2024→2025 (122.3 → 124.3, ×1.0164) = €958.43; converted at 1 EUR = 1.1399 USD (ECB, 2026-07-02) → $1,093.
Notas
Per-capita basis, to match how Spain, Czechia, Austria and France are computed in this dataset. ISTAT also publishes the real single-person household basket, which is what a solo mover actually faces: €1,931.70/month total, €1,347.48 after removing imputed and actual rent — about $1,561/month on the same uplift and FX. A person living alone has no household economies of scale, so read the $1,093 as the comparable cross-country figure and the $1,561 as the realistic personal one. No extrapolation into 2026 was applied beyond the 2025 annual average.

Portugal

INE — Household Budget Survey 2022/2023 (Inquérito às Despesas das Famílias), single-person households, CPI-uplifted

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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).
Notas
National average; Lisbon runs higher. Derived by summing the itemized cost-breakdown categories; see cost-breakdown for the split.

Gasto mensual por categoría (sin alquiler)

Italy

ISTAT — Spese per consumi delle famiglie, Anno 2024 (Prospetto 4, divisioni di spesa)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Each ISTAT 2024 spending division for all households, divided by the average household size 2.2, uplifted ×1.0164 (HICP 2024→2025) and converted at 1.1399 USD/EUR. The housing line is shown net of both imputed rent (€617.39/household) and actual rentals (€63.08, from the 2.951% HICP weight), leaving water, energy, maintenance and condominium charges. Items sum to $1,094 against the $1,093 headline; the €1 gap is rounding.
Notas
Food is the largest single line at a quarter of the basket — a high share for Western Europe, and one reason Italy's overall cost sits below France and Austria despite comparable incomes. Health is out-of-pocket only: the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale covers residents, with co-payments (ticket) and private consultations making up this line.
Portugal

INE — Household Budget Survey 2022/2023 (COICOP-2018 structure), CPI-uplifted

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
INE 2022/2023 COICOP-2018 expenditure shares (food 13.0%, transport 11.3%, restaurants & accommodation 8.3%, furnishings 4.4%, health 4.2%, information & communication 3.8%, personal care/misc 3.4%, recreation 2.9%, alcohol/tobacco 1.7%, clothing 1.2%; housing 41.7% split into ~9% utilities/upkeep kept and rent excluded) applied to the CPI-uplifted single-person monthly total (€1,618) and converted at 1.1399 USD/EUR. Categories sum to the ~$1,166/mo excl-rent aggregate. National average.
Notas
Structure is the all-household COICOP-2018 split (INE does not publish a full single-person COICOP table); applied to the single-person total as a transparent approximation. Housing utilities are kept; rent/imputed rent is excluded per the cost-of-living definition.
01Food & non-alcoholic beverages
Italy
$281
Portugalmás barato
$240
02Transport
Italymás barato
$157
Portugal
$208
03Utilities (electricity, gas, water) & upkeep
Italy
Portugal
$166
04Housing (water, energy, maintenance — excl. rent)
Italy
$160
Portugal
05Restaurants & eating out
Italy
Portugal
$153
06Health (out-of-pocket)
Italymás barato
$61
Portugal
$77
07Recreation, sport & culture
Italy
$55
Portugalmás barato
$53
08Information & communication
Italymás barato
$38
Portugal
$70
09Restaurants & accommodation
Italy
$85
Portugal
10Household goods & equipment
Italy
Portugal
$81
11Clothing & footwear
Italy
$54
Portugalmás barato
$22
12Other goods & services (personal care, social protection, misc.)
Italy
$71
Portugal
13Personal care & misc goods
Italy
Portugal
$63
14Furnishings & household equipment
Italy
$61
Portugal
15Insurance & financial services
Italy
$39
Portugal
16Alcohol & tobacco
Italy
Portugal
$31
17Alcoholic beverages & tobacco
Italy
$23
Portugal
18Education
Italy
$9
Portugal
Total (sin alquiler)
Italy$1094/mes
Portugal$1164/mes

Vivienda

Alquiler por tipo de vivienda

Alquiler de oferta: precio en el centro, con el de fuera del centro entre paréntesis ($/mes).

Italy

SettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Genoa, Milan, Rome)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Population-weighted mean of the rent-breakdown matrices of Genoa, Milan, Rome; each cell averages the cities that report it. See each city page for its exact local matrix.
Portugal

SettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Funchal, Lisbon, Porto)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
30 jun 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
Population-weighted mean of the rent-breakdown matrices of Funchal, Lisbon, Porto; each cell averages the cities that report it. See each city page for its exact local matrix.
01Estudio
Italymás barato
$894$536 fuera del centro
Portugal
$917$677 fuera del centro
021 dormitorio
Italymás barato
$1404$842 fuera del centro
Portugal
$1441$1064 fuera del centro
032 dormitorios
Italymás barato
$2042$1224 fuera del centro
Portugal
$2095$1548 fuera del centro
043 dormitorios
Italymás barato
$2808$1683 fuera del centro
Portugal
$2881$2128 fuera del centro

Seguridad

01+Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearItalymejor0,6Portugal0,7

Qué mide esto

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).

Cuanto más bajo, mejor· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días

Italy

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (2023 was also 0.57). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29. Among the safest large countries in Europe — roughly half the French rate and a fifth of the global average — and down from 1.05 in 2008.

Portugal

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.

Sanidad

01+Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldItalysin datos verificadosPortugal650

Qué mide esto

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.

Cuanto más bajo, mejor· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Italy

No verified premium. Italian insurers do not publish individual health-policy tariffs the way French mutuelle comparators do, and the figures circulating on broker blogs (roughly €300–500 a year for a basic individual policy at 35) are not traceable to a named tariff table, so they are not recorded here. What is certain is the structure: residents — including foreigners with a residence permit — enrol in the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, which covers GP care, hospital treatment and subsidised specialist care against a co-payment (ticket). Private policies in Italy are supplementary, bought mainly to skip public waiting lists, not a replacement. Non-residents on a digital-nomad or elective-residence visa must instead hold private travel/health insurance for the visa itself.

Portugal

Médis / Multicare / AdvanceCare / Allianz comprehensive (with-hospitalization) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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.
Notas
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.

Dinero y cripto

01+Crypto regulationItalyLegal regulatedPortugalmejorLegal friendly

Qué mide esto

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.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 180 días

Italy

Agenzia delle Entrate — Quadro RT, sezioni V-A1/V-B1: imposta sostitutiva 33% sulle plusvalenze da cripto-attività realizzate dal 1° gennaio 2026

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Legal and fully regulated, but taxed harder than most of Europe from 2026: the substitute tax on crypto capital gains (art. 67(1)(c-sexies) TUIR) rose from 26% to 33% on gains realised from 1 January 2026, and the previous €2,000 annual exemption threshold was abolished from 2025 — so the first euro of gain is taxable. Euro-denominated e-money tokens stay at 26%. Service providers operate under the EU MiCA regime, supervised by CONSOB and the Bank of Italy. Note that the regime forfettario's substitute tax does not cover capital gains: crypto is declared separately in quadro RT whatever your business regime.

Portugal

Autoridade Tributária — Criptoativos: conceito fiscal e tributação (folheto informativo)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.
02+Financial control levelItalyLowPortugalLow

Qué mide esto

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.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Italy

Agenzia delle Entrate — Limitazione all'uso del contante e deroga per cittadini stranieri non residenti

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
1 ene 2023
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Composite: Italy uses the euro, with EU free movement of capital and no exchange or capital controls. The binding constraints are ordinary anti-money-laundering rules — a ceiling on cash transfers between parties (art. 49 of D.Lgs. 231/2007), a reporting duty on large cash tourism sales, and the RW section of the tax return, in which residents must declare foreign accounts and assets including crypto. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. None of this restricts moving your own money, so the classification is 'low', the same as France and Spain.
Notas
Two official sources disagree on the general cash ceiling and we flag rather than hide it: the 2023 Budget Law (law 197/2022) raised it from €1,000 to €5,000 from 1 January 2023, and this Agenzia delle Entrate page tracks that by setting the tourism cash-sale reporting threshold at €5,000 ('previously €1,000 until 2025'), while the Treasury's own prevention-of-financial-crime FAQ still displays €1,000 as the limit in force since 2022. Either figure lands Italy in the same band. Worth knowing separately: Italy's declaration duty for foreign-held assets is broad, and penalties for undeclared foreign accounts are real.

Portugal

ASAE — cash-payment limits (Art. 63.º-E Lei Geral Tributária); euro-area free movement of capital

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
4 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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.

Infraestructura

01+Domestic delivery qualityItalyGoodPortugalGood

Qué mide esto

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.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días

Italy

Poste Italiane — Rete Punto Poste (punti di ritiro e Locker)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
28 jul 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Poste Italiane's Punto Poste network lists over 18,000 pickup points and lockers, and more than 30,000 proximity points counting post offices, alongside private networks — BRT, GLS, SDA, DHL, UPS and InPost Italia. Home delivery is nationwide with next-day options in the north and centre. Rated 'good' rather than 'excellent': locker density is far below Poland's or France's (Poste's own locker estate is in the low thousands, against ~26,000 InPost lockers in Poland), and delivery reliability is noticeably weaker in the south and on the islands.
Notas
Cash on delivery (contrassegno) is still a mainstream consumer option in Italy, unlike in France — a legacy of lower card penetration that remains useful for anyone without an Italian bank card yet.

Portugal

CTT Correios de Portugal — express delivery times, coverage and Collectt/Locky network (official service pages)

Recopilado por SettleMetric

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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).
02+International delivery easeItalyMinor frictionPortugalMinor friction

Qué mide esto

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.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Italy

European Commission — removal of the €150 customs duty exemption threshold for e-commerce imports (from 1 July 2026)

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
1 jul 2026
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Intra-EU shipping is frictionless under the single market — a parcel from Germany or Spain arrives like a domestic one. 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 consignments up to €150, with VAT already collected at checkout through IOSS. The same EU-wide regime as every member state; Italian customs handling of non-EU parcels is slower than northern Europe's, which is the 'minor friction' in practice.

Portugal

European Commission — removal of the €150 customs duty exemption / temporary flat fee on low-value imports

Fuente oficial

Datos a fecha de
1 jul 2026
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.
03+Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadItaly27,4Portugalmejor40

Qué mide esto

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.

Cuanto más alto, mejor· Mbps, median fixed download· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días

Italy

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Italy

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2023
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Método
Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for IT in 2023 (17.42M download tests; daily medians ranged 8.6–29.9 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below advertised or Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
Notas
Low by Western European standards on this metric: Italy's copper legacy is long and FTTH rollout, while accelerating under the national broadband plan, still lags France and Spain. Fibre is available in the three modelled cities; rural and southern coverage is where the national median is lost.

Portugal

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Portugal

Datos abiertos

Datos a fecha de
31 dic 2024
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Método
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.
Notas
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.

Idioma

01+English proficiencyItalyModeratePortugalmejorVery high

Qué mide esto

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.

Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días

Italy

EF EPI 2025 — Italy (score 513, rank 59/123, Moderate band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
28 jul 2026
Notas
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Italy score 513, global rank 59, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), down 15 points on the previous edition. Reading scores highest (534) and speaking lowest (417), which matches the lived experience: written and technical English is workable in Milan's professional world, but Italian is required for administration, healthcare and most daily life, and proficiency falls sharply from north to south.

Portugal

EF EPI 2025 — Portugal rank 6/123, score 612 (Very High band)

Estudio

Datos a fecha de
1 nov 2025
Verificado
4 jul 2026
Notas
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.

En profundidad: impuestos en Italy ·impuestos en Portugal ·calculadora de ingreso neto