Compare · Portugal vs Thailand
Portugal vs Thailand for Australians leaving home
The regimes are genuinely different: Portugal is a worldwide tax system while Thailand runs remittance-basis tax, which of your income streams each one actually touches matters more than any headline rate.
The treaty position splits them: Thailand has a full Australian tax treaty (tie-breaker plus withholding capped at 15% on unfranked dividends), while Portugal has none, no safety net if both countries claim you.
Thailand is the cheaper place to live day to day, roughly 50% of Sydney's basket against Portugal's 65% (indicative, ex-rent), which can outweigh a thinner tax saving over a full household budget.
Personalise this, enter your numbers once and every figure below becomes yours: “your estimated income tax: $14,200”, not “0, 22%”. Open the Country Comparison tool →
| 2 destinations | PortugalPortugal | ThailandThailand |
|---|---|---|
| Tax | ||
| Regime | worldwide, taxes worldwide income | remittance, worldwide income not taxed |
| Income tax on salary | Progressive 13, 48% plus solidarity surcharge above €80k. A €100k salary pays roughly 37% effective, Portugal is not a low-tax country for salaries. | Progressive 0, 35% on Thai-source salary. A THB 2m (~A$87k) salary pays roughly 18% effective after standard allowances. |
| Capital gains | 28% flat on share gains (option to aggregate at progressive rates). Short-term gains on assets held <365 days must be aggregated at progressive rates for high earners. (28% typical) | Gains on SET-listed Thai shares are exempt. Foreign share gains earned from 2024 are taxable at progressive rates in the year remitted. (15% typical) |
| Dividends | 28% flat on dividends and interest, wherever sourced, with no AU treaty relief. | Thai dividends: 10% final withholding. Foreign dividends: progressive rates when remitted, with a treaty credit for Australian tax already paid. |
| Interest | Taxed locally around 28% | Taxed locally around 15% |
| Crypto | Crypto held under 365 days is taxed at 28% on disposal; gains on crypto held longer than 365 days are exempt for individuals. Crypto-to-crypto swaps are generally not taxing events. Professional trading is business income at progressive rates. | Crypto gains are assessable income at progressive rates, with 15% withholding on some disposals. Trades on SEC-licensed Thai exchanges have enjoyed temporary exemptions. Foreign-exchange crypto gains follow the remittance rules, taxable when brought in. |
| Australia tax treaty | No, full 30% / 10% withholding, no tie-breaker | Yes, AU withholding capped at 15% dividends / 10% interest, tie-breaker available |
| Social security | Employees pay 11% social security; the self-employed pay ~21.4% on a discounted base. Not included in the calculation above, budget for it. | Employees pay a capped social security contribution (max THB 750/month), negligible for planning. |
| Visa | ||
| Best pathways |
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| Visa ease | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Family on visas | Dependants covered on main pathways | Dependants covered on main pathways |
| Fastest timeline | ~4 months on the quickest pathway | ~1 month on the quickest pathway |
| Money | ||
| Rent (family home, monthly) | $4,200/mo | $2,800/mo |
| Rent (couple, monthly) | $2,600/mo | $1,500/mo |
| International school (per child/yr) | $18,000 | $22,000 |
| Health cover (family/yr) | $4,500 | $5,500 |
| Cost of living vs Sydney | 65% of Sydney (ex-rent) | 50% of Sydney (ex-rent) |
| Relocation one-off | ~$22,000 | ~$15,000 |
| Flights home (return, pp) | $2,600 | $1,300 |
| Life | ||
| Timezone vs AEST | 9h behind | 3h behind |
| Flight from Sydney | ~26 hours | ~9.5 hours |
| English | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Safety | 9/10 | 6/10 |
| Healthcare | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Schooling | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Climate | Mild Atlantic climate, warm dry summers, wet 15°C winters in poorly heated homes. | Tropical: hot season to 40°C, monsoon June, October, pleasant November, February. |
Costs, rates and visa figures are country-module data marked indicative until individually verified; FX and rental markets move constantly.
Honest downsides, side by side
Every destination hub on this site carries its downsides in the open. Here are both lists together, because the right question is rarely “which is better?” and usually “which set of problems would you rather live with?”
Portugal
- No Australia tax treaty: a contested residency year can leave the same income fully taxed in both countries with only messy unilateral credits between you and double tax.
- NHR is gone for new arrivals, the 20% IFICI successor is narrow, and most Australians will face full progressive rates up to 48% plus 28% on investments.
- Salaries and bureaucracy are Southern European: local pay is low, AIMA appointment backlogs are real, and everything official takes months.
- It is the single worst time zone on this list for keeping Australian clients, 9, 10 hours behind AEST means your overlap is their evening.
- Winter housing is genuinely cold and damp; central heating is the exception, not the rule.
Thailand
- The 2024 remittance change turned Thailand from "de facto tax-free" into a real tax system overnight, and the rules are still settling, which is exactly the uncertainty you moved to avoid.
- Visa policy churns: rules on extensions, insurance and financial proof change frequently and vary by immigration office.
- Air quality in Bangkok and especially Chiang Mai (burning season, Feb, April) is a genuine health issue.
- You will never be more than a guest: property freehold is off-limits for land, and permanent residency/citizenship are rare in practice.
Make this comparison yours
The table above shows the general figures. Enter your income and family once and the tax rows become your numbers, “your estimated income tax in Lisbon: $14,200”, not a range.