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City comparison

Funchal vs Porto: which is better to live in?

By The Living in Europe editors · Updated · How we research

Funchal Portugal · €1,850/mo Porto Portugal · €1,850/mo

Quick verdict

The two cities cost about the same by our estimates. Funchal has the milder winter (about 20°C vs 14°C average highs in Dec to Feb). Both are in Portugal, so the visa rules, taxes and healthcare system are the same: the choice comes down to cost, climate and lifestyle.

Choose Funchal for

  • Nature & green space
  • Mountains nearby
  • Sunny, warm climate
  • Safety

Choose Porto for

  • Beach life
  • Nightlife
  • Walkability
  • Public transport

Funchal vs Porto at a glance

FunchalPorto
Country Portugal Portugal
Single budget / month€1,850€1,850
Couple budget / month€2,750€2,700
1-bed rent, center€1,050€1,100
Winter highs (Dec to Feb)20°C / 69°F14°C / 58°F
Summer highs (Jun to Aug)25°C / 78°F25°C / 77°F
Sunshine (hours/yr)2,3142,468
City sizeMid-size cityLarge city
CoastalYesYes
Direct flights to the USYesYes
Affordability●●●●●●●●●●
Sunny, warm climate●●●●●●●●●●
English-friendliness●●●●●●●●●●
Safety●●●●●●●●●●
Walkability●●●●●●●●●●
Public transport●●●●●●●●●●
Nature & green space●●●●●●●●●●
Beach life●●●●●●●●●●
Mountains nearby●●●●●●●●●●
Culture●●●●●●●●●●
Nightlife●●●●●●●●●●
Family life●●●●●●●●●●
Remote-work scene●●●●●●●●●●
Expat community●●●●●●●●●●
Flights home●●●●●●●●●●
Calm, slower pace●●●●●●●●●●

Cost of living: Funchal or Porto?

By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €1,850 a month for one person in Funchal and €1,850 in Porto, rent included. For a couple it’s €2,750 vs €2,700, and for a family of four €3,900 vs €3,900.

Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,050 in Funchal against €1,100 in Porto, while a monthly transit pass costs - vs €40. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.

Climate and weather

Winters average highs of about 20°C (69°F) in Funchal and 14°C (58°F) in Porto. In summer it’s roughly 25°C vs 25°C. Funchal gets about 2,314 hours of sunshine a year and Porto about 2,468.

Climate in Funchal Avg high Avg low (°C)
Average daily high and low temperature by month in Funchal0°10°20°30°Jan high: 20°C / 68°FFeb high: 20°C / 68°FMar high: 21°C / 69°FApr high: 21°C / 70°FMay high: 22°C / 72°FJun high: 24°C / 75°FJul high: 25°C / 78°FAug high: 27°C / 80°FSep high: 27°C / 80°FOct high: 25°C / 77°FNov high: 23°C / 73°FDec high: 21°C / 70°FJan low: 14°C / 58°FFeb low: 14°C / 57°FMar low: 14°C / 58°FApr low: 15°C / 59°FMay low: 16°C / 61°FJun low: 18°C / 65°FJul low: 20°C / 67°FAug low: 21°C / 69°FSep low: 20°C / 69°FOct low: 19°C / 67°FNov low: 17°C / 63°FDec low: 16°C / 60°F20Jan20Feb21Mar21Apr22May24Jun25Jul27Aug27Sep25Oct23Nov21Dec

2,314 hours of sunshine a year · 574 mm of rain a year · Source: Funchal Observatory 1991-2020 (IPMA; sunshine DWD) via the Wikipedia climate table

Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
MonthAvg highAvg low
Jan20°C / 68°F14°C / 58°F
Feb20°C / 68°F14°C / 57°F
Mar21°C / 69°F14°C / 58°F
Apr21°C / 70°F15°C / 59°F
May22°C / 72°F16°C / 61°F
Jun24°C / 75°F18°C / 65°F
Jul25°C / 78°F20°C / 67°F
Aug27°C / 80°F21°C / 69°F
Sep27°C / 80°F20°C / 69°F
Oct25°C / 77°F19°C / 67°F
Nov23°C / 73°F17°C / 63°F
Dec21°C / 70°F16°C / 60°F
Climate in Porto Avg high Avg low (°C)
Average daily high and low temperature by month in Porto0°10°20°30°Jan high: 14°C / 57°FFeb high: 15°C / 59°FMar high: 17°C / 63°FApr high: 18°C / 65°FMay high: 20°C / 68°FJun high: 24°C / 74°FJul high: 25°C / 78°FAug high: 26°C / 78°FSep high: 24°C / 75°FOct high: 21°C / 69°FNov high: 17°C / 63°FDec high: 14°C / 58°FJan low: 5°C / 41°FFeb low: 6°C / 43°FMar low: 8°C / 46°FApr low: 9°C / 48°FMay low: 12°C / 53°FJun low: 15°C / 58°FJul low: 16°C / 61°FAug low: 16°C / 61°FSep low: 15°C / 58°FOct low: 12°C / 54°FNov low: 9°C / 48°FDec low: 7°C / 44°F14Jan15Feb17Mar18Apr20May24Jun25Jul26Aug24Sep21Oct17Nov14Dec

2,468 hours of sunshine a year · 1,237 mm of rain a year · Source: IPMA 1981-2010 normals (Porto, Fontainhas station), sunshine via NOAA, from the Wikipedia climate table

Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
MonthAvg highAvg low
Jan14°C / 57°F5°C / 41°F
Feb15°C / 59°F6°C / 43°F
Mar17°C / 63°F8°C / 46°F
Apr18°C / 65°F9°C / 48°F
May20°C / 68°F12°C / 53°F
Jun24°C / 74°F15°C / 58°F
Jul25°C / 78°F16°C / 61°F
Aug26°C / 78°F16°C / 61°F
Sep24°C / 75°F15°C / 58°F
Oct21°C / 69°F12°C / 54°F
Nov17°C / 63°F9°C / 48°F
Dec14°C / 58°F7°C / 44°F

Daily life

Funchal is a mid-size city on the coast; Porto is a large city on the coast. Funchal has one of the mildest climates in Europe, a safe small-city feel and a well-known remote-work scene on Madeira. It is steep, island-bound and pricier than most of mainland Portugal outside Lisbon. Porto offers much of Lisbon's charm with lower rents, a real sense of a working city and Atlantic beaches by tram. Winters are wetter and cooler than in the south, and flights to North America are fewer.

Living in Funchal: the upsides and downsides

  • Spring weather all year: January highs around 20 degrees C
  • Very safe, friendly and easy in English
  • Hiking along the levadas and dramatic coast
  • Downside: Steep hills everywhere; a car helps
  • Downside: Rents have risen fast with tourism and nomads

Living in Porto: the upsides and downsides

  • Rents lower than Lisbon in our estimates
  • Compact, walkable center and a good metro
  • Beaches, the Douro valley and northern Portugal on your doorstep
  • Downside: Rainy, grey winters (about 1,237 mm of rain a year)
  • Downside: Steep hills and cobbles

Visas and residency

Both cities are in Portugal, so you’d use the same residence routes either way:

Read the full guides: living in Funchal and living in Porto.

Related comparisons

Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 56 cities we cover. Methodology.