Living in São João da Madeira
In São João da Madeira, average gross earnings are €1,431 a month (2024), rents in new contracts average €7.13 per m² a month (2026) and unemployment is 3.2% (2026).
The unemployment rate was 3.15% in June 2026. São João da Madeira is in Portugal; its population was 21,713 in 2021. For São João da Madeira, the nearest airport was OPO, 41.6 km away, with 61 listed destinations in June 2026. There were 420 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2024.
Pricier rent than 61% of Portuguese cities that publish it and higher unemployment than 83% of Portuguese cities that publish it.
Which Portugal-wide rules apply when you move to São João da Madeira?
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 São João da Madeira?
Average net cold rent is 7.13 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): 7.13 EUR/m²/month · INE — Estatísticas de Rendas da Habitação ao nível local: valor mediano das rendas de novos contratos de arrendamento nos últimos 12 meses (€/m², Metodologia 2026)6
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 29.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | MEO fixed fibre12Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 15 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Vodafone Portugal mobile plan18Official · national market |
| Monthly transport pass | 40 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2026 | Andante / Transportes Metropolitanos do Porto1Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 7.13 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.20 | 31 Mar 2026 | INE — Estatísticas de Rendas da Habitação ao nível local: valor mediano das rendas de novos contratos de arrendamento nos últimos 12 meses (€/m², Metodologia 2026)6Official |
Is São João da Madeira 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 428 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7.13 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
What is the unemployment rate in São João da Madeira?
The unemployment rate is about 3.2 % (June 2026).
- Unemployment rate: 3.15 % · IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202630
São João da Madeira 3.2%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average gross earnings | 1,431 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | INE — Ganho médio mensal (€), indicator 0012649 (Quadros de Pessoal)7Official |
| Unemployment rate | 3.15 %country median 2.3% | 30 Jun 2026 | IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202630Independent |
What does a salary buy in São João da Madeira?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentTransportInternetMobileLeft 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€7.13/m² · official · INE · 2026-03-31 | − €428 |
| Public transport pass€40 · official · Andante / Transportes Metropolitanos do Porto · 2026-12-31 | − €40 |
| Utilities, 85 m²not published for this city | — |
| Internet€30 · official · MEO fixed fibre · 2026-09-30 | − €30 |
| Mobile plan€15 · official · Vodafone Portugal mobile plan · 2026-09-30 | − €15 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | €407 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to São João da Madeira. 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 São João da Madeira. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Healthcare
| 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.14Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in São João da Madeira 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 São João da Madeira?
Police recorded 2,590 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: 2,590 incidents per 100k · INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20229
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 2,590 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 20229Official |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for São João da Madeira. 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 São João da Madeira?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency5
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
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.
São João da Madeira 8.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 11 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — PT NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Anta-Espinho)3Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM10 — annual mean | 20 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — PT PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Anta-Espinho)4Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 8 µg/m³country median 6.2 | 31 Dec 2023 | European Environment Agency5Official |
| Monthly extreme high temperature | Jan 17.97 · Feb 19.48 · Mar 26.15 · Apr 27.4 · May 30.34 · Jun 33.6 · Jul 34.84 · Aug 35.24 · Sep 33.01 · Oct 30.93 · Nov 23.28 · Dec 18.54 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center13Official |
| Monthly extreme low temperature | Jan 0.6 · Feb 0.74 · Mar 0.76 · Apr 5.26 · May 6.74 · Jun 10.26 · Jul 11.7 · Aug 12.57 · Sep 11.16 · Oct 8.12 · Nov 4.02 · Dec 1.21 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center13Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 10.52 · Feb 10.62 · Mar 12.11 · Apr 13.65 · May 15.88 · Jun 18.44 · Jul 19.89 · Aug 20.33 · Sep 19.42 · Oct 16.94 · Nov 13.18 · Dec 11.08 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center13Official |
Annual PM2.5 fell 46.7% between 2015 and 2023, from 15.0 to 8.0.
Population and city profile
The city covered 7.9 km² in 2021. Population density was 2,734.6 people per km² in 2021.
How many people live in São João da Madeira?
The published population was 21,713 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro)8
By nationality
National passport91.1%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 7.94 km² | 2021 | INE — Portal municipal (quadro)8Official |
| Foreign residents | 1,927 people | 2023 | Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value.29Independent |
| Population density | 2,735 people/km² | 2021 | Reproducible derived density from the same-period INE populationTotal divided by areaKm2; no external density number was substituted.17Official |
| Population | 21,713 people | 2021 | INE — Portal municipal (quadro)8Official |
International community in São João da Madeira
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 | 22,143 | 100.0% |
| Portuguesa | 19,955 | 90.1% |
| Estrangeira | 2,188 | 9.9% |
| América | 1,096 | 4.9% |
| Brasil | 836 | 3.8% |
| África | 505 | 2.3% |
| Europa | 490 | 2.2% |
| Angola | 334 | 1.5% |
| Outros países - Europa | 259 | 1.2% |
| União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020) | 231 | 1.0% |
| Venezuela | 215 | 1.0% |
Show 42 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| França | 146 | 0.7% |
| Ucrânia | 104 | 0.5% |
| Ásia | 95 | 0.4% |
| Moçambique | 86 | 0.4% |
| Suíça | 80 | 0.4% |
| Outros países - Ásia | 46 | 0.2% |
| China | 39 | 0.2% |
| Outros países - América | 32 | 0.1% |
| Alemanha | 26 | 0.1% |
| Outros países - África | 25 | 0.1% |
| Moldávia | 23 | 0.1% |
| Federação da Rússia | 23 | 0.1% |
| Espanha | 19 | 0.1% |
| Reino Unido | 18 | 0.1% |
| Cabo Verde | 17 | 0.1% |
| Guiné-Bissau | 17 | 0.1% |
| África do Sul | 16 | 0.1% |
| Outros | 11 | 0.0% |
| Luxemburgo | 10 | 0.0% |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | 10 | 0.0% |
| Estados Unidos da América | 9 | 0.0% |
| Itália | 8 | 0.0% |
| Paquistão | 8 | 0.0% |
| Bélgica | 5 | 0.0% |
| Bulgária | 3 | 0.0% |
| Canadá | 3 | 0.0% |
| Países Baixos (Reino dos) | 3 | 0.0% |
| Oceânia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Austrália | 2 | 0.0% |
| Letónia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Argentina | 1 | 0.0% |
| Chipre | 1 | 0.0% |
| Dinamarca | 1 | 0.0% |
| Estónia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Grécia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Croácia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Índia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Lituânia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Nepal | 1 | 0.0% |
| Polónia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Roménia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Eslováquia | 1 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11
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 | 22,143 | 100.0% |
| Portuguesa | 21,079 | 95.2% |
| Estrangeira | 1,064 | 4.8% |
| América | 715 | 3.2% |
| Brasil | 635 | 2.9% |
| Europa | 175 | 0.8% |
| Outros países - Europa | 94 | 0.4% |
| Ásia | 90 | 0.4% |
| África | 84 | 0.4% |
| União Europeia 27 (s/ PT - a partir de 2020) | 81 | 0.4% |
| Venezuela | 58 | 0.3% |
Show 34 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ucrânia | 57 | 0.3% |
| China | 47 | 0.2% |
| Angola | 44 | 0.2% |
| Outros países - Ásia | 39 | 0.2% |
| Itália | 24 | 0.1% |
| França | 20 | 0.1% |
| Outros países - América | 19 | 0.1% |
| Outros países - África | 16 | 0.1% |
| Espanha | 16 | 0.1% |
| Moldávia | 14 | 0.1% |
| Moçambique | 11 | 0.0% |
| Federação da Rússia | 11 | 0.0% |
| Alemanha | 8 | 0.0% |
| Cabo Verde | 6 | 0.0% |
| Suíça | 5 | 0.0% |
| Reino Unido | 4 | 0.0% |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | 4 | 0.0% |
| Guiné-Bissau | 3 | 0.0% |
| Letónia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Paquistão | 3 | 0.0% |
| Outros | 3 | 0.0% |
| Estados Unidos da América | 2 | 0.0% |
| Argentina | 1 | 0.0% |
| Bélgica | 1 | 0.0% |
| Dinamarca | 1 | 0.0% |
| Grécia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Croácia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Hungria | 1 | 0.0% |
| Lituânia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Luxemburgo | 1 | 0.0% |
| Países Baixos (Reino dos) | 1 | 0.0% |
| Nepal | 1 | 0.0% |
| Roménia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Eslováquia | 1 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10
Alternatives for people set on São João da Madeira
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.
Paredes as a São João da Madeira alternative in the same region
36 km away, better on 4 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.
- Residents: 86,854 Paredes vs 21,713 São João da Madeira+300%
- Rent: €5.81/m² Paredes vs €7.13/m² São João da Madeira−19%
- Unemployment: 2.5% Paredes vs 3.2% São João da Madeira−20%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,090 Paredes vs 2,590 São João da Madeira−19%
- Nearest airport: 29.6 km Paredes vs 41.6 km São João da Madeira−29%
Pombal as a São João da Madeira alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 110 km, better on 2 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent cannot be compared like for like.
- Nearest airport: 109.7 km Pombal vs 41.6 km São João da Madeira+164%
- Residents: 55,217 Pombal vs 21,713 São João da Madeira+154%
- Unemployment: 1.8% Pombal vs 3.2% São João da Madeira−42%
- Rent: €5.56/m² Pombal vs €7.13/m² São João da Madeirano percentage
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,100 Pombal vs 2,590 São João da Madeira−19%
Cities near São João da Madeira
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 5.58 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
- Rent
- 6.63 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
- Salary
- 1,222 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 7.03 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
- Rent
- 5.69 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
- Rent
- 6.25 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-08-26
Alternative cities in Portugal
Other cities in Portugal to compare with São João da Madeira, nearest in population first.
How does São João da Madeira compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays São João da Madeira's.
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; São João da Madeira'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 São João da Madeira?
The published population was 21,713 people in 2021. Source: INE — Portal municipal (quadro).
How much does it cost to rent in São João da Madeira?
Average net cold rent is 7.13 EUR/m² per month (2026-Q1), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 499 EUR a month before utilities. Source: INE — Estatísticas de Rendas da Habitação ao nível local: valor mediano das rendas de novos contratos de arrendamento nos últimos 12 meses (€/m², Metodologia 2026).
Is the air quality good in São João da Madeira?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.
How safe is São João da Madeira?
Police recorded 2,590 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.
What is the unemployment rate in São João da Madeira?
The unemployment rate is about 3.2 % (June 2026). Source: IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.
How many foreign residents live in São João da Madeira?
1,927 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Foreign population with legal resident status at 31 December; Total Nacionalidade; annual municipality value..
Is São João da Madeira a good place to live?
São João da Madeira 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 São João da Madeira?
São Roque, Feira, Santa Maria da Feira, São João de Ver, Oliveira de Azeméis are near São João da Madeira. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Portuguesa live in São João da Madeira?
The official country of birth distribution records 19,955 people (90.1%) 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). São João da Madeira, Portugal: population, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 960cc4017f31d2ba63bc8c4a3e15e6ee]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/sao-joao-da-madeira/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sao-joao-da-madeira-portugal-population-rent-salary_9f2244cd6df1,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {São João da Madeira, Portugal: population, rent, salary},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {960cc4017f31d2ba63bc8c4a3e15e6ee},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/sao-joao-da-madeira/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[São João da Madeira, Portugal: population, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/sao-joao-da-madeira/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 960cc4017f31d2ba63bc8c4a3e15e6ee; 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
- Andante / Transportes Metropolitanos do Porto andante.pt · checked 2026-09-13
- Collected source ine.pt · checked 2026-08-04
- EEA air quality statistics — PT NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Anta-Espinho) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — PT PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Anta-Espinho) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- INE — Estatísticas de Rendas da Habitação ao nível local: valor mediano das rendas de novos contratos de arrendamento nos últimos 12 meses (€/m², Metodologia 2026) INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-09-18
- 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
Show 20 more sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Portugal Censos 2021 indicator 0014633 country of birth ine.pt · checked 2026-09-01
- MEO fixed fibre meo.pt · checked 2026-09-15
- NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- 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
- IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026 IEFP · iefp.pt · checked 2026-07-26
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.