An Expat Talks about Living in Funchal, Portugal

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Funchal

In terms of religious, racial, economic and cultural diversity, are the people of this city or town diverse? Are they accepting of differences? Describe.

Madeira and Funchal in particular are getting more diverse with this current influx of immigrants. While local people are friendly, you may experience some negativity over the perception that foreigners are causing a rising cost of living; especially housing costs. Some Madeirans resent immigrants for using precious medical resources and other government resources. One sore spot is immigrants who don’t learn Portuguese. So if you are new, make an effort to learn Portuguese as soon as possible. (Yes it is a difficult language and I am struggling with it).