So you’re moving to beautiful São Miguel island in the Portuguese archipelago of Azores. First of all, Lucky you! Second of all, let me reassure you about the things that are making you a bit nervous, given that you’re going to move to a small island in the middle of the Atlantic.
Quick answers to the 3 main concerns for expats about to move to São Miguel Island in the Azores:
| Concern | Quick answer |
| Cost of living associated with relatively remote island | The cost of living in São Miguel is affordable – below that of mainland Portugal |
| Standards of healthcare | São Miguel Island is served by a large hospital as well as private clinics which offer medical services at international standards |
| Opportunities for a rich social life | São Miguel has rich traditions and locals love celebrating them. The slower lifestyle offers plenty of opportunities to socialise with locals and other expats |
Will São Miguel Island be as nice to live in for an extended period as it was when you visited it for a few days? Now that we’ve covered the bare basics, read on for the longer answers.
Why move to São Miguel in the Azores?
This is probably the main reason why you decided to move to the Azores and to São Miguel in particular for an extended stay:
São Miguel is shore to shore full of natural wonders. Striking vistas of crystalline lagoons nestled within eye-popping green fields come immediately to mind. And that’s not even taking into account the coastline and the island’s lovely beaches.
In São Miguel you are never far from water and its therapeutic pleasures, whether it’s from a dip in a hot spring or in a refreshing ocean pool (and sometimes both in the same place). Then there’s the picturesque townships with their houses built out of black volcanic rock, with their beautiful churches with all the baroque stone lacework. Not to mention all the island’s options for fishing and water sports and infinite nature walks. And of course the wonderful food and hospitable locals.
I could go on.
But as you know, one thing is visiting the island for a week while staying in an ocean-view hotel room, and another thing is to live in São Miguel full-time.
How expensive is it to live in São Miguel full-time? Is the lifestyle on this island as good as it looks on a short visit, or is there a lack of medical, social and cultural facilities that will get to me after a while? you ask.
Let’s cover your doubts one by one.
How much does it cost to live in São Miguel in the Azores?
The website Nomadlist calculates that as an expat you will need 1,599.00 Euros per month to live well in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel’s largest city. This amount will likely be lower in the island’s less populous townships.
If you are worried that Sao Miguel will be expensive, don’t be. Sure, short-term accommodation costs can be about the same as in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city.
If you already visited the island you also noticed that you can eat very well and cheaply. And the cost of living is generally low.
Affordable dining out
You can dine out in Ponta Delgada for 10 Euros per person, including wine or beer and coffee.
Affordable long-term rental accommodation
The good news for accommodation for extended stays in São Miguel Island is that renting an apartment with a 6-month lease or longer is much more affordable than short-term. In post-pandemic times it’s likely to become even more affordable until tourists return en masse. At the time of writing, you could rent a very decent two-bedroom apartment in Ponta Delgada for around 700 Euros per month.
Affordable real estate
You could even buy your own place. São Miguel always has enticing real estate offers – enticing mainly because they are a LOT cheaper than what you’d pay on the mainland that close to the beach.
The only thing to keep in mind when buying a property in São Miguel is that it could take you some time to sell it on again, should you needed to. An average of 45 days, according to the stats in Idealista, a real estate website used widely in Portugal. Still, that’s twice as quick as in Lisbon – and a lot quicker than in Madeira Island, where properties stay an average of 149 days on the market.
When consulting Idealista for homes for sale in São Miguel for this post, I found a charming 1930s 5-bedroom terrace house in Ponta Delgada going for 220,000 Euros. It did look like it needed some work, but the price said ‘negotiable’, which is usually shorthand for 10% off. You could turn such a house into a bed and breakfast and you’d have yourself accommodation AND a business.
Cheaper taxes
In São Miguel Island, as well as in the rest of Azores, the goods and services tax (IVA) is less than on the mainland – 18% v’s 23%. This doesn’t always translate as cheaper items in your grocery cart – because most come from the mainland. But it’s great news if you’re renovating a property, say, and you’re charged less for labour.
No road tolls, less car maintenance costs and cheaper gasoline
There are no road tolls in São Miguel (the nemesis of drivers in the mainland), and gasoline is also cheaper than on the continent. Plus, you are only required to show a certificate of roadworthiness every two years and not every year*, like in Portugal. This is presumably because there’s far less traffic on the island than on the mainland and your car suffers less wear and tear.
You can buy your car in São Miguel. In fact, for an extended stay, you will need a car on the island because getting around further afield than your township will require it. And you’ll be wanting to explore, believe me. Sure, you can rent a car, or catch buses and taxis or rides from friendly locals. But owning your own car is going to be more practical in the long run. Then you can sell it at the end of your stay.
*This certificate is issued by a Portugal Traffic Authority-approved service centre and compulsory in the mainland if your vehicle is older than 7 years.
How can I buy/sell a car in São Miguel Island?
You’ll find a second-hand car dealer in São Miguel called Auto Açores. At the time of writing this stand offered several cars for sale. You can also go to Custo Justo, a second-hand online marketplace that’s a go-to for used cars in Portugal. There are usually hundreds of offers of cars for sale in São Miguel.
Is São Miguel a good place to retire to?
The short answer is yes, for all the reasons discussed so far and more. In São Miguel you can live a resort lifestyle at prices you’d only find in rural Portugal far from the coastline.
But life in retirement is more than fishing and trekking and whale watching and lolling about in thermal waters before a bridge session with the gang.
You also need the reassurance of good healthcare (more of that below). And good health services are not just about a good hospital if something dreadful happens, it’s also about those recurring consultations with specialists that we all need more of as we age.
São Miguel is great choice for your retirement for the following reasons:
- Its cost of living is affordable
- It’s a short flight to most cities in Europe (2h30m from London) and from the US East Coast (4h30m from Boston)
- It boasts a vibrant English-speaking expat community
- It’s the perfect base to explore the other 8 islands of the Azores archipelago
- Its lifestyle and environment can potentially boost your health because of the perfect combination of sun, sea, clean air, fresh seafood, and thermal springs with their therapeutic benefits
- It’s very safe
- It has amenable weather with temperatures hovering between 14 °C (57 °F) and 26 °C (79 °F) throughout the year
- Its healthcare facilities are on the level with international standards
We’ve all seen the brochure-worthy images of São Miguel’s glorious lagoons, beaches and green pastures. But go for a virtual drive around its metropolis Ponta Delgada in the video below. See if you like what you see there too.
Healthcare and safety in São Miguel Island
The Azores archipelago is a territory of Portugal and maintains a separate healthcare system with public and private services. Public healthcare in the Azores generally meets international standards. There are three well-equipped hospitals in the region, one of them in São Miguel Island. The other Azores hospitals are in the islands of Faial and Terceira.
The public hospital in São Miguel is Hospital Divino Espirito Santo in Ponta Delgada. See image below.
Not far from the public hospital you’ll find the São Sebastião private clinic. This clinic has more than 30 specialties and approximately 70 physicians who can perform a wide range of services such as specialty consultations and medical and nursing services and surgeries.
The homepage of the São Sebastião private clinic states they have established protocols with many health insurance companies. No doubt they have established protocols with international insurers, given that their online menu is also in English so they clearly gear their medical services to the expat community. The clinic boasts a rating of 4.3 stars (out of 5) with 29 user reviews.
“My 7-year-old daughter was bitten by an insect on the arm and it was starting to get infected. I went to São Sebastião clinic without an appointment and the ladies at the reception arranged an appointment for my daughter with Dr. Damaso, an exceptional paediatrician. The staff who work there give you a welcome that we do not find in France.”
Clinic user Christophe Martins (edited for clarity)
The user reviews of the public Hospital Divino Espirito Santo are a lower star rating at 3.4 stars (from 92 reviews). But this rating is not significantly lower than user reviews’ of public hospitals in mainland Portugal. For example, Hospital Santa Maria in Lisbon is rated at 3.6 stars at the time of writing.
Terceira Island in the archipelago has the newest and most modern hospital in the Azores. User reviews give Hospital de Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira a 3.7 star rating. The Portuguese Air force based in Terceira takes care of all evacuations from the islands and to the mainland for more complex emergencies. Emergencies in cruise boats are evacuated to this hospital by helicopter.
You can also see a doctor at the health centre (Centro de Saúde) in your locality. If you are a citizen of one of the 27 countries of the European Union, you have access to free (or practically free) healthcare if you present you national ID card.
If you are a foreign national from outside Europe with a residency visa in Portugal, you are expected to be enrolled in a Centro de Saúde (Health Centre) and have the Cartão do Utente (Patient Card). This can be obtained at the Centro de Saúde upon presentation of proof of the residency permit. Your medical consultations would be also practically free (we’re talking about 4 Euros).
In the event of an accident or emergency in the Azores, call the EUROPEAN EMERGENCY NUMBER 112.
AZORES HEALTH 24 HOURS HELPLINE
Linha Saúde Açores (Health Helpline Azores) – 808 24 60 24.
Safety
Portugal is the third safest country in the world after Iceland and New Zealand according to the 2020 Global Peace Index. Its territory in the Azores is at least as safe as Portugal, where the violent crime rate is extremely low.
Related Questions
Where can I swim in thermal pools in São Miguel?
- Termas da Ferraria
- Poça Dona Beija
- Caldeira Velha
- Termas das Caldeiras
- Parque Terra Nostra
Can I drink tap water in São Miguel in the Azores?
You can drink tap water safely in São Miguel and in any of other islands in the Azores archipelago. However, you should strongly avoid drinking the water from the thermal pools because of their mineral composition.
Want to read more about why move to Portugal? Read our article on the main reasons expats love it.
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