Lima vs Recife

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 6% cheaper Lima +31 Mbps Low / Low
Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$1,363

Recife

Internet

219

Mbps

188

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

Low

Recife

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

Recife

Healthcare

High

Lima

Moderate

Recife

Population

8.9m

Lima

1.5m

Recife

Lima (Peru) and Recife (Brazil) are both in Latin America, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Lima edges ahead on affordability at $1284/mo compared to Recife's $1363/mo — a 6% gap that matters over time.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to Recife's $1348.5221458337/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Lima edges ahead with 219 Mbps (#26 globally) versus Recife's 188 Mbps (#0) — a modest difference for most workflows.

Quality of Life

Both Lima and Recife share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Lima offers better healthcare infrastructure than Recife — an important consideration for longer stays.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while Recife peaks in October (32 degrees, 1mm rain, score 352). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaRecife
Nomad$1,284/mo$1,363/mo
Expat$794/mo$750/mo
Local$625/mo$385/mo
Family$2,188/mo$1,349/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaRecife
City Speed
219 Mbps#26
188 Mbps
Country Speed200 Mbps188 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaRecife
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionHighHigh
ClimateHighHigh
Humidity7078

Quality of Life

LimaRecife
SafetyLowLow
HealthcareHighModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima
Recife
Jan
27°
0mm454
35°
1mm341
Feb
29°
0mm454
36°
4mm244
Mar
28°
0mm454
36°
3mm259
Apr
25°
0mm434
36°
2mm244
May
21°
0mm414
33°
4mm167
Jun
18°
0mm414
31°
5mm159
Jul
17°
0mm414
29°
4mm182
Aug
17°
0mm414
29°
3mm229
Sep
18°
0mm414
30°
2mm259
Oct
19°
0mm414
32°
1mm352
Nov
23°
0mm434
33°
1mm331
Dec
25°
0mm434
34°
3mm244

Who Should Choose Lima?

  • Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1284
  • Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 219 Mbps
  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $2188.437491200074/mo for families
  • Major city energy with 8.9m residents
  • Peak season in January — 27 degrees, score 454

Who Should Choose Recife?

  • Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1363
  • Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 188 Mbps
  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $1348.5221458337/mo for families
  • Peak season in October — 32 degrees, score 352

Overall Verdict

The data favors Lima as the more well-rounded choice. At $1284/mo versus Recife's $1363/mo, that is a 6% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima Recife
ItemLimaRecifeDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.92$4.79
18%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$22.19$22.99
3%
McMeal or equivalent combo$5.22$5.94
12%
Cappuccino (regular)$2.66$1.51
43%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.09$1.53
27%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.92$2.3
41%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.86$0.95
9%
Water (0.33L)$0.57$0.51
11%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$1.22$1.07
12%
White bread (500g)$1.83$1.16
37%
White rice (1kg)$1.11$1.1
1%
Eggs (12)$1.81$1.72
5%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.99$3.97
20%
Beef round (1kg)$8.2$8
2%
Local cheese (1kg)$6.89$7.14
4%
Apples (1kg)$1.54$1.84
16%
Bananas (1kg)$1.02$1.04
2%
Oranges (1kg)$0.93$1.05
11%
Tomatoes (1kg)$0.98$1.29
24%
Potatoes (1kg)$0.74$1
26%
Onions (1kg)$0.89$0.9
1%
Lettuce (1 head)$0.72$0.52
28%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.72$0.66
8%
Wine, mid-range bottle$7.83$6.71
14%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.6$1.07
33%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.33$1.43
39%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.22$2.3
56%
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$0.52$0.8
35%
Monthly transport pass$15.66$38.32
59%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.61$1.07
59%
Taxi per 1km$1.44$0.53
63%
Taxi 1hr waiting$6.27$3.61
42%
Gasoline (1L)$1.31$1.26
4%
Volkswagen Golf (new)$18,274.38$25,625.55
29%
Toyota Corolla (new)$21,697.31$28,367.25
24%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$71.32$77.53
8%
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.91$19.79
36%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.31
42%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$37.19$20.63
45%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$12.4$24.27
49%
Cinema, 1 ticket$5.48$6.71
18%
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo$213.5$319.32
33%
International primary school/yr$5,851.01$6,418.36
9%
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$43.81$47.18
7%
Summer dress (chain store)$28.35$40.87
31%
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$71.57$70.62
1%
Men's leather business shoes$68.37$50.29
26%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$511.24$281.92
45%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$349.69$158.06
55%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$954.12$447.05
53%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$701.14$296.97
58%
🏗️Buy2 items
Price per m², city centre$1,962.17$1,772.23
10%
Price per m², outside centre$1,483.1$1,436.95
3%
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$489.76$444.5
9%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.29$8.43
2%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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