My family moved from Florida to Portugal 4 years ago. Our cost of living was far lower, and many aspects of life surprised us.

• In 2020, my family of three moved from Florida to a small village in Central Portugal.
• The people we met in Portugal were very kind — and loved to stay up late.
• Overall, life in Portugal was more affordable for us.

In early 2020, my family of three was living in West Palm Beach, Florida, when we decided to take a six-month trip around Europe.

During our stay, we rented an Airbnb in Portugal on farmland near the city of Coimbra. We fell in love with the area and ended up extending our stay so many times that the owner asked if we'd like to buy the house.

We decided to make the purchase and lived in central Portugal for the next three years. Here are a few of the biggest differences we noticed after moving abroad.

For my family of 3, settling in Portugal was much cheaper than living in Florida

One of the main reasons we relocated to Portugal was the lower cost of living. Though there are always exceptions, the homes we saw in Portugal were considerably cheaper than those in Florida.

For example, a market summary from the Miami Association of Realtors said the median sale price of a home in Palm Beach County was $363,000 in January 2020. Meanwhile, in our Portuguese neighborhood, we saw houses listed for less than $250,000.

Essentials like medicine, groceries, and even road tolls were also incredibly affordable compared what we paid in the US. In Florida, our family of three spent about $150 on essentials each week, but in Portugal, we spent about $80 weekly.

In Portugal, my family of three could go out to eat for the equivalent of about $31. However, in the US, I don't believe we ever got away with a bill under $50 for a middle-of-the-road meal.

The strangers we met in Portugal were incredibly kind

When we first moved into our home in Portugal, our neighbors offered us freshly picked produce each week.

At the store, when other customers or staff members saw my husband and me with our small child, we were ushered to the front of whatever line we were in. By comparison, in Florida, people sometimes cut me in line if I became distracted by my child.

Though there are definitely kind strangers in the US, the people we met in Portugal were nicer than I expected, and it felt genuine.

Driving through Portugal feels like exploring a national park — an experience I didn't have in the US

If you've ever been to a national park in the US, you'll probably understand what I mean when I say this is how I think of most of Portugal.

From the majestic mountains to the abundance of unspoiled landscapes, you can travel for miles and see only wildlife before being jerked back into reality by another traveler on the road.

Nature trails, walking and bike paths, natural pools, and boardwalks seem to be endlessly woven through the country.

There are tons of beautiful places in the US, but where I lived in Florida, I didn't feel that natural beauty was as accessible or widespread as it was in Portugal.

Our Portuguese friends' schedules were much different from ours

We were surprised to learn that many of the Portuguese people we met liked to stay up late, even with their kids.

While spending time with friends in Lisbon, I learned many of them thought of 8 p.m. as the normal time to begin dinner. After eating, parents often sat, chatted, and had wine while children played alongside them, so small kids didn't get to bed until 9 p.m. or later.

Back in the US, my family usually ate dinner at about 6 p.m., and we always made sure to have our child in bed by 7:30 p.m.