Healthcare is the budget line people forget until the visa application demands it.
The two models
Europe’s south runs public systems you join as a resident: Spain’s regional system (the SIP card in the Valencia region) and Portugal’s SNS. Quality is genuinely good; waiting lists are the complaint. The Gulf runs mandatory private insurance: no policy, no visa, no school enrolment.
What it costs, roughly
Spain and Portugal: visa applicants need private cover first, typically 150 to 300 euros a month for a family of four; many keep a lighter private policy even after joining the public system for speed and English-speaking specialists.
UAE: family cover commonly runs $200 to $600 a month depending on plan and ages.
Turkey: residence permits require local insurance, cheap when young, climbing steeply past 60.
The visa catch nobody mentions
Policies for visa purposes must usually be full-coverage with no co-pays and no waiting periods, which rules out the cheapest travel products. Budget for the compliant policy in year one, then optimise in year two.
Every city page carries the local healthcare box.