Setúbal vs Sintra
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Setúbal edges it, 75 to 73, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Setúbal is stronger on nothing outright; Sintra on nothing outright. 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 →Hotels in Portugal →Palace-studded hill town 40 minutes by train from Lisbon, swamped by day-trippers
Full Sintra profile →Where to stay in Sintra →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Setúbal | Sintra |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 33 | 33 |
| Safety | 83 | 83 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 75 | 78 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 75 | 75 |
| Getting there & around | 75 ✓ | 70 |
| Climate | 58 ✓ | 50 |
| Air quality | 100 ✓ | 95 |
| Quality of life | 87 | 87 |
Cost
| Metric | Setúbal | Sintra |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Setúbal | Sintra |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.71 | 0.71 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 77.9 | 77.9 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | 83 |
| Life expectancy | 81.2 yrs | 81.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Setúbal | Sintra |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 51.1 Mbps | 52.4 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 19.4 Mbps | 34.7 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Setúbal | Sintra |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad residence visa (D8) | Digital nomad residence visa (D8) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $4,131/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 | Setúbal | Sintra |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 153 | 153 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Setúbal | Sintra |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 ✓ | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 5 µg/m³ ✓ | 7.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Setúbal or Sintra?
- Sintra is cheaper: about $2,000 per month versus $2,000 for one person.
- Is Setúbal or Sintra safer?
- Setúbal scores higher on safety (83 vs 83), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Setúbal or Sintra?
- Sintra: a measured median of 52.4 Mbps versus 51.1 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 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.