---
title: "La Fortuna vs Puerto Viejo de Talamanca for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/la-fortuna-vs-puerto-viejo-de-talamanca
description: "Under balanced weights Puerto Viejo de Talamanca edges it, 61 to 61, winning 2 of the 9 factors. La Fortuna is stronger on internet; Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# La Fortuna vs Puerto Viejo de Talamanca for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Puerto Viejo de Talamanca edges it, 61 to 61, winning 2 of the 9 factors. La Fortuna is stronger on internet; Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | La Fortuna | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 39 | 49 | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |
| Safety | 57 | 57 | tie |
| Healthcare | 82 | 82 | tie |
| Internet | 67 | 50 | La Fortuna |
| Visa ease | 92 | 92 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 55 | 54 | La Fortuna |
| Climate | 33 | 33 | tie |
| Air quality | 58 | 67 | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |
| Quality of life | 68 | 68 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | La Fortuna | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,700 | $1,318 | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $633 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | La Fortuna | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 17.12 | 17.12 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87 | 87 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 84 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 78.6 yrs | 78.6 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | La Fortuna | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 33.4 Mbps | 12.7 Mbps | La Fortuna |
| Upload | 10.6 Mbps | 5.5 Mbps | La Fortuna |

## Visa

| Metric | La Fortuna | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Remote worker and service provider stay (digital nomad permit) | Remote worker and service provider stay (digital nomad permit) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $3,000/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | La Fortuna | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 54 | 53 | La Fortuna |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | La Fortuna | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 23.7 µg/m³ | 20 µg/m³ | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, La Fortuna or Puerto Viejo de Talamanca?

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is cheaper: about $1,318 per month versus $1,700 for one person.

### Is La Fortuna or Puerto Viejo de Talamanca safer?

La Fortuna scores higher on safety (57 vs 57), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, La Fortuna or Puerto Viejo de Talamanca?

La Fortuna: a measured median of 33.4 Mbps versus 12.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [La Fortuna](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/la-fortuna) · [Puerto Viejo de Talamanca](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/puerto-viejo-de-talamanca). 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/la-fortuna-vs-puerto-viejo-de-talamanca