---
title: "Málaga vs Setúbal for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/malaga-vs-setubal
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

## 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 36 | 40 | Setúbal |
| Safety | 76 | 83 | Setúbal |
| Healthcare | 90 | 87 | Málaga |
| Internet | 73 | 75 | Setúbal |
| Visa ease | 80 | 75 | Málaga |
| Getting there & around | 48 | 47 | Málaga |
| Climate | 67 | 58 | Málaga |
| Air quality | 95 | 100 | Setúbal |
| Quality of life | 81 | 88 | Setúbal |

## Cost

| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,200 | $2,000 | Setúbal |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.73 | 0.71 | Setúbal |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.7 | 77.9 | Setúbal |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 83 | Málaga |
| Life expectancy | 83.3 yrs | 81.9 yrs | Málaga |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 40.2 Mbps | 51.1 Mbps | Setúbal |
| Upload | 33.2 Mbps | 19.4 Mbps | Málaga |

## Visa

| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) | Digital nomad residence visa (D8) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,741/mo | $4,131/mo | Málaga |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 163 | 154 | Málaga |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Málaga | Setúbal | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 7 | Málaga |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.3 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ | Setúbal |

## FAQ

### 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).

City pages: [Málaga](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/malaga) · [Setúbal](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/setubal). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/malaga-vs-setubal