Arrecife (Lanzarote) vs Funchal (Madeira)
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Funchal (Madeira) edges it, 77 to 75, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Arrecife (Lanzarote) is stronger on nothing outright; Funchal (Madeira) on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Lanzarote's working capital among volcanoes
Full Arrecife (Lanzarote) profile →Hotels in Spain →Madeira's island capital with a nomad village
Full Funchal (Madeira) profile →Where to stay in Funchal (Madeira) →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Arrecife (Lanzarote) | Funchal (Madeira) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 29 | 33 ✓ |
| Safety | 76 | 83 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 88 ✓ | 85 |
| Internet | 78 | 81 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 80 ✓ | 75 |
| Getting there & around | 58 ✓ | 53 |
| Climate | 100 | 100 |
| Air quality | 87 | 100 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 80 | 87 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Arrecife (Lanzarote) | Funchal (Madeira) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,200 | $2,000 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Arrecife (Lanzarote) | Funchal (Madeira) |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.73 | 0.71 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.7 | 77.9 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 ✓ | 83 |
| Life expectancy | 82.7 yrs ✓ | 81.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Arrecife (Lanzarote) | Funchal (Madeira) |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 49.8 Mbps | 59.9 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 45.6 Mbps ✓ | 43.4 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Arrecife (Lanzarote) | Funchal (Madeira) |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) | Digital nomad residence visa (D8) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,741/mo ✓ | $4,131/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Arrecife (Lanzarote) | Funchal (Madeira) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 75 ✓ | 45 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Arrecife (Lanzarote) | Funchal (Madeira) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 12 | 12 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11 µg/m³ | 5.2 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Arrecife (Lanzarote) or Funchal (Madeira)?
- Funchal (Madeira) is cheaper: about $2,000 per month versus $2,200 for one person.
- Is Arrecife (Lanzarote) or Funchal (Madeira) safer?
- Funchal (Madeira) scores higher on safety (83 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Arrecife (Lanzarote) or Funchal (Madeira)?
- Funchal (Madeira): a measured median of 59.9 Mbps versus 49.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Arrecife (Lanzarote) vs Corralejo (Fuerteventura)
- Arrecife (Lanzarote) vs Puerto de la Cruz
- Funchal (Madeira) vs Ponta Delgada (Azores)
- Funchal (Madeira) vs Corralejo (Fuerteventura)
- All 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); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); 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); 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.