A Ukrainian couple moved from Poland to Portugal and explained their decision (video)
Alina and Oleksandr, a Ukrainian couple who had lived in Poland for several years, decided to move to Portugal. They said they don’t regret their decision and explained the reasons behind their move.
They shared this in a video for their YouTube channel.
Alina explained why she and her partner left their comfortable life in Toruń, trading it for Lisbon.
According to Alina, both she and Alexander work remotely, so they aren’t tied to one place and love to travel often. For a long time, Poland seemed like the best option for permanent residence due to relatively low prices and a high standard of living. In Toruń, they spent €600 on rent for a two-bedroom apartment with a courtyard and a private parking spot, and the same amount on food.
“Poland is the perfect combination of price and quality. It’s the cheapest country among the developed nations in Europe. Sure, you can find cheaper places, but the quality of life there will be lower. In Poland, you get well-maintained roads, streets, and buildings, along with a well-developed network of services and shops. Everything around is brand-new, clean, and all for very little money,” the blogger said.
Despite their comfortable life, the couple began to consider moving due to the escalation of Ukrainian-Polish tensions in politics and the media. The author emphasized that she personally had not encountered aggression from Poles, but she began to feel exhausted by the constant presence of the “Ukrainian issue” in Poland’s media landscape.
“I want to live in a country where I’m judged by who I am as a person, not by my nationality. I don’t want any extra love or special treatment just because I’m Ukrainian. I just want to live in a country where Ukrainians aren’t among the top five topics in the daily news,” Alina said.
And that’s when Portugal came into the couple’s lives. During a winter trip through Europe, the couple stopped in the country for a month. It was then that they felt they wanted to live there, even though they initially tried to convince themselves to stay in Poland. According to the author, the decision to move was emotional but well-considered.
“Portugal simply drew us in with an incredible force, and we could no longer resist,” the blogger said.
After several months of living in Portugal, the couple says they don’t regret their decision. Although the country has its downsides, the move has made them happier.
The main pros are the kind, smiling people, the ocean, nature, more physical activity, and fish and fruit in their diet. They feel that the country acts as therapy: their anxiety has decreased, their sleep has improved, and they have more energy. At the same time, the blogger acknowledged that there is a significant downside to living in Portugal—prices are much higher than in Poland. For instance, their apartment rent now costs €1,300, and their grocery expenses amount to at least €800.
“For us, Portugal is beautiful and amazing, even after six months of living here. So, the answer to the question: do we regret it? No, we don’t. Portugal has made us happier people. And isn’t that why we earn money?” the author noted.
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