Cost of Living: Amsterdam vs Funchal (2026)

Netherlands vs Portugal — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Amsterdam

Funchal

$2,602/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,568/mo

$15k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

−$7k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

—

Freelance setup

ZZP'er

VAT-free under €20k
5.3% social
€1200/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Trabalhador Independente

VAT-free under €15k
21.4% social
€900/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRFunchal is 40% cheaper on rent ($1,568/mo vs $2,602/mo). Funchal has milder winters (55°F vs 34°F lows). Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Too close to call — 73 vs 69. Funchal has a slight edge, but Amsterdam might suit you better depending on your priorities.

How the livability score breaks down

Amsterdam

Funchal

3.8/25

💰 Affordability

13.8/25

14.3/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.3/15

7.4/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

8/10

9.2/15

⚡ Internet

5.3/15

13.5/15

🗳️ Democracy

12.1/15

9.1/10

🗣️ English

8.7/10

7.7/10

☀️ Climate

9.5/10

6.7/10

📊 Stability

7.6/10

9.8/10

🚗 Road Safety

7.5/10

8/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8.5/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇵🇹 Funchal

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Lisbon vs Funchal

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Amsterdam

Metric

Funchal

$937/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$487/mo✓

$10,705

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$7,039✓

89 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

85 / 100

0.7 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.7 / 100k

✓3.4 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

7.2 / 100k

74 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

80 / 100✓

68°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

75°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

55°F

122 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

—

11.2 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

4.9 μg/m³✓

86 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

✓9.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.1 / 10

✓7.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.7 / 9

59 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

67 / 100✓

✓76/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

72/100

✓$86k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$52k

3.3% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.4% · Boringly steady✓

94/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

—

97/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

96/100

A median Software Engineer in Amsterdam takes home $6,417/mo under Standard employee. In Funchal: $2,624/mo under Standard employee.

$3,793/mo more in Amsterdam

🎯 Amsterdam's 30% Ruling (expatriateregeling) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $8,212/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$128k

💰

Gross income

$50k

−$39k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$13k

−$12k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$6k

✓$77k/yr

$6k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$31k/yr

$3k/mo

−$62k

🏠

Cost of living

−$39k

✓$15k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

−$7k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Funchal

$1,034/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Amsterdam

9.0/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

68°F vs 75°F summers

🗣️

English

Amsterdam

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

44% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

45% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

7.7h

Shortest day

Dec

10.0h

16.8h

Longest day

Jun

14.3h

Sun clocks out early in Amsterdam's winter. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

improving ↑

Inflation trend

declining ↓

fintechlogisticssemiconductorsagri-food-tech

Industries

—

hub

Startup ecosystem

—

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend

Partner pathway

Recognized (2+ yr)

união de facto

—

Retiree visa

€920/mo

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

24 wk

Gestational limit

10 wk

On request up to 24 weeks. 5-day reflection period removed in 2023.

On request up to 10 weeks since 2007 referendum. Mandatory 3-day reflection period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Amsterdam vs Funchal — Common Questions

Is Amsterdam cheaper than Funchal?▾

Funchal is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1568/month there vs $2602/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Amsterdam or Funchal?▾

Funchal is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Amsterdam has a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 and Funchal has 0.72 per 100,000.

Should I move to Amsterdam or Funchal?▾

Too close to call — 73 vs 69. Funchal has a slight edge, but Amsterdam might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Amsterdam or Funchal?▾

Amsterdam: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). Funchal: Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 2 years (renewable for 3-year periods)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Amsterdam or Funchal?▾

Funchal is warmer in summer (75°F vs 68°F). Amsterdam has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Amsterdam vs Funchal?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1568/month in Funchal, $2602/month in Amsterdam (Numbeo). That's 40% cheaper rent in Funchal.

Is Amsterdam or Funchal better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Amsterdam scores 9.0/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.1/10 for Funchal. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.