During the pandemic, California’s population dropped for the first time in history, and is now at just above 39 million. Citing the state’s high cost-of-living, wildfires, water shortages and at times its politics, many Californians have moved elsewhere in the U. S. Others have decided to relocate internationally. Americans now are among the fastest-growing groups of Westerners moving to Portugal. Californians make up an increasing share of expats in the nation that has aggressively courted internationals to boost its economy since the global financial crisis. Now home to a booming tourism industry and regularly ranked as one of the top destinations for remote workers and retirees, Portugal’s biggest cities face some of the same problems as California with increasing rents and a housing crunch. But the nation is also much cheaper for Americans, who on average earn several times more than the typical Portuguese worker. The Times spoke to Californians who moved to Portugal to ask about their experiences. We also reached out to Portuguese natives about the growing influx of remote workers, retirees and land investors. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Therese Mascardo, 39 Psychologist Moved from Santa Monica to LisbonPortugal is, in so many ways, all of the things I love about California: great weather, beautiful nature, amazing food, but much more affordable and much more charming. There’s a surfing community here that really feels reminiscent of Orange County, where I grew up. I save so much money living here, it feels criminal. I pay less than half of my rent in L. A. here and I have more space. There is a strain on the economy with the way rental prices have increased. And that is absolutely related to the influx of foreigners who bring in big wallets and have more spending power than many of the locals do. I think that there can be some tensions but, overall, Portugal has been one of the most welcoming places I’ve ever been. Michele Abraham, 30Founder of Moved from Santa Monica to PortoAt the height of the pandemic in 2021, I quit my job and decided to plan my move to Portugal. By this time, I’d been working in tech for four years, had begun consulting and launched a start-up. There’s a lot of support for entrepreneurship here. California has such an incredible ecosystem for startups, and I wasn’t sure Portugal could compete. But it does. As a woman and person of color, I definitely felt my gender and race came less into question as a start-up founder in Portugal than in California. The community here is so inclusive and kind and it means the world to me to have the opportunity to live and work here. Niki Smart, 57WriterMoved from Los Angeles to CascaisRelocating to a new country is exhilarating, exhausting, terrifying but also profoundly pleasing. It’s hard since I’m doing it alone and, even though I think it’s fabulous here, I get overwhelmed. It’s a challenge and I’m determined to make it work.

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