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Albufeira vs Sliema

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Sliema edges it, 76 to 73, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Albufeira is stronger on air quality; Sliema on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 3.7 of 73 points (scores 33/100)Safety: 9.2 of 73 points (scores 83/100)Healthcare: 9.4 of 73 points (scores 85/100)Internet: 8.2 of 73 points (scores 73/100)Visa ease: 8.3 of 73 points (scores 75/100)Getting there & around: 6.6 of 73 points (scores 60/100)Climate: 7.4 of 73 points (scores 67/100)Air quality: 10.6 of 73 points (scores 95/100)Quality of life: 9.6 of 73 points (scores 87/100)73
Albufeira
out of 100

The Algarve's biggest resort: cliff beaches, bars and a long off-season

Full Albufeira profile →Where to stay in Albufeira →
Cost of living: 3.5 of 75 points (scores 31/100)Safety: 9.5 of 75 points (scores 85/100)Healthcare: 9.5 of 75 points (scores 85/100)Internet: 9.2 of 75 points (scores 83/100)Visa ease: 8.4 of 75 points (scores 76/100)Getting there & around: 7.4 of 75 points (scores 67/100)Climate: 8.3 of 75 points (scores 75/100)Air quality: 9.4 of 75 points (scores 84/100)Quality of life: 10.3 of 75 points (scores 93/100)76
Sliema
out of 100

Malta's seafront hub, with a ferry to Valletta and a view of it

Full Sliema profile →Where to stay in Sliema →

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricAlbufeiraSliema
Cost of living33 ✓31
Safety8385 ✓
Healthcare8585 ✓
Internet7383 ✓
Visa ease7576 ✓
Getting there & around6067 ✓
Climate6775 ✓
Air quality95 ✓84
Quality of life8793 ✓

Cost

MetricAlbufeiraSliema
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$2,000 ✓$2,101
Central one-bedroom rentno datano data

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricAlbufeiraSliema
Homicides per 100k0.71 ✓0.93
Political stability (0–100)77.983.8 ✓
UHC service coverage (0–100)83 ✓82
Life expectancy81.2 yrs81.8 yrs ✓

Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

MetricAlbufeiraSliema
Download43 Mbps87.3 Mbps ✓
Upload23.8 Mbps ✓16 Mbps

Visa

MetricAlbufeiraSliema
Nomad visaDigital nomad residence visa (D8)Nomad Residence Permit
Minimum income for the visa$4,131/mo$3,929/mo ✓
Entry, US passport90 days90 days
Entry, EU passportunlimitedunlimited
Entry, UK passport90 days90 days

Getting there and around

MetricAlbufeiraSliema
Non-stop airport destinations90114 ✓
Walkability (1–5, editorial)34 ✓
Transit (1–5, editorial)22

Climate and air

MetricAlbufeiraSliema
Comfortable months per year89 ✓
Annual mean PM2.57.1 µg/m³ ✓12 µg/m³

✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Albufeira or Sliema?
Albufeira is cheaper: about $2,000 per month versus $2,101 for one person.
Is Albufeira or Sliema safer?
Sliema scores higher on safety (85 vs 83), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Albufeira or Sliema?
Sliema: a measured median of 87.3 Mbps versus 43 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

More comparisons

Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.