---
title: "Foz do Iguaçu vs Recife for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/foz-do-iguacu-vs-recife
description: "Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 59. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Foz do Iguaçu vs Recife for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 59. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Getting there & around.** Recife leads on getting there & around, 26 to 17, against Foz do Iguaçu. Non-stop airport destinations: 11 vs 44.
- **Air quality.** Foz do Iguaçu leads on air quality, 66 to 58, against Recife. PM2.5: 20.4 µg/m³ vs 23.7 µg/m³.
- **Internet.** Foz do Iguaçu leads on internet, 73 to 66, against Recife. Measured download: 39.7 Mbps vs 29.7 Mbps.

Where they are close: within five points on cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.

**Pick Foz do Iguaçu if you want** faster internet (39.7 Mbps measured).

**Pick Recife if you want** no clear edge over Foz do Iguaçu in the data.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Foz do Iguaçu | Recife | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 61 | 61 | tie |
| Safety | 35 | 35 | tie |
| Healthcare | 79 | 79 | tie |
| Internet | 73 | 66 | Foz do Iguaçu |
| Visa ease | 77 | 77 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 17 | 26 | Recife |
| Climate | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Air quality | 66 | 58 | Foz do Iguaçu |
| Quality of life | 56 | 56 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Foz do Iguaçu | Recife | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,300 | $1,300 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Foz do Iguaçu | Recife | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 18.69 | 18.69 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 58.9 | 58.9 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 84 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 75.9 yrs | 75.9 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Foz do Iguaçu | Recife | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 39.7 Mbps | 29.7 Mbps | Foz do Iguaçu |
| Upload | 33.7 Mbps | 16.3 Mbps | Foz do Iguaçu |

## Visa

| Metric | Foz do Iguaçu | Recife | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad temporary visa (VITEM XIV) | Digital nomad temporary visa (VITEM XIV) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,500/mo | $1,500/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Foz do Iguaçu | Recife | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 11 | 44 | Recife |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Recife |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Foz do Iguaçu | Recife | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 8 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20.4 µg/m³ | 23.7 µg/m³ | Foz do Iguaçu |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Foz do Iguaçu or Recife?

Foz do Iguaçu and Recife cost about the same: roughly $1,300 per month for one person.

### Is Foz do Iguaçu or Recife safer?

Foz do Iguaçu and Recife score the same on safety (35), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Foz do Iguaçu or Recife?

Foz do Iguaçu: a measured median of 39.7 Mbps versus 29.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Foz do Iguaçu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/foz-do-iguacu) · [Recife](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/recife). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/foz-do-iguacu-vs-recife