Benidorm vs Cascais
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Cascais edges it, 76 to 74, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Benidorm is stronger on nothing outright; Cascais on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
High-rise beach resort with year-round life and a huge British presence
Full Benidorm profile →Hotels in Spain →Lisbon's beach town at the end of the coastal railway
Full Cascais profile →Where to stay in Cascais →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Benidorm | Cascais |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 29 | 33 ✓ |
| Safety | 76 | 83 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 88 ✓ | 85 |
| Internet | 81 | 81 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 80 ✓ | 75 |
| Getting there & around | 73 | 75 ✓ |
| Climate | 67 | 67 |
| Air quality | 91 | 96 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 80 | 87 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Benidorm | Cascais |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Benidorm | Cascais |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Benidorm | Cascais |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 57.1 Mbps | 67.8 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 53.6 Mbps ✓ | 31 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Benidorm | Cascais |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Benidorm | Cascais |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 126 | 153 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Benidorm | Cascais |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 8 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.1 µg/m³ | 6.7 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Benidorm or Cascais?
- Cascais is cheaper: about $2,000 per month versus $2,200 for one person.
- Is Benidorm or Cascais safer?
- Cascais scores higher on safety (83 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Benidorm or Cascais?
- Cascais: a measured median of 67.8 Mbps versus 57.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Benidorm vs Tarifa
- Benidorm vs Jerez de la Frontera
- Cascais vs Setúbal
- Cascais vs Lagos (Algarve)
- 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); 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); 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.