Boquete vs São Luís
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights São Luís edges it, 59 to 58, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Boquete is stronger on safety; São Luís on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Cool coffee-highland town with a big expat community
Full Boquete profile →Plan a trip to Boquete →Island capital of tiled colonial houses, reggae and the Lençóis gateway
Full São Luís profile →Plan a trip to São Luís →Where they differ
- Air quality. São Luís leads on air quality, 97 to 82, against Boquete. PM2.5: 13.3 µg/m³ vs 6.3 µg/m³.
- Safety. Boquete leads on safety, 48 to 35, against São Luís. Homicides per 100,000: 12.78 vs 18.69.
- Climate. São Luís leads on climate, 33 to 25, against Boquete. Comfortable months: 3 vs 4.
Where they are close. Within five points on healthcare, cost of living, visa ease, internet.
Pick Boquete if you want
- faster internet (42.3 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
Pick São Luís if you want
- to spend about $52 less a month
- cleaner air
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Boquete | São Luís |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 60 | 61 ✓ |
| Safety | 48 ✓ | 35 |
| Healthcare | 83 ✓ | 79 |
| Internet | 70 ✓ | 70 |
| Visa ease | 79 ✓ | 77 |
| Getting there & around | 10 | 17 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 | 33 ✓ |
| Air quality | 82 | 97 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 63 ✓ | 56 |
Cost
| Metric | Boquete | São Luís |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,352 | $1,300 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $782 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Boquete | São Luís |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 12.78 ✓ | 18.69 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 69.9 ✓ | 58.9 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 84 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 79.3 yrs ✓ | 75.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Boquete | São Luís |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 42.3 Mbps ✓ | 35 Mbps |
| Upload | 9.9 Mbps | 21.1 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Boquete | São Luís |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Short-stay visa for remote workers | Digital nomad temporary visa (VITEM XIV) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $1,500/mo ✓ |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days ✓ | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Boquete | São Luís |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 12 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Boquete | São Luís |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 4 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.3 µg/m³ | 6.3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Boquete or São Luís?
- São Luís is cheaper: about $1,300 per month versus $1,352 for one person.
- Is Boquete or São Luís safer?
- Boquete scores higher on safety (48 vs 35), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Boquete or São Luís?
- Boquete: a measured median of 42.3 Mbps versus 35 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Boquete vs David (Panama)
- Boquete vs Pedasí
- São Luís vs Jericoacoara
- São Luís vs Bocas del Toro
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.