💰
Recife saves you $300/month
20% cheaper on rent, food & transport

💰 Cost of Living Breakdown

Monthly expenses comparison in USD

Expense
Medellín
Recife
Total Budget
$1,500/mo
$1,200/mo
Rent (1BR)
$500/mo
$275/mo
Coworking
$120/mo
$100/mo
Meal Out
$5
$3
Coffee
$1.5
$2
Recife is $300/mo cheaper (25% savings)

💻 Remote Work Essentials

Internet, timezone, and language comparison

🇨🇴 Medellín
📶 Internet50-100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishlow
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇧🇷 Recife
📶 Internet30 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-2
🗣️ Englishlow
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West5h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London8h
🇩🇪 Berlin8h

🌡️ Climate Comparison

Weather patterns and best times to visit

Medellín

ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp21°C
Rainy Days256/year
Best months: July

Recife

ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp26°C
Rainy Days270/year
Best months: November

Quarterly Temperatures

Jan
20°27°
Apr
21°27°
Jul
21°24°
Oct
20°26°
MedellínRecife

📊 Full Comparison

Category
🇨🇴Medellín
🇧🇷Recife
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,500
$1,200
Winner
📶
Internet Speed
50 Mbps
Winner
30 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.3/5
Winner
2.8/5
Nomad Score
4.5/10
Winner
3.6/10
🍽️
Food Scene
7/10
9/10
Winner
🎉
Nightlife
9/10
8/10
🚶
Walkability
7/10
6/10
👥
Community
large
Winner
small
4
Medellín wins
vs
2
Recife wins

Which City is Right for You?

Recommendations based on your nomad style

💵Budget Nomad
Recife

$300/mo cheaper with similar quality of life

💻Developer
Either works

Both have adequate internet for development work

🦋Social Butterfly
Medellín

Larger nomad community for networking

🛡️Safety-First
Medellín

Significantly higher safety rating

🍜Foodie
Recife

Better food scene with incredible variety

🎉Party Person
Either works

Both have great nightlife

🇨🇴Medellín

Pros
  • +Perfect spring-like weather year-round (22°C)
  • +Very affordable cost of living ($1,200-1,800/mo)
  • +Growing digital nomad community
  • +Modern metro system (only in Colombia)
Cons
  • Safety varies by neighborhood
  • Spanish language essential
  • Altitude adjustment (1,500m)
  • Petty theft risk in tourist areas

🇧🇷Recife

Pros
  • +Very affordable cost of living for South America
  • +Rich colonial history and UNESCO World Heritage sites
  • +Incredible regional cuisine - tapioca and seafood
  • +Famous Carnival celebration with frevo and maracatu
Cons
  • Higher crime rates requiring constant vigilance
  • Limited English spoken outside tourist areas
  • Shark warnings at main beaches like Boa Viagem
  • Heavy rainfall during March to August

Related Comparisons

Compare other cities

Use our comparison tool to find your perfect destination

Compare More Cities