---
title: "Living in Funchal (Madeira) as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/funchal
description: "Madeira's island capital with a nomad village"
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Funchal (Madeira), Portugal

Funchal (Madeira) scores 74.7/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 3 of 309 cities. Expect about $2,000 per month (country-level estimate), a nomad visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade Profissional Prestada de Forma Remota (D8)), and a measured median download speed of 59.9 Mbps.

Funchal pairs dramatic Atlantic scenery with Portugal's visa and a purpose-built nomad community in nearby Ponta do Sol. Hills are steep and nightlife is quiet.

Known for: Mountains and levadas, Mild year-round, Digital Nomad Village, Steep streets.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 74.7 |
| Cost of living | 37 |
| Safety | 83 |
| Healthcare | 84 |
| Internet | 77 |
| Visa ease | 84 |
| Getting there & around | 21 |
| Climate | 100 |
| Air quality | 100 |
| Quality of life | 86 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,000 | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 0.8 | country | 2021 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 75.1 | country | 2024 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.2 | country | 2021 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 59.9 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 43.4 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Nomad visa | Autorização de Residência para Atividade Profissional Prestada de Forma Remota (D8) (min $4,218/mo) | country | 2026-07 | [^9] |
| Visa-free days US / EU / UK | 90 days / unlimited / 90 days | editorial | 2026-02 | [^10] |
| Non-stop destinations (FNC) | 45 | city | 2026-09 | [^11] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 3 / 2 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^12] |
| Comfortable months | 12 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^13] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 5.2 | city | 2024 | [^14] |
| Human Development Index | 0.89 | country | 2023 | [^15] |
| English proficiency band | very-high | country | 2024 | [^16] |

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 16.6 | 37 | 78 | yes |
| Feb | 16.1 | 45 | 77 | yes |
| Mar | 16.3 | 44 | 78 | yes |
| Apr | 16.9 | 29 | 77 | yes |
| May | 18.2 | 20 | 77 | yes |
| Jun | 20.2 | 10 | 78 | yes |
| Jul | 21.6 | 5 | 79 | yes |
| Aug | 22.7 | 8 | 78 | yes |
| Sep | 22.5 | 21 | 76 | yes |
| Oct | 21.4 | 41 | 77 | yes |
| Nov | 19.2 | 51 | 76 | yes |
| Dec | 17.7 | 53 | 78 | yes |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Madeira Airport | FNC | 45 | 16 | 1 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 45, of which 16 international (Wikipedia, 2026-09).

## Similar cities

- [Las Palmas de Gran Canaria](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/las-palmas) (75.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/funchal-vs-las-palmas)
- [Santa Cruz de Tenerife](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/santa-cruz-de-tenerife) (75.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/funchal-vs-santa-cruz-de-tenerife)
- [Valletta](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/valletta) (73.2) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/funchal-vs-valletta)
- [Faro (Algarve)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/faro) (72.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/faro-vs-funchal)
- [Limassol](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/limassol) (66.8) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/funchal-vs-limassol)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Funchal (Madeira) as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $2,000 per month in Funchal (Madeira) (a country-level estimate for Portugal). That is a 37/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Funchal (Madeira) safe for digital nomads?

Funchal (Madeira) scores 83/100 on safety. Portugal records 0.8 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2021) and a political-stability score of 75.1/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Portugal have a digital nomad visa?

Yes. Portugal offers the Autorização de Residência para Atividade Profissional Prestada de Forma Remota (D8) with a minimum income of about $4,218 per month. Verify current rules with the issuing authority before applying.

### How fast is the internet in Funchal (Madeira)?

Measured median download speed in Funchal (Madeira) was 59.9 Mbps (upload 43.4 Mbps) across 5,841 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Which airports serve Funchal (Madeira) and how many nonstop flights are there?

Funchal (Madeira) is served by Madeira Airport (FNC) with 45 nonstop destinations, of which 16 are international. 1 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-09.

### When is the best time of year to be in Funchal (Madeira)?

The most comfortable months are Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. Mean temperatures range from 61°F (16°C) in Feb to 73°F (23°C) in Aug (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Funchal (Madeira) or Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: which is better for digital nomads?

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the city with the closest factor profile to Funchal (Madeira) in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/estimates-of-rates-of-homicides-per-100-000-population (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^10]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^11]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^12]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^13]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8), World Health Organization. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-ambient-air-quality-database-(update-jun-2026) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^16]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/funchal