3.03/5
761 reviews
Photo by Pika Žvan via Unsplash

Cost of Living in Tenerife, Canary Islands

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good

cruz

island

great

weather

nomad

puerto

amazing

south

north

nice

tourists

santa

spent

nature

food

finca

difficult

Tenerife is a solid destination for digital nomads looking for a warm, safe, and affordable place within the EU. The weather is consistently good year-round, with temperatures in the low 20s Celsius during winter. High-speed internet is widely available, even in Airbnbs and rural areas, so remote work is generally seamless. There's a decent digital nomad community, especially in the south (Las Americas, Adeje), while the north tends to be quieter with more long-term residents. The cost of living is reasonable, and the island offers loads of nature-based activities like hiking, surfing, and swimming.

However, the island has its drawbacks. Food and dining seem to be a consistent disappointment among visitors, with many struggling to find high-quality restaurants. Cafes and coworking options are limited, particularly in the north, making it difficult to find good places to work if you're not in a private accommodation. There are no ride-hailing apps, public transit is decent but car rental can be expensive, and shipping from the mainland is tricky due to customs rules. During peak tourist seasons, popular areas can get overcrowded and lose some of their charm. Overall, Tenerife works best during the off-season for stays of 1–3 months.

AI-generated summary of reviews
1 year ago

good climate and friendly people
Santa cruz is more business/quiet and has no beach. head south if you want the beach and mojito lifestyle
No uber in the north (you need to call taxis, which is fine)

2 years ago

No Uber, difficult getting things from Amazon. This is too bad because without these two huge disadvantages, Tenerife would be pretty great.

2 years ago

Guys , If you want the perfect weather and a lively nomad scene go more in the south around Los cristianos. Of course if you go to Puerto you'll be bored . Tenerife is amazing. Amazing hikes to do all around the island. A nice digital nomad community (Join the whatsapp groups) and a perfect weather the whole.

2 years ago

Hi guys!
Tenerife is amazing. Good weather all year round, fast internet, friendly people (especially if you speak a few words Spanish), low criminality. I was in the South in Adeje where I found an amazing coliving place (check google: Ojala Casa Tenerife). It's by far the best place to be in Europe.

3 years ago

Boring :-( Here for 2.5 months in summer. Puerto was supposed to be a nomad city, but I can't seem to meet them. Just 1-2 meetups that only 5+ people come to. A lot of lower middle class tourists. Santa Cruz has more to offer. La Laguna is nice for a day trip, but kinda dead too. Yes, there's beautiful nature and hikes, but people/community/city-wise not impressed at all.

3 years ago

I live here with my girlfriend close to Santa Cruz now for around 1 year. We lived before in Alicante and Gran Canaria. Lots to discover if you like Hiking or Surfing. Nomad scene is here with a couple of Meetups and Activities if you look for it. It's relative cheap compare to West Europe. Food is difficult to find Restaurants what you can eat well.

Pros:
Weather always perfect even in winter

It's an Island, so there are many beaches

2 Airports with many flights all over Europe

Fresh Fruits and Vegetable as many things grow here.

Cons:
If you are a foodie its difficult to find any good food what is not Spanish or Italian

Even the Bus System is really good they need to improve with walkways or bike roads, but this is a problem in all over Spain.

Order online is a gamble sometimes is fast but as the Canary Islands are outside the European customs union you have to declare goods what the value us over 15o EUR

4 years ago

Too touristic - Restaurants, experiences, shops.. all designed for tourists which makes the place not as enjoyable in my experience.

4 years ago

Spent two weeks all over the island in July 2022. Wasn't super interested in Santa Cruz after one night there. Spent a week at a private finca near Guia de Isora and really enjoyed what I saw of that area. Seemed like there was lots to do in nearby Playa San Juan. Stayed another week in Puerto de la Cruz which didn't have a whole lot going on despite seeming to be a popular destination for tourists. Still a beautiful place to explore on foot for a few days.

Weather seems to be pretty much flawless year round. My hotel room in Puerto de la Cruz (Coral Teide Mar) was pretty nice and super affordable ($34/night). Food around town was just ok.

The biggest highlight of the trip was taking an interpretive hike with a guide around the base of Teide. Got to see some stunning views above the cloud line and learned a lot about the geology and natural history of the islands. I would highly recommend exploring the volcanoes with someone who can explain why it's all so cool.

If I could do it again, I think I'd spend all my time in the south/west areas of the island.

Pro tip: there are cannabis clubs scattered all around the island, but most don't do any advertising because they don't want to attract tourists (technically you're only allowed to get in if you're a resident). There is one in Puerto de la Cruz called The Bud Company that you can find on Instagram and Weedmaps. You can email or DM and ask to join the club, and as long you're chill they'll instruct you on how to proceed. Good luck finding the place! 😂☠️ Look for `Edificio Belitope` on Google Maps and pay close attention to the photo of the door on Weedmaps. You're welcome.

4 years ago

I lived in Puerto De La Cruz between October and December.

Pros;
- Quiet, safe neighbourhood
- Well stocked supermarkets
- High speed broadband in my Airbnb
- Very hot and sunny days in October / November
- Cheap Taxis
- Lots of hikes
- Legal, cheap cannabis
- Access to southern Tenerife for partying

Cons;
- English is not that great, but can get by.
- High humidity and rainfall
- Not great social scene
- A lot of sub-par restaurants (I recommend 'Vulk' and anything south american)
- Boring nightlife
- Super expensive car rental (1k month)
Perfect place to live with a spouse, smoke weed and work out your airbnb, whilst hiking around and swimming on the weekend,

5 years ago

I was staying in the western part of the island for about 3 months in winter months of 2021. My impression is that it is a clean and sunny place, that could be much better than it is. Unfortunately it was too cold to swim in the ocean. Some people did, but it's definitely not comfortable, water is just cold and the overall temperature is in the 20 degrees Celsius range, so it was not hot by any measure. The place is filled with British retirees and Eastern European tourists. There are just a few stores, one 24/7 off license and one Lidl store. The availability of goods is limited. As for dining, it's ok, but nothing to write home about. Housing is meh. Despite being small and sparsely populated it managed to be loud. As for the scenery, apart from palm trees and a few patches of grass maintained within the town, it is barren land. Essentially a piece of rock sticking out of the ocean. I've heard it's greener in the North.

Maybe there are interesting people to meet in more popular areas like La Playa las Americas, but where I was at it felt empty, boring, and mediocre. A very underwhelming experience - I will definitely not be wasting my time coming back here.

5 years ago

I lived here in Tenerife from October until December. My thoughts are below

Pros:

- Lovely weather at this time of year, really pleasant in the low 20s
- The island has lots to see and some of the national parks are just spectacular. There's so much beauty on the island
- It's relatively cheap, so a nice modern Airbnb in the centre of Santa Cruz for instance will set you back 1300-1500 EUR
- WiFi is very good in the Airbnbs so no problem there, was able to take video calls easily and it never cut out

Cons:

- I struggled to find a good meal in Puerto de la Cruz whilst I was there for a month. I wasn't the only one it seems, as I had another couple approach me to ask about the food in the restaurant I was eating at and they said all the places they had tried were terrible.
- Online dating is much harder than other places I've been to (I spent all my time in North Tenerife FYI), and I think the level of English amongst the locals might have something to do with it. I didn't have a single date in the months I was here, compared to having lots of dating experiences in many different countries.
- Really no decent places to work from outside of your apartment. Cafes in the centre will have dodgy WiFi (if any at all) and the coffee in general isn't that great in my opinion.

5 years ago

I spent an amazing 2.5 months in Tenerife during COVID times from April to June of 2021. One of the best decisions of my life. The island has so much to offer; dramatic nature hikes, good food, excellent weather, fun parties/raves (yes, even during covid times), water sports, beaches, etc. The general vibe is very chill and it's easy to talk with both locals and tourists. Everyone is simply having a good time. There´s a reason this island is so popular among tourists.

At the same time, the island's popularity is also its achilles heel. Once countries opened uptheir borders again and tourists started flooding in around June, the quality of living went down dramatically. Hard to find parking, beaches overcrowding, drunk people on the streets (Las Americas), prices increasingly steeply etc. I honestly wouldn´t want to spend a full-on non-corona summer here, even though it is possible to avoid them, for instance by sticking to the north side of the island.

My recommendation would be to visit Tenerife as a digital nomad, in off-season times only. For me personally, 2.5 months was enough to see and do most of the things there, and I don't feel the need to come back per se. Most Digital Nomads I met were also staying somewhere between 1-4 months before moving off again. And that´s completely fine of course :)

5 years ago

I went to Tenerife thinking I was going to stay for a month, I ended up being there for 2.5 months. Absolutely amazing place, good work/life balance, great nature. Cost of living is not so high.

Important recommendation: avoid the north. It's much better to stay in the South-area, especially Las Americas. The weather is much nicer and most importantly, there is much more to do.

5 years ago

I've spent a few months in Tenerife in 2020. I think it's the best of the Canary Islands for remote workers. The South has better weather and more touristy vibe, the North is colder but with more long-term people. Nomads seem to be living around El Medano, Puerto de la Cruz or Las Americas.

Pros:
- Lots of nomads. Seems to be a good solution for those who have to remain in EU timezones or just starting out they nomad journey and don't want to take too much risk.
- Awesome weather.
- Nature. Surfing, kitesurfing, diving, hiking, mountain biking and all kinds of outdoor activities are great on the island.
- Decent public transport, nice roads, generally good infrastructure.

Cons:
- Zero hipster cafes that are good for work.
- Very few co-working spaces.
- No ride-hailing apps. You have to make a phone call to book a taxi like it's 2005. Best to get a car or motorbike.
- Online shopping can be a hassle due to the distance from the mainland.
- Difficult to find high quality accommodation, even if you have the money to burn.
- Lots of drunk retired British expats and businesses catering for them.

Overall, I think Tenerife is great and has great potential at becoming an "European" nomad hotspot -- if it isn't one already.

5 years ago

WOW, cool platform. Even for freelancers like me. I am currently staying on a beautiful finca (Finca San Juan) in the north of Tenerife. The climate is amazing. It is not too hot and sometimes partly cloudy and still it is green and very calm and quiet. The Finca is in San Juan de la Rambla (Hotel Finca San Juan) and provides super fast 600 MBit fiber with strong WIFI broadcast on the whole premise. It consists of some complexes to rent for long-term with a huge discount and a lot of included Services. It has many chillout areas to withdraw and even isolate a bit. Also it has a big pool and showers, restaurant, bar and a projector to give seminars. The island is full of other facilities to live and work, but I like this the most and I will stay here until end of February. Hit me a message to Dave Travolta in one of the social networks. I am usually up for brainstorming session or social drink.

6 years ago

We spent January in Santa Cruz and had a fantastic stay. The people we met were nice, the weather was fantastic, prices for things were reasonable, good selection of locally grown produce, good internet connectivity, there were lots of outdoor activities to do, and not too touristy or crowded (at least Santa Cruz in January). Other parts of the Island felt more resort-like and it wasn't so easy to get to places outside of Santa Cruz without a car.

7 years ago

If you live in the south of the islands, the temperature is never under 20 degrees during winter time, so eternal spring ¡¡

7 years ago

Tenerife is really a great place for nomads! we've stayed here for a bit over 3 months and loved everything about it! in my opinion the north is more authentic and has way more to offer to nature lovers than the south. We stayed at an amazing coliving in la Orotava (nine coliving) and I would definitively recommend this place! The nomad community is pretty active as well and several events are organized monthly which is nice!

8 years ago

✅ Very safe

✅ Fast internet

✅ Warm all year

✅ Friendly people

✅ Very affordable

✅ Great nature and outdoor activities

✅ Lots of fun stuff to do

✅ Warm now

✅ Good air quality on average

✅ Many Nomads.com members have been

✅ Spacious and not crowded

✅ Easy to make friends

✅ Easy to do business

✅ High quality of education

✅ Roads are very safe

✅ Great freedom of speech

✅ Democratic

✅ Very safe for women

✅ Very family friendly

✅ Very friendly to LGBTQ+

✅ (Medical) marijuana MAY be legal, unenforced or decriminalized (always double check this)

❌ Poor food / restaurant scene

❌ Few good places to work remotely

❌ No ride-hailing apps

❌ Online shopping and shipping is difficult

❌ Touristy and overcrowded in high season

❌ Extremely expensive

❌ Nomads.com members didn't like going here

❌ Not many Nomads.com members right now

❌ Hospitals are bad

❌ People don't speak English well

❌ Many people smoke tobacco

❌ High alcohol consumption

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Feels (median)

1864°
cool

1661°
cool

1763°
cool

1966°
mild

2068°
mild

2170°
mild

2272°
mild

2170°
mild

Real (median)

1864°
cool

1762°
cool

1763°
cool

1966°
mild

2067°
mild

2169°
mild

2271°
mild

2272°
mild

2170°
mild

2068°
mild

Humidity

nice
72%

damp
71%

damp
73%

nice
74%

nice
77%

nice
80%

nice
77%

nice
74%

nice
71%

nice
72%

Most common

☀️ Clear

Rain

dry
18mm

dry
12mm

dry
14mm

dry
6mm

dry
2mm

dry
5mm

dry
3mm

dry
32mm

dry
11mm

Cloud

cloudy
54%

pockets
40%

pockets
45%

cloudy
57%

cloudy
56%

cloudy
53%

pockets
34%

pockets
37%

pockets
47%

cloudy
55%

cloudy
67%

cloudy
56%

Air quality

clean
19 US AQI

clean
21 US AQI

clean
31 US AQI

clean
23 US AQI

clean
25 US AQI

clean
21 US AQI

clean
26 US AQI

clean
36 US AQI

clean
35 US AQI

clean
30 US AQI

clean
16 US AQI

clean
27 US AQI

Sun

seek shade
4 UVI

seek shade
5 UVI

avoid sun
6 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

seek shade
6 UVI

seek shade
4 UVI

safe
3 UVI

Remote workers

5,908 people

4,000 people

3,540 people

3,818 people

3,000 people

2,262 people

1,850 people

1,760 people

2,957 people

4,527 people

6,818 people

4,800 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

Current weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)

Based on Tenerife's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:

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✈️15h

$1,867 / mo

25 Mbps

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked good

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

🌥 Feels 14° 57° 14° 57° AQI 49

✈️5h

$3,987 / mo

🌇 Also went here203 people

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Visits are also normalized by overall trips added per month on the site, so if site usage goes up or down it does not affect trends. Not all digital nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

🎒 Nomad Score™	3.03/5 (Rank #839) 761 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍11 liked it 👎6 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Good
👶 Family score	Good
🎒 Community score	Okay
🤯 Overcrowding score	1% is nomad here
💵 Cost	🧐 Very expensive: $4,322 / mo
📡 Internet	🙂 Good: 36 Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Great
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🥵 Hot: 26°C79°F (feels 29°C84°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	😊 Comfy: 85%
❄️ % of buildings with AC	😊 High: 70%
💨 Air quality (now)	🌱 Good: 41 US AQI
💨 Air quality (annual)	🌱 Great: 28 US AQI
👌 Safety	Good
👩 Safe for women	Good
🌈 Safe for LGBTQ+	Great
🤮 Food safety*	Great
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Great
🤝 Lack of racism*	Good
🎓 Education level*	High
⚡️ Power grid	Great
🌊 Resilience to climate change	Good
💰 Income level*	Rich: $2,203 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Okay
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Okay
✈️ Airline scores*	Great
🧳 Lost luggage*	Great
😄 Happiness*	Bad
🍸 Nightlife	Good
📶 Free WiFi in city	Okay
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Good
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Good
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Good
🎅 Startup Score	Okay

🌍 Continent	Europe
🚩 Country	Spain
🗓️ Average trip length	16 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	36 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	🌥 26°C 79°F + 😊 Comfy (85%) = feels 29°C 84°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👍 41 US AQI 🍃 OK
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	👍 28 US AQI
🔌 Power	230V 50Hz
🚕 Best taxi app*	Uber
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	EUR 100 = USD 112
💸 Tipping	No
💳 Cashless	💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
💻 Best coworking space	Wolfhouse
☕️ Best coffee place	Deli on the Hill
☕️ Best alt. coffee place	Puerto De la Cruz
🚰 Tap water	👌 Yes, safe to drink
🦷 Fluoride added	🚫 No fluoride added
🪨 Water hardness	Hard · 140 mg/L
♻️ Return rate	👍11% of visitors return
📸 Visitors per year	5,950,000 visitors
📸 Tourists now	114,031 tourists
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	210,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$26,440 / year
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 85% 👱‍♀️ 15%
🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed	Yes
⛪️ Religious government	Non-religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Amazon
🏠 Apartment listings	Idealista
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	Binter
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Iberia
🏥 Best hospital	Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$4,322 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$2,924 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$4,759 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$1,360 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$2,261 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$4,417 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$1,119 / month
🏠 Median home price	$313,453
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$106 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$145 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$139 / month
🍛 Dinner	$20
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$2
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$3
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$2
👩‍🏫 International school	$5,038 / year
🚕 Taxi price (avg trip ~3km/2mi)	$6 / trip
Sales tax (VAT/GST)	7%
Individual tax rate (min)	25%
Individual tax rate (max)	47%
💰 Estimated tax on $50,000	$11,365
💰 Estimated tax on $100,000	$33,727
💰 Estimated tax on $250,000	$110,442
💰 Corporate tax rate	20%

Cost of Living in Tenerife, Canary Islands

1,200 remote workers in Tenerife now, of which 2+ members checked in (some members are set to private)

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

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