Destinations / Portugal / Madeira
Madeira, Portugal
Data grade A: official statistics (INE) Updated Oct 2026
Atlantic island with a year-round mild climate and a well-known digital nomad scene.
On this page: What it buys · Where to look · All-in costs · Visas · Healthcare · Properties
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
asking price level
about 2,800 euros/m2 (approx)
gross rental yield
4 to 5% approx
population
about 250,000 (island)
climate
mild year-round, 20-26 C days
getting there
Madeira airport (FNC)
Madeira is the eternal-spring island: levada walks, a dramatic Atlantic coastline and Funchal’s amphitheatre of a bay. Its digital nomad village in Ponta do Sol put it on the remote-work map, and the island’s rental market now runs on nomads in winter and holidaymakers in summer.
What your money buys here
Typical buys at each band, drawn from current local asking prices. Use the price per square metre in the bar above as your anchor: multiply it by the size you need and you will spot an overpriced listing in seconds. Figures are approximate, lean to the cautious side, and get refreshed as our data passes land.
$200k
An apartment in Funchal’s upper districts or smaller towns
$350k
A 2-bed with sea view in Funchal or Ponta do Sol
$500k
A villa with ocean views outside the capital
Camara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava and Santa Cruz: step outside Funchal and prices ease quickly without losing the ocean. Going one town over usually buys a size or quality upgrade on the same budget, and these smaller markets are where patient buyers find the mispriced gems. Fewer listings means more waiting, so set the alert and be ready to travel when the right one appears.
Portugal's airports carry dense year-round traffic from the UK and northern Europe, with nonstops to North America from Lisbon. Regional and island destinations connect through Lisbon in under an hour and a half.
Where to look
1. Funchal center: the island’s urban heart
2. Ponta do Sol: the nomad village and the sunniest corner
3. Calheta: marinas, sand and newer builds in the west
All-in cost at $350k
Property price: $350,000
IMT transfer tax (sliding scale): up to about 7.5%
Stamp duty: 0.8%
Notary, registration and lawyer: roughly 2,500 to 4,000 euros
Rule of thumb: budget 8 to 10% on top
Figures approximate. Annual IMI property tax applies.
Visas for a US passport
Digital nomad visa (D8): Yes. Remote income of roughly four times the Portuguese minimum wage, family can join.
D7 visa: Yes, for passive income.
Buy-to-reside: No. The property route of the golden visa ended in October 2023.
90-day rule: Without a visa, 90 days in any 180 in Schengen.
Healthcare and insurance
Public SNS access once resident. Private insurance typically 100 to 250 euros/month for a family of four. Private hospitals in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve.
Schools and family
Free public schooling for residents. International schools cluster around Lisbon, Cascais, Porto and the Algarve, typically 8,000 to 20,000 euros/year.
Serious about Madeira?
Talk it through with a relocation and buying advisor. Visas, timing and the buying process, in one call.
Sources: INE Portugal price statistics, Idealista Portugal reports, tax authority tables, AIMA visa pages. Figures marked approx are indicative and verified in our monthly data pass. Guidance, not legal or financial advice.