Excluding flights, budget roughly €75 per person per day travelling cheaply (guesthouse or shared apartment, buses, supermarket breakfasts, one restaurant meal), €110–€140 a day mid-range (3–4★ hotel or apartment, small rental car, two meals out), and €200+ a day for a sea-view hotel, automatic car and daily restaurant dinners. Madeira is noticeably cheaper than the Canaries or Mallorca for food and drink — a full lunch with wine is €12–€18, a beer €1.50–€2.50, an espresso €0.80 — but car hire in July–September and New Year is the one line item that spikes.
Daily budget by travel style
Budget — €70–€85 per person / day
Guesthouse or shared apartment (€40–€55/night for two), SIGA buses with a Giro card, supermarket breakfast and lunch, one €12–€15 restaurant meal, free levadas and viewpoints.
Mid-range — €110–€140 per person / day
3–4★ hotel or a good apartment (€80–€120/night for two), a small rental car shared between two, coffee and pastry out, lunch and dinner in restaurants, one paid attraction most days.
Comfortable — €200+ per person / day
Sea-view 4–5★ hotel (€180–€350/night), automatic rental or private drivers, tasting menus, boat trips and guided hikes, spa time.
What things actually cost in Madeira
| Small rental car — off-season | €25–€45/day (local agencies: Rodavante, Guerin, Madecar) |
| Small rental car — Jul–Sep & New Year | €55–€110/day. Book 2–3 months ahead. |
| Fuel (95 unleaded) | ~€1.75/L. A week driving the whole island: €40–€55. |
| Funchal city bus (SIGA) | €2.00 cash on board, €1.45 with a Giro card (€0.50 card issue fee) |
| Aerobus — airport to Funchal | €6.40 one-way, hourly 04:30–00:30 |
| Taxi — airport to Funchal | €25–€35 fixed tariff; Bolt €18–€28 |
| Coffee (espresso / bica) | €0.75–€1.00 standing at the counter |
| Beer (imperial / Coral) | €1.50–€2.50 |
| Poncha | €3–€5 |
| Prato do dia (set lunch, main + drink) | €8–€14 away from the seafront |
| Dinner for two with wine — mid-range | €45–€65 |
| Tasting menu (Estrelícia Guide level) | €65–€120 per person |
| Funchal–Monte cable car | €12.50 one-way, ~€18 return |
| Monte toboggan (2 people) | €30 per sledge for the short run |
| Levada ticket (classified PR trails) | €4.50 per person per trail, €10.50 for the full PR1, booked at simplifica.madeira.gov.pt |
| Whale & dolphin trip | €35–€50 per adult, 2.5–3 h |
| Porto Santo ferry return | €60–€75 per adult in season |
| Guided 4x4 or hiking day tour | €45–€75 per person |
| Supermarket weekly shop for two | €60–€90 (Pingo Doce, Continente cheaper than Sé area minimarkets) |
Prices are typical 2026 local rates collected on the island and cross-checked against operator sites. Levada tickets and bus fares are official published fares; restaurant and hotel figures are ranges, not quotes.
A worked 7-day budget for two people
| Flights (UK/Ireland return, shoulder season) | €120–€250 pp |
| Accommodation, 7 nights mid-range for two | €560–€840 |
| Rental car, 7 days + fuel + insurance top-up | €300–€420 |
| Food and drink for two | €420–€560 |
| Attractions, levada tickets, one boat trip | €150–€220 |
| Total for two (excluding flights) | ≈ €1,430–€2,040 — about €102–€146 per person per day |
Six ways to cut the cost
- Skip the car for a Funchal-only trip. A Giro card plus buses to Monte, Câmara de Lobos and Caniço costs about €15 for the week versus €250+ for a rental.
- Eat the prato do dia. Set lunch inland or one street back from the marina is €8–€14 for a full plate; the same dish on the seafront is €18–€22.
- Unclassified levadas are still the island's best free day out — only IFCN-classified PR trails carry the €4.50 booking fee (€10.50 for the full PR1).
- Travel November–March. Accommodation and car hire drop 30–50% and hiking conditions are usually better than midsummer haze.
- Take the bus to Monte (line 021, €2.00) and pay for the cable car only one way, downhill, for the view.
- Fill up outside Funchal — station prices are the same island-wide, but the airport-area stations are the ones open latest for a pre-return top-up.
FAQ — Madeira costs
Is Madeira expensive?
No, by western European standards it is cheap for food, drink and public transport, and mid-priced for accommodation. A set lunch is €8–€14, a beer €1.50–€2.50 and a city bus ride €1.45–€2.00. What pushes budgets up is car hire in peak months (€55–€110/day) and sea-view hotels in Funchal.
How much money should I take for a week in Madeira?
For two people mid-range, excluding flights, plan €1,400–€2,000 for seven nights covering accommodation, a rental car, food and a couple of paid activities. Travelling cheaply, two people can do the same week for around €900. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; carry €50–€100 in cash for buses, small cafés and rural bars.
What is the cheapest month to visit Madeira?
Late January to March, and November excluding the New Year period. Accommodation and car hire are at their lowest, and the weather still averages 19–20 °C in Funchal. Avoid the last week of December — New Year fireworks week is the most expensive of the year, with hotel rates often tripling.
Do I need to hire a car in Madeira?
Only if you want the north coast, the high peaks and the trailheads. Buses cover Funchal, Câmara de Lobos, Caniço, Machico and (slowly) the main coastal towns, but there is no bus to Pico do Arieiro, Fanal or the 25 Fontes car park. A common compromise is buses for the city days and a car for two or three days.
How much do levada walks cost?
Unclassified levadas are free. Since 1 January 2026 every IFCN-classified PR trail — PR1 Pico do Arieiro–Pico Ruivo, PR6 25 Fontes, PR9 Caldeirão Verde, PR8 São Lourenço, PR11 Balcões and PR18 Levada do Rei among them — needs a timed-slot booking at simplifica.madeira.gov.pt: €4.50 per person, or €10.50 for the full one-way PR1. Residents and under-12s are free but still register.
How much should I tip in Madeira?
Tipping is not expected. Rounding up the bill or leaving 5–10% for good service in a restaurant is generous; cafés and bars need nothing. Taxi fares are usually rounded to the nearest euro.