Málaga vs Setúbal
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Setúbal edges it, 73 to 72, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Port city south of Lisbon with the Arrábida hills and Troia's beaches at hand
Full Setúbal profile →Plan a trip to Setúbal →Where they differ
- Climate. Málaga leads on climate, 67 to 58, against Setúbal. Comfortable months: 8 vs 7.
- Safety. Setúbal leads on safety, 83 to 76, against Málaga. Homicides per 100,000: 0.73 vs 0.71.
- Quality of life. Setúbal leads on quality of life, 88 to 81, against Málaga.
Where they are close. Within five points on visa ease, cost of living, healthcare, internet, getting there & around.
Pick Málaga if you want
- no clear edge over Setúbal in the data
Pick Setúbal if you want
- to spend about $200 less a month
- faster internet (51.1 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 36 | 40 ✓ |
| Safety | 76 | 83 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 90 ✓ | 87 |
| Internet | 73 | 75 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 80 ✓ | 75 |
| Getting there & around | 48 ✓ | 47 |
| Climate | 67 ✓ | 58 |
| Air quality | 95 | 100 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 81 | 88 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Málaga | Setúbal |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.73 | 0.71 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.7 | 77.9 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 ✓ | 83 |
| Life expectancy | 83.3 yrs ✓ | 81.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 40.2 Mbps | 51.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 33.2 Mbps ✓ | 19.4 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Málaga | Setúbal |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 163 ✓ | 154 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 8 ✓ | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.3 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Málaga or Setúbal?
- Setúbal is cheaper: about $2,000 per month versus $2,200 for one person.
- Is Málaga or Setúbal safer?
- Setúbal scores higher on safety (83 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Málaga or Setúbal?
- Setúbal: a measured median of 51.1 Mbps versus 40.2 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); 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 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.