---
title: "Guayaquil vs João Pessoa for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/guayaquil-vs-joao-pessoa
description: "Under balanced weights João Pessoa edges it, 58 to 57, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Guayaquil is stronger on climate; João Pessoa on safety. 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
---

# Guayaquil vs João Pessoa for digital nomads

Under balanced weights João Pessoa edges it, 58 to 57, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Guayaquil is stronger on climate; João Pessoa on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Climate.** Guayaquil leads on climate, 83 to 67, against João Pessoa. Comfortable months: 10 vs 8.
- **Safety.** João Pessoa leads on safety, 35 to 23, against Guayaquil. Homicides per 100,000: 38.94 vs 18.69.
- **Internet.** João Pessoa leads on internet, 73 to 67, against Guayaquil. Measured download: 28.9 Mbps vs 42.2 Mbps.

Where they are close: within five points on air quality, cost of living, healthcare, quality of life, getting there & around, visa ease.

**Pick Guayaquil if you want** a longer comfortable season (10 months against 8).

**Pick João Pessoa if you want** to spend about $50 less a month; faster internet (42.2 Mbps measured); the safer country figures.

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

| Metric | Guayaquil | João Pessoa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 60 | 61 | João Pessoa |
| Safety | 23 | 35 | João Pessoa |
| Healthcare | 78 | 79 | João Pessoa |
| Internet | 67 | 73 | João Pessoa |
| Visa ease | 78 | 77 | Guayaquil |
| Getting there & around | 18 | 17 | Guayaquil |
| Climate | 83 | 67 | Guayaquil |
| Air quality | 55 | 58 | João Pessoa |
| Quality of life | 55 | 56 | João Pessoa |

## Cost

| Metric | Guayaquil | João Pessoa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,350 | $1,300 | João Pessoa |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Guayaquil | João Pessoa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 38.94 | 18.69 | João Pessoa |
| Political stability (0–100) | 54.4 | 58.9 | João Pessoa |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 78 | 84 | João Pessoa |
| Life expectancy | 77.6 yrs | 75.9 yrs | Guayaquil |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Guayaquil | João Pessoa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 28.9 Mbps | 42.2 Mbps | João Pessoa |
| Upload | 23.4 Mbps | 23.4 Mbps | tie |

## Visa

| Metric | Guayaquil | João Pessoa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work) | Digital nomad temporary visa (VITEM XIV) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,446/mo | $1,500/mo | Guayaquil |
| 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 | Guayaquil | João Pessoa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 18 | 13 | Guayaquil |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | João Pessoa |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Guayaquil |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Guayaquil | João Pessoa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 10 | 8 | Guayaquil |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 25.3 µg/m³ | 24.1 µg/m³ | João Pessoa |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Guayaquil or João Pessoa?

João Pessoa is cheaper: about $1,300 per month versus $1,350 for one person.

### Is Guayaquil or João Pessoa safer?

João Pessoa scores higher on safety (35 vs 23), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Guayaquil or João Pessoa?

João Pessoa: a measured median of 42.2 Mbps versus 28.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Guayaquil](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/guayaquil) · [João Pessoa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/joao-pessoa). 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/guayaquil-vs-joao-pessoa
