The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
73 of 100StrongCountry figure
Price level 0.457 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Brazil. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
8 of 100WeakOwn figure
Recife (Curado): 2 comfortable months a year (September, October). Monthly average daily highs run 27.9 to 31.0 °C. Months at 150 mm of rain or more: March, April, May, June, July, August. Months with a high above 30 °C: January, February, March, April, November, December.
Source: Normal Climatológica do Brasil 1991-2020: Temperatura Máxima Mensal e Anual (°C); Normal Climatológica do Brasil 1991-2020: Precipitação Acumulada Mensal e Anual (mm). Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
23 of 100WeakCountry figure
Global Peace Index 2026: 124th of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
79 of 100StrongCountry figure
WHO UHC service coverage index 84 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Schools
UnknownCountry figure
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
81 of 100StrongCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026 Ease of Settling In: 4th of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 15 October 2026.
Lifestyle
47 of 100MixedCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026 Quality of Life: 23rd of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life. Checked 15 October 2026.
Work and career
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: a residence route for remote workers exists (the digital nomad residence, RN CNIg/MJSP 45/2021), but fixed broadband is 24.08 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line.
Source: Resolução Normativa CNIg/MJSP nº 45, de 9 de setembro de 2021: visto temporário e autorização de residência para o nômade digital; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Brazil. Checked 15 October 2026.
Retirement
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: a retiree route exists (RN CNIg 40/2019, VITEM XIV; about US$2,000 a month transferred to Brazil; no minimum age and no deposit in the text; initial residence up to two years). To be safe, have more than US$2,100 a month. A stated period after which it can become permanent was not found: the resolution leaves renewal to a separate resolution that was not located. It could grade strong if that rule is found.
Source: Resolução Normativa CNIg nº 40, de 2 de outubro de 2019: visto temporário e autorização de residência com base em aposentadoria e/ou pensão por morte; Visto Temporário XIV: Aposentadoria ou Pensão; VITEM XIV: transfer of retirement/pension. Checked 15 October 2026.
Internet
54 of 100MixedCountry figure
24.08 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024).
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Brazil. Checked 15 October 2026.
English
22 of 100WeakCountry figure
EF EPI score 482, under the 499 weak anchor. The page does not print its edition year.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index: Brazil. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for US passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for CA passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for AU passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for NZ passports is being checked
The country
More on Brazil.
Cities
Other cities in Brazil.
Questions about Recife.
How big is Recife?
Recife had 1,488,920 residents in the 2022 census, the 9th-largest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities. That counts the municipality only, not the wider metropolitan area.
What is the weather like in Recife?
At the Curado station, Recife has 2 comfortable months a year, September and October (highs of 18 to 30 °C, under 150 mm of rain; INMET 1991 to 2020). Highs run 27.9 to 31.0 °C. March to August have 150 mm of rain or more; June averages 390.5 mm. The station closed in September 2020.
What do rents look like in Recife?
FipeZAP put Recife's average asking rent for ready apartments at R$60.89 a square metre in December 2025, 3rd of the 22 capitals it follows and up 9.82% in 12 months. It tracks asking prices, not what tenants pay. We priced no adverts there, so rents for a given flat are unknown.
How safe is Recife for someone moving there?
Canada's advice lists Recife among places with high crime rates, warns of sharks off the northeast coast near Recife, and reports methanol-adulterated drinks in Pernambuco. The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Brazil 124th of 163. City-level crime figures are unknown here.
Where do I register with the Federal Police in Recife?
The Federal Police lists its migration unit (DELEMIG), open 9:00 to 17:00, and a foreigner registration unit at Recife/Guararapes airport, open 9:00 to 15:00. Temporary visa holders must apply to register within 90 days of entering. Hours can change, so check before you go.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [N1] Censo Demográfico 2022: População residente, Recife, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Checked 15 October 2026. 1,488,920 residents of the município in the 2022 census (IBGE data API, table 4714, variable 93), read on 15 October 2026. The figure counts the municipality, not its metropolitan area.
- [N2] Censo Demográfico 2022: População residente (tabela 4714), Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Checked 15 October 2026. Recife has the 9th-largest 2022 population of the 5,570 municipalities (1,488,920), counted from the full table read through the IBGE data API on 15 October 2026.
- [B1] Recife, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 15 October 2026. Coordinates -8.05, -34.9 from the article (read through the Wikipedia API); for the map point only. The article places the city on the northeastern Atlantic coast and calls it a major seaport. Used for the sea setting.
- [W1] Normal Climatológica do Brasil 1991-2020: Temperatura Máxima Mensal e Anual (°C), Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET), Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária. Checked 15 October 2026. Station 82900 RECIFE (CURADO) (the station the city grade uses). The maximum temperature normal, read as the average daily high, January to December: 30.8, 31.0, 30.9, 30.4, 29.6, 28.5, 27.9, 27.9, 28.6, 29.6, 30.4, 30.8 °C. The clima.inmet.gov.br site refused automated access, so the normals were read from the spreadsheets published on portal.inmet.gov.br.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Brazil, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 45.72 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026. The data.worldbank.org indicator page did not open for scripts on 15 October 2026 (HTTP 502 or timeout).
- [W2] Normal Climatológica do Brasil 1991-2020: Precipitação Acumulada Mensal e Anual (mm), Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET), Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária. Checked 15 October 2026. Station 82900 RECIFE (CURADO). Monthly rain, January to December: 106.6, 127.0, 197.2, 268.9, 317.1, 390.5, 314.8, 186.7, 93.3, 52.8, 39.0, 61.6 mm. Months with a high of 18 to 30 °C and under 150 mm of rain: September, October (2).
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Brazil ranks 124th of 163 countries (score 2.333).
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Brazil: 84 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026.
- [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Brazil ranks 4th of 31 countries. The page text: "Brazil (4th), which ranks in the top 5 for every single factor of the index".
- [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Brazil ranks 23rd of 31 countries in the Quality of Life Index. The page text says Brazil "delights with its Leisure Options (3rd)" but ranks second to last for personal safety.
- [K1] Resolução Normativa CNIg/MJSP nº 45, de 9 de setembro de 2021: visto temporário e autorização de residência para o nômade digital, Conselho Nacional de Imigração (CNIg), Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública (Portal de Imigração Laboral). Checked 15 October 2026. Art. 1 §1: a digital nomad is an immigrant who can do their work in Brazil remotely, with information and communication technologies, for a foreign employer. Art. 5 III: proof of means from a foreign paying source of US$1,500 a month or more, or bank funds of at least US$18,000. Arts. 3 and 4: initial residence of up to one year. Art. 6: the residence can be renewed for the same period. Art. 2: the activity can also be done as a visitor, under the stay and visa rules for the person's nationality. This is the temporary visa the consulates call VITEM XIV. Whether the resolution has been changed since was not checked.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Brazil, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 24.08 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026. The data.worldbank.org indicator page did not open for scripts on 15 October 2026 (HTTP 502 or timeout).
- [R1] Resolução Normativa CNIg nº 40, de 2 de outubro de 2019: visto temporário e autorização de residência com base em aposentadoria e/ou pensão por morte, Conselho Nacional de Imigração (CNIg), Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública (Portal de Imigração Laboral). Checked 15 October 2026. Art. 1: a temporary visa for a retiree or death-pension beneficiary who proves a monthly transfer to Brazil of US$2,000 or more in foreign currency. Art. 3 III: other regular income can top up the amount. Art. 3 and art. 4 sole paragraphs: initial residence of up to two years. Art. 5: renewal is set by a separate normative resolution, which was not located, so whether and when this residence can become permanent was not confirmed. The text states no minimum age and no deposit.
- [R2] Visto Temporário XIV: Aposentadoria ou Pensão, Ministério das Relações Exteriores (Consulado-Geral em Faro). Checked 15 October 2026. Names "Resolução Normativa nº40/2019 do CNIg" and asks applicants to show a monthly transfer to Brazil of US$2,000 or more. The page gives no validity, initial stay or permanent-residence information.
- [R3] VITEM XIV: transfer of retirement/pension, Ministério das Relações Exteriores (Embaixada em Viena). Checked 15 October 2026. The visa is valid for up to 1 year; the initial period of stay is up to 2 years; holders register with the Federal Police within 90 days of first entry; proof of a monthly transfer of US$2,000 or more.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index: Brazil, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 482, global rank 75 (the page shows a global average of 488 and "16pt on previous score", with no direction given). The page does not print its edition year; it is the live country page read on 15 October 2026.