Living in Santa Cruz
In Santa Cruz, average gross earnings are €1,343 a month (2024) and rents in new contracts average €10.66 per m² a month (2026).
In 2023, the foreign population was 1,824. The population of Santa Cruz, in Portugal, was 43,005 in 2021.
Pricier rent than 87% of Portuguese cities that publish it and less recorded crime than 97% of Portuguese cities that publish it.
Which Portugal-wide rules apply when you move to Santa Cruz?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in Santa Cruz?
Average net cold rent is 10.66 EUR/m² per month (2026-Q1), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 10.66 EUR/m²/month · www.ine.pt16
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 29.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | MEO fixed fibre10Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 15 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Vodafone Portugal mobile plan15Official · national market |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 10.66 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.20 | 26 Aug 2026 | www.ine.pt16Official |
Is Santa Cruz a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 640 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 10.66 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average gross earnings | 1,343 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | INE — Ganho médio mensal (€), indicator 0012649 (Quadros de Pessoal)4Official |
What does a salary buy in Santa Cruz?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions. | €920 |
| Rent, 60 m²€10.66/m² · official · ine.pt · 2026-08-26 | − €640 |
| Internet€30 · official · MEO fixed fibre · 2026-09-30 | − €30 |
| Mobile plan€15 · official · Vodafone Portugal mobile plan · 2026-09-30 | − €15 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €235 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Santa Cruz. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Santa Cruz. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Healthcare
There were 420 physicians per 100,000 people in 2024.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 420 per 100,000 | 2024 | Official INE Statistics of Health Personnel indicator 0012837: physicians per 1,000 inhabitants by municipality of residence. Exact municipality row selected by INE DICO geocod; value converted to the requested per-100k unit.11Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Santa Cruz when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Santa Cruz?
Police recorded 1,580 incidents per 100,000 (2022). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 1,580 incidents per 100k · INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20226
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 1,580 incidents per 100kcountry median 2,730 | 31 Dec 2022 | INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20226Official |
Mobility and administration
The nearest airport was FNC, 5.8 km away, with 30 listed destinations in June 2026.
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Santa Cruz. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
PLA search route through Portal da Oferta Formativa — State Language Course
AIMA / Portal da Oferta Formativa
For migrants seeking Portuguese as a non-native language.
Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA) — State Language Course
AIMA / DGEstE public-school network / IEFP / Centros Qualifica
For migrants aged 16 or older whose mother tongue is not Portuguese, residence-permit holders, people with pending residence/protection/NISS evidence.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Santa Cruz?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA air quality statistics — PT PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station São João)3
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Santa Cruz 7.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 30 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — PT NO2 annual mean 2024 (station São João)1Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM10 — annual mean | 21 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — PT PM10 annual mean 2024 (station São João)2Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 7 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — PT PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station São João)3Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 20 · Feb 19.9 · Mar 20.6 · Apr 21 · May 22 · Jun 23.7 · Jul 25.4 · Aug 26.8 · Sep 26.6 · Oct 25.2 · Nov 22.8 · Dec 21 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação FUNCHAL / MADEIRA (Observatório) (nº 522)9Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 14.3 · Feb 13.9 · Mar 14.3 · Apr 14.9 · May 16.2 · Jun 18.2 · Jul 19.7 · Aug 20.7 · Sep 20.4 · Oct 19.2 · Nov 17 · Dec 15.5 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação FUNCHAL / MADEIRA (Observatório) (nº 522)9Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 17.1 · Feb 16.8 · Mar 17.4 · Apr 17.9 · May 19.1 · Jun 20.9 · Jul 22.6 · Aug 23.7 · Sep 23.5 · Oct 22.2 · Nov 19.9 · Dec 18.3 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação FUNCHAL / MADEIRA (Observatório) (nº 522)9Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 67.1 · Feb 72.4 · Mar 62.3 · Apr 45.2 · May 27.2 · Jun 7.8 · Jul 1.7 · Aug 1.3 · Sep 23.1 · Oct 91.2 · Nov 80.3 · Dec 94.8 mm | 31 Dec 1991 | IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação FUNCHAL / MADEIRA (Observatório) (nº 522)9Official · nearest-station reading |
Similar climate. In Portugal: Almada ±3.6 °C. Elsewhere: Downey (United States) ±2.3 °C, Houston (United States) ±4.2 °C, Pasadena (United States) ±4.2 °C, Ventura (United States) ±4.3 °C, East Los Angeles (United States) ±2.4 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month
Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.
Population and city profile
The city covered 81.5 km² in 2021. Population density was 527.7 people per km² in 2021.
How many people live in Santa Cruz?
The published population was 43,005 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro)5
By nationality
National passport95.8%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 81.5 km² | 2021 | INE — Portal municipal (quadro)5Official |
| Foreign residents | 1,824 people | 2023 | Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value.26Independent |
| Population density | 527.7 people/km² | 2021 | Reproducible derived density from the same-period INE populationTotal divided by areaKm2; no external density number was substituted.14Official |
| Population | 43,005 people | 2021 | INE — Portal municipal (quadro)5Official |
International community in Santa Cruz
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Resident population at the 19 April 2021 Census reference date; total sex (HM) and total age; source-native indicator universe · 2021-04-19
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 42,168 | 100.0% |
| Portuguesa | 38,245 | 90.7% |
| Estrangeira | 3,923 | 9.3% |
| América | 2,142 | 5.1% |
| Venezuela | 1,789 | 4.2% |
| Europa | 1,028 | 2.4% |
| África | 698 | 1.7% |
| Outros países - Europa | 546 | 1.3% |
| União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020) | 482 | 1.1% |
| Reino Unido | 349 | 0.8% |
| África do Sul | 283 | 0.7% |
Show 47 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Brasil | 235 | 0.6% |
| Angola | 210 | 0.5% |
| França | 169 | 0.4% |
| Moçambique | 136 | 0.3% |
| Alemanha | 124 | 0.3% |
| Outros países - América | 75 | 0.2% |
| Outros | 66 | 0.2% |
| Federação da Rússia | 55 | 0.1% |
| Ásia | 37 | 0.1% |
| Suíça | 36 | 0.1% |
| Outros países - África | 33 | 0.1% |
| Ucrânia | 33 | 0.1% |
| Espanha | 30 | 0.1% |
| Itália | 30 | 0.1% |
| Polónia | 27 | 0.1% |
| Outros países - Ásia | 23 | 0.1% |
| Estados Unidos da América | 23 | 0.1% |
| Países Baixos (Reino dos) | 21 | 0.0% |
| Guiné-Bissau | 20 | 0.0% |
| Oceânia | 18 | 0.0% |
| Austrália | 17 | 0.0% |
| Canadá | 15 | 0.0% |
| Cabo Verde | 15 | 0.0% |
| Bélgica | 13 | 0.0% |
| Roménia | 13 | 0.0% |
| Áustria | 11 | 0.0% |
| Suécia | 10 | 0.0% |
| Finlândia | 9 | 0.0% |
| China | 7 | 0.0% |
| Moldávia | 7 | 0.0% |
| Argentina | 5 | 0.0% |
| Irlanda | 5 | 0.0% |
| Dinamarca | 4 | 0.0% |
| Luxemburgo | 4 | 0.0% |
| Índia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Lituânia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Paquistão | 3 | 0.0% |
| Grécia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Croácia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Outros países - Oceânia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Bangladeche | 1 | 0.0% |
| Bulgária | 1 | 0.0% |
| Chipre | 1 | 0.0% |
| Chéquia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Letónia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Eslováquia | 1 | 0.0% |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | 1 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source8
Citizenship
Resident population at the 19 April 2021 Census reference date; total sex (HM) and total age; source-native indicator universe · 2021-04-19
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 42,168 | 100.0% |
| Portuguesa | 41,079 | 97.4% |
| Estrangeira | 1,089 | 2.6% |
| Europa | 541 | 1.3% |
| América | 447 | 1.1% |
| União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020) | 302 | 0.7% |
| Venezuela | 274 | 0.6% |
| Outros países - Europa | 239 | 0.6% |
| Reino Unido | 137 | 0.3% |
| Brasil | 132 | 0.3% |
| Alemanha | 94 | 0.2% |
Show 43 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| África | 69 | 0.2% |
| Federação da Rússia | 42 | 0.1% |
| Itália | 35 | 0.1% |
| África do Sul | 33 | 0.1% |
| Ásia | 28 | 0.1% |
| Polónia | 26 | 0.1% |
| Espanha | 25 | 0.1% |
| França | 25 | 0.1% |
| Outros | 25 | 0.1% |
| Outros países - América | 24 | 0.1% |
| Países Baixos (Reino dos) | 19 | 0.0% |
| Ucrânia | 19 | 0.0% |
| Áustria | 16 | 0.0% |
| Outros países - Ásia | 14 | 0.0% |
| Suíça | 13 | 0.0% |
| Estados Unidos da América | 13 | 0.0% |
| China | 10 | 0.0% |
| Roménia | 10 | 0.0% |
| Suécia | 10 | 0.0% |
| Bélgica | 9 | 0.0% |
| Finlândia | 9 | 0.0% |
| Guiné-Bissau | 9 | 0.0% |
| Angola | 8 | 0.0% |
| Cabo Verde | 8 | 0.0% |
| Irlanda | 8 | 0.0% |
| Outros países - África | 7 | 0.0% |
| Oceânia | 4 | 0.0% |
| Austrália | 4 | 0.0% |
| Moçambique | 4 | 0.0% |
| Canadá | 3 | 0.0% |
| Dinamarca | 3 | 0.0% |
| Lituânia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Moldávia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Chipre | 2 | 0.0% |
| Chéquia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Índia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Luxemburgo | 2 | 0.0% |
| Paquistão | 2 | 0.0% |
| Argentina | 1 | 0.0% |
| Bulgária | 1 | 0.0% |
| Grécia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Croácia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Letónia | 1 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source7
Alternatives for people set on Santa Cruz
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Machico as a Santa Cruz alternative in the same region
8 km away, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Rent: €6.89/m² Machico vs €10.66/m² Santa Cruz−35%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,450 Machico vs 1,580 Santa Cruz+55%
- Nearest airport: 2.2 km Machico vs 5.8 km Santa Cruz−62%
- Residents: 21,828 Machico vs 43,005 Santa Cruz−49%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ Machico vs 7.0 µg/m³ Santa Cruzsame level
Amarante as a Santa Cruz alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 1231 km, better on 1 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.
- Nearest airport: 29.9 km Amarante vs 5.8 km Santa Cruz+416%
- Rent: €4.63/m² Amarante vs €10.66/m² Santa Cruz−57%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,010 Amarante vs 1,580 Santa Cruz+27%
- Residents: 52,264 Amarante vs 43,005 Santa Cruz+22%
Cities near Santa Cruz
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 19.44 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
- Rent
- 6.89 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
- Rent
- 13.6 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
- Rent
- 5.58 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
- Rent
- 21.33 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
Alternative cities in Portugal
Other cities in Portugal to compare with Santa Cruz, nearest in population first.
How does Santa Cruz compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Santa Cruz's.
Santa Cruz in rankings
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 18, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: PLNM (Português Língua Não Materna). How to enrol a child (gov.pt).
A country-wide rule for Portugal; Santa Cruz's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Santa Cruz?
The published population was 43,005 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro).
How much does it cost to rent in Santa Cruz?
Average net cold rent is 10.66 EUR/m² per month (2026-Q1), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 746 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.ine.pt.
Is the air quality good in Santa Cruz?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA air quality statistics — PT PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station São João).
How safe is Santa Cruz?
Police recorded 1,580 incidents per 100,000 (2022). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022.
How many foreign residents live in Santa Cruz?
1,824 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value..
Is Santa Cruz a good place to live?
Santa Cruz may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Santa Cruz?
São Gonçalo, Nossa Senhora do Monte, Santa Maria Maior, Santa Luzia, Machico are near Santa Cruz. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Portuguesa live in Santa Cruz?
The official country of birth distribution records 38,245 people (90.7%) in the source-defined population for 2021-04-19. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Santa Cruz, Portugal: population, rent, salary, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; version eaa4b4182da13ec741f021ec207e886a]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/santa-cruz/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_santa-cruz-portugal-population-rent-salary-safety_d90afb89bf2d,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Santa Cruz, Portugal: population, rent, salary, safety},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {eaa4b4182da13ec741f021ec207e886a},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/santa-cruz/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Santa Cruz, Portugal: population, rent, salary, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/santa-cruz/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version eaa4b4182da13ec741f021ec207e886a; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- EEA air quality statistics — PT NO2 annual mean 2024 (station São João) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — PT PM10 annual mean 2024 (station São João) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — PT PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station São João) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- INE — Ganho médio mensal (€), indicator 0012649 (Quadros de Pessoal) INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-09-23
- INE — Portal municipal (quadro) INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-14
- INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022 INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-31
- Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014632 nationality ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
- Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014633 country of birth ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
- IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 — IPMA estação FUNCHAL / MADEIRA (Observatório) (nº 522) IPMA Normais Climatológicas 1991-2020 · ipma.pt · checked 2026-07-31
- MEO fixed fibre meo.pt · checked 2026-09-15
Show 16 more sources
- Official INE Statistics of Health Personnel indicator 0012837: physicians per 1,000 inhabitants by municipality of residence. Exact municipality row selected by INE DICO geocod; value converted to the requested per-100k unit. ine.pt · checked 2026-07-15
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- Reproducible derived density from the same-period INE populationTotal divided by areaKm2; no external density number was substituted. ine.pt · checked 2026-07-15
- Vodafone Portugal mobile plan vodafone.pt · checked 2026-09-15
- www.ine.pt ine.pt · checked 2026-08-26
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value. pordata.pt · checked 2026-07-15
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.