Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around — Florianópolis 3 vs Recife 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
| Item | Florianópolis | Recife | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | R$ 35$6.48 | R$ 30$5.56 | Recife −14% |
| Street food1 item | R$ 12$2.22 | R$ 12$2.22 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | R$ 95$17.6 | R$ 80$14.8 | Recife −16% |
| Coffeeone cup | R$ 10$1.85 | R$ 12$2.22 | Florianópolis −17% |
| Beerone bottle | R$ 13$2.41 | R$ 12$2.22 | Recife −8% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | R$ 28$5.19 | R$ 22$4.07 | Recife −21% |
| Bottled water | R$ 4$0.74 | R$ 3$0.56 | Recife −25% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | R$ 6$1.11 | R$ 6$1.11 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | R$ 22$4.07 | R$ 17$3.15 | Recife −23% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | R$ 12$2.22 | R$ 8$1.48 | Recife −33% |
| Transitone ride | R$ 7.5$1.39 | R$ 4.5$0.83 | Recife −40% |
| Scooter rentalper day | R$ 130$24.1 | R$ 120$22.2 | Recife −8% |
| Hotel night3-star | R$ 320$59.3 | R$ 260$48.1 | Recife −19% |
| Studio rent (month) | R$ 2,800$519 | R$ 1,800$333 | Recife −36% |
| Laundry | R$ 15$2.78 | R$ 16$2.96 | Florianópolis −6% |
| SIM card1 week data | R$ 50$9.26 | R$ 35$6.48 | Recife −30% |
| Haircutcut | R$ 45$8.33 | R$ 45$8.33 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | R$ 140$25.9 | R$ 120$22.2 | Recife −14% |
| Half-day tourper person | R$ 150$27.8 | R$ 70$13 | Recife −53% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | R$ 30$5.56 | R$ 30$5.56 | similar |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Recife is 25% cheaper than Florianópolis. Daily budget $113 vs $93.9; a month $2,200 vs $1,459.
About the same: Florianópolis 2.8/5, Recife 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Florianópolis is about $2,200 and Recife about $1,459 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.