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Fortaleza vs Montañita

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Fortaleza edges it, 63 to 60, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Fortaleza is stronger on safety; Montañita on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 5.5 of 63 points (scores 50/100)Safety: 3.9 of 63 points (scores 35/100)Healthcare: 8.0 of 63 points (scores 72/100)Internet: 7.6 of 63 points (scores 69/100)Visa ease: 8.6 of 63 points (scores 77/100)Getting there & around: 5.5 of 63 points (scores 49/100)Climate: 8.3 of 63 points (scores 75/100)Air quality: 9.3 of 63 points (scores 84/100)Quality of life: 6.0 of 63 points (scores 54/100)63
Fortaleza
out of 100

Sunny northeast Brazil city of beaches and kitesurf

Full Fortaleza profile →Where to stay in Fortaleza →
Cost of living: 5.4 of 60 points (scores 48/100)Safety: 2.5 of 60 points (scores 23/100)Healthcare: 7.9 of 60 points (scores 71/100)Internet: 6.8 of 60 points (scores 61/100)Visa ease: 8.6 of 60 points (scores 78/100)Getting there & around: 4.9 of 60 points (scores 44/100)Climate: 9.3 of 60 points (scores 83/100)Air quality: 8.9 of 60 points (scores 80/100)Quality of life: 5.8 of 60 points (scores 52/100)60
Montañita
out of 100

Ecuador's surf and party village on the Pacific coast

Full Montañita profile →Where to stay in Montañita →

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricFortalezaMontañita
Cost of living50 ✓48
Safety35 ✓23
Healthcare72 ✓71
Internet69 ✓61
Visa ease7778 ✓
Getting there & around49 ✓44
Climate7583 ✓
Air quality84 ✓80
Quality of life54 ✓52

Cost

MetricFortalezaMontañita
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$1,300 ✓$1,350
Central one-bedroom rentno datano data

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricFortalezaMontañita
Homicides per 100k18.69 ✓38.94
Political stability (0–100)58.9 ✓54.4
UHC service coverage (0–100)84 ✓78
Life expectancy72.4 yrs74 yrs ✓

Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

MetricFortalezaMontañita
Download34.5 Mbps ✓19.1 Mbps
Upload15.6 Mbps24.6 Mbps ✓

Visa

MetricFortalezaMontañita
Nomad visaDigital nomad temporary visa (VITEM XIV)Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work)
Minimum income for the visa$1,500/mo$1,446/mo ✓
Entry, US passport90 days90 days
Entry, EU passport90 days90 days
Entry, UK passport90 days90 days

Getting there and around

MetricFortalezaMontañita
Non-stop airport destinations32 ✓18
Walkability (1–5, editorial)34 ✓
Transit (1–5, editorial)2 ✓1

Climate and air

MetricFortalezaMontañita
Comfortable months per year910 ✓
Annual mean PM2.512.3 µg/m³ ✓14 µg/m³

✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Fortaleza or Montañita?
Fortaleza is cheaper: about $1,300 per month versus $1,350 for one person.
Is Fortaleza or Montañita safer?
Fortaleza scores higher on safety (35 vs 23), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Fortaleza or Montañita?
Fortaleza: a measured median of 34.5 Mbps versus 19.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

More 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); 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 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.