🇵🇹 Funchal vs Ubud for digital nomads 🇮🇩
If you are weighing up Funchal vs Ubud as a remote-work base, the short version is this: Ubud costs about 33% less per month, and the rest comes down to what you actually want from a city.
Geographically Funchal is in Portugal, Ubud in Indonesia, so the practical differences run deeper than a flight time — currency, language, visa access and the working day all shift with them.
Short answer
Funchal and Ubud score almost identically overall (4.3/5 vs 4.3/5), so cost is the tiebreaker — and Ubud is $600 a month cheaper.
| Metric | 🇵🇹 Funchal | 🇮🇩 Ubud |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $1,800 | $1,200 ✓ |
| Nomad score | 4.3/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Internet | 4.2/5 ✓ | 3.8/5 |
| Safety | 4.7/5 ✓ | 4.1/5 |
| Walkability | 4.1/5 ✓ | 3.4/5 |
| Fun & nightlife | 3.8/5 | 4/5 ✓ |
| Weather | 4.8/5 ✓ | 4.5/5 |
| Air quality | 4.5/5 ✓ | 4.1/5 |
Cost of living: Funchal vs Ubud
On raw cost of living, Ubud is the cheaper city — about $1,200 a month against $1,800 for Funchal. That is a 33% difference, or $7,200 a year — enough to fund several months of travel, a serious gear upgrade, or simply a much shorter runway to worry about. Both numbers assume the same basket — a one-bed flat, cooking at home most nights with a few meals out, getting around locally, mobile data and a coworking membership. Costs move with season and neighbourhood, so treat these as the midpoint of a realistic range rather than a fixed price.
Time zones and the working day
The time difference between Funchal and Ubud is 8 hours — Funchal runs on UTC and Ubud on UTC+8, putting Ubud ahead. A 9–6 day in each city overlaps by only about 1 hours, so one of you is taking calls early or late. Worth checking against your clients before you commit to a lease.
Internet and wifi for remote work
On internet, Funchal is the stronger of the two: 4.2/5 to 3.8/5 for Ubud, a slim margin. Connectivity here is scored on three things: what a typical apartment line delivers, how good the mobile network is when it does not, and how workable public wifi is. Both are solid enough for day-to-day remote work; a local data SIM covers you on the odd bad day.
Safety, walkability and nightlife
Funchal rates higher for safety (4.7/5 versus 4.1/5) — a solid lead in day-to-day terms like walking home late, petty theft and how comfortable solo travellers report feeling. On walkability Funchal takes it at 4.1/5 against 3.4/5, which in practice decides whether you can live without a car or a daily ride-hail habit. For nightlife, events and the general odds of meeting people, Ubud scores 4/5 to Funchal’s 3.8/5.
Weather and air quality
Funchal has the better climate for year-round remote work, 4.8/5 against 4.5/5 — our weather score rewards mild shoulder seasons and penalises long stretches you would rather not be outside in. The two also sit in opposite hemispheres — Funchal is north of the equator, Ubud south — so their seasons run six months out of phase. That is a genuine advantage if you want to chase summer rather than sit through two winters a year. Air quality is the bigger split: Funchal rates 4.5/5 and Ubud 4.1/5. If you run, cycle or have any respiratory sensitivity, that gap is worth more than a few hundred dollars of rent.
Visas and how long you can stay
This is where the two genuinely diverge. Portugal offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year, renewable up to 5 years and requiring around $3,480 a month in proven income. Indonesia offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year (E33G Remote Worker KITAS) and requiring around $5,000 a month in proven income. Always confirm current rules with the relevant consulate before you book anything long.
Funchal vs Ubud: the verdict
- Choose Ubud if your priority is stretching your runway — it is the cheaper base at $1,200 a month, saving you $7,200 a year.
- Overall scores are level at 4.3/5, so neither city is objectively the better base — it is down to which strengths you actually use.
- Travelling solo, or nervous about a new city? Funchal rates higher for safety. Nightlife, events and a bigger nomad crowd point to Ubud. On calls all day? Funchal is the safer bet for wifi. If daily life on foot matters, Funchal is built better for it.
Dig deeper on each city
Useful next: the meeting time-zone planner, the digital nomad visa index, and how to get paid while working abroad.
Ready to go? Set up for Funchal or Ubud
Whichever you choose, here's the remote-work kit worth sorting before you land:
Some links are partner links — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Funchal vs Ubud: frequently asked questions
Is Funchal or Ubud cheaper for digital nomads?
Ubud is cheaper, at roughly $1,200 a month against $1,800 for Funchal — a difference of $7,200 a year. Both figures are typical all-in nomad budgets covering rent, groceries, eating out, local transport and coworking.
What is the time difference between Funchal and Ubud?
8 hours. Funchal is on UTC and Ubud is on UTC+8, and a normal 9–6 working day overlaps by about 1 hours.
Which has better internet, Funchal or Ubud?
Funchal rates 4.2/5 for internet and Ubud 3.8/5, so Funchal is the safer bet if you live on video calls.
Which is safer, Funchal or Ubud?
Funchal scores 4.7/5 for safety and Ubud scores 4.1/5, giving Funchal the edge for solo travellers and late-night walks home.
Funchal or Ubud — which is better overall for remote work?
Overall, Funchal leads with a 4.3/5 nomad score against 4.3/5 for Ubud. But the right base depends on your priorities: cost, climate, safety, community or visa access. The full breakdown above splits it metric by metric.
Can I get a digital nomad visa for Funchal or Ubud?
Portugal offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year, renewable up to 5 years and requiring around $3,480 a month in proven income. Indonesia offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year (E33G Remote Worker KITAS) and requiring around $5,000 a month in proven income.
Which has better weather, Funchal or Ubud?
Funchal rates 4.8/5 for climate and Ubud 4.5/5, with air quality at 4.5/5 and 4.1/5 respectively.
Related comparisons
Still shortlisting? These are the other head-to-heads people run against Funchal and Ubud:
- Lisbon vs Funchal
- Canggu vs Ubud
- Porto vs Funchal
- Ubud vs Uluwatu
- Funchal vs Lagos
- Ubud vs Yogyakarta
- Ericeira vs Funchal
- Jakarta vs Ubud
- Barcelona vs Funchal
- Bangkok vs Ubud
- Funchal vs Valencia
- Chiang Mai vs Ubud
Popular Europe comparisons
- Lisbon vs Barcelona
- Lisbon vs Canggu
- Lisbon vs Chiang Mai
- Lisbon vs Valencia
- Barcelona vs Bangkok
- Barcelona vs Canggu
- Barcelona vs Chiang Mai
- Barcelona vs Valencia
Or browse all 2066 matchups on the city comparison index.