TL;DRSplit is 31% cheaper on rent ($1,077/mo vs $1,568/mo). Funchal scores 8.1 vs 6.5 on democracy. You can get by in English in both — your Duolingo streak can wait.

Too close to call — 73 vs 70. Funchal has a slight edge, but Split might suit you better depending on your priorities.

How the livability score breaks down

Funchal

Split

13.8/25

💰 Affordability

18.5/25

14.3/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.2/15

8/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

5.3/15

12.1/15

🗳️ Democracy

9.8/15

8.7/10

🗣️ English

8.9/10

9.5/10

☀️ Climate

7.7/10

7.6/10

📊 Stability

7/10

7.5/10

🚗 Road Safety

7/10

8.5/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

5.9/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇵🇹 Funchal

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇭🇷 Split

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Lisbon vs Funchal

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Funchal

Metric

Split

✓$487/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$670/mo

$7,039

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$5,244✓

✓85 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

78 / 100

✓0.7 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.8 / 100k

✓7.2 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

8.1 / 100k

✓80 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

70 / 100

75°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

86°F

55°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

39°F

✓4.9 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

8.9 μg/m³

✓84 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

77 / 100

✓8.1 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

6.5 / 10

✓6.7 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

1.8 / 9

✓67 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

50 / 100

72/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

74/100

$52k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$50k

✓2.4% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

3.0% · Boringly steady

96/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

—

A median Software Engineer in Funchal takes home $2,624/mo under Standard employee. In Split: $2,122/mo under Standard employee.

$502/mo more in Funchal

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

$50k

💰

Gross income

$38k

−$13k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$5k

−$6k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$8k

✓$31k/yr

$3k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$25k/yr

$2k/mo

−$39k

🏠

Cost of living

−$34k

✓−$7k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

−$9k/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

Split

$492/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Funchal

8.1/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

75°F vs 86°F summers

🗣️

English

Split

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

45% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

59% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

10.0h

Shortest day

Dec

8.9h

14.3h

Longest day

Jun

15.4h

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

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

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend

stable →

declining ↓

Inflation trend

improving ↑

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

—

Easy

EU visa

—

Complex

RU visa

—

Moderate

UA visa

—

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

—

Recognized (2+ yr)

união de facto

Partner pathway

Conditional (3+ yr)

izvanbračna zajednica / životno partnerstvo (same-sex)

€920/mo

Retiree visa

—

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

10 wk

Gestational limit

10 wk

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

On request up to 10 weeks. Access limited in practice due to widespread conscientious objection.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Civil union

Joint adoption

Adoption

Step-child only

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Funchal vs Split — Common Questions

Is Funchal cheaper than Split?▾

Split is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1077/month there vs $1568/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Funchal or Split?▾

Funchal is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Funchal has a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 and Split has 0.77 per 100,000.

Should I move to Funchal or Split?▾

Too close to call — 73 vs 70. Funchal has a slight edge, but Split 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 Funchal or Split?▾

Funchal: Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 2 years (renewable for 3-year periods)). Split: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Funchal or Split?▾

Split is warmer in summer (86°F vs 75°F). Funchal 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 Funchal vs Split?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1077/month in Split, $1568/month in Funchal (Numbeo). That's 31% cheaper rent in Split.

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

Funchal scores 8.1/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 6.5/10 for Split. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Is healthcare better in Funchal or Split?▾

Funchal scores higher on our composite healthcare index (84/100 vs 77/100 for Split). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.