A Travel Price Comparison for Brazil Recife vs. Curitiba for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Recife or Curitiba?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Recife and Curitiba can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Recife or Curitiba?

Recife

One of the largest cities on Brazil's northeast coast, Recife is also the capital of the state of Pernambuco. The city gets its name from the Portuguese word for "reef," as it was built around a landscape of natural reef beaches. Many people visit to enjoy these beaches, experience the culture, and explore the history of this important Brazilian city.

Curitiba

Curitiba is a relatively large city that is convenient to visit if you're traveling to Iguazu Falls from either Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. It is worth a day or two stop over because it has a great old city that has been restored. It's also the capital of Parana, Brazil. Curitiba is one of the more wealthy cities in the southern region of Brazil. It has a diverse population with many immigrants and some interesting cultural events.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Jungle Trekking Tours in Brazil, The Best Luxury Tours to Brazil, The Best Budget Tours to Brazil, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Brazil.


Which place is cheaper, Curitiba or Recife?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $166, while the average daily cost in Curitiba is $73. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Recife and Curitiba in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Recife $88
    Curitiba $30
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Recife $176
    Curitiba $60
Compare Hotels in Recife and Curitiba

Looking for a hotel in Recife or Curitiba? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Recife


Hotels in Curitiba


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Recife Hotel Prices and Curitiba Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Recife $8.47
    Curitiba $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Recife

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Recife:

  • Private Transfer from Recife to Carneiros Beach: $114
  • Private Transfer from Recife to Tamandare Beach: $114
  • Private Transfer from Recife to Serrambi Beach: $101
  • Private Transfer from Igarassu to Recife (REC) Airport : $101
  • Departure Transfer from Olinda to Recife Airport: $100
  • Airport to Maragogi Hotels Private Transfer: $85
  • Recife Boat Tour with Transfers: $72
  • Airport to Porto de Galinhas Transfer: $65
  • Private Transfer from Recife to Olinda: $46
  • Private Transfer from Olinda to Recife (REC) Airport: $46
  • Instituto Ricardo Brennand with transfers from Recife: $41
  • Shared Transfer from Recife to Cabo de Santo Agostinho: $33

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Curitiba

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Curitiba:


  • Taxi Ride
    $1.95

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Curitiba

Also for Curitiba, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Curitiba to Curitiba Airport (CWB) - Departure Private Transfer: $16
  • Curitiba Airport CWB to Downtown hotels- Arrival Private Transfer: $16
  • Curitiba to Afonso Pena Airport (CWB)- Departure Private Transfer: $17
  • Curitiba Airport (CWB) to Downtown - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $33
  • Private Transfer from Curitiba City to Curitiba Airport (CWB): $35
  • Shared Transfer: Curitiba International Airport: $39
  • Afonso Pena Airport CWB to Beach Resorts : Arrival Transfer: $43
  • Shared transfer between Curitiba Airport and Hotels: $74
  • Private Transfer from Curitiba City Hotels to Porto Belo Port: $75
  • Private Transfer from Curitiba Airport (CWB) to Porto Belo Port : $75
  • Afonso Pena Airport (CWB) to Beach Resorts - Round-Trip Transfer: $87
  • Private Transfer from Curitiba Airport: $106

Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or Curitiba?

Prices for flights to both Curitiba and Recife change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Recife $70
    Curitiba $28

Typical Food Prices in Curitiba

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Curitiba:


  • Chips
    $0.88

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Curitiba

For Curitiba, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Bar-hopping and Food Tour in Curitiba: $31
  • Curitiba's History Food Tour: $70
  • Curitiba's History Food Tour: $77
  • Curitiba Tour by Night with Dinner: $94

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Recife $11
    Curitiba $19

Tours and Activities in Recife

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Recife are as follows:

  • City Tour Recife with Catamaran included: $150
  • Colonial North Coast beaches - Full-Day Tour: $35
  • Olinda City Tour and Instituto Ricardo Brennand: $94
  • Olinda Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.83
  • Recife (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.66
  • City Tour Recife & Olinda: $27

Tours and Activities in Curitiba

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Curitiba.

  • Ticket MAI - Museum of Indigenous Art - Curitiba: $4.94
  • Walking tour from past to present: $12
  • Arte Bike Tour - Bike Tour with Kuritbike: $25
  • Half Day Curitiba Sightseeing Tour: $31
  • Historic City Tour in Curitiba with Jens Tours: $40
  • Private City Tour - Top Postcards from Curitiba by Pinheiro Turismo: $40
  • Interparks Cycling Tour Curitiba for small groups: $50
  • Curitiba City Tour: $58
  • 4-Hour Private Tour of Curitiba City: $70
  • A private city tour: $71
  • CRAFT BREWERS TOUR By Jens Tours: $72
  • Full-day tour in Curitiba: $79

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Recife -
    Curitiba $14

Typical Alcohol Prices in Curitiba

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Curitiba:


  • Beer
    $0.44


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and Curitiba, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is Curitiba much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Curitiba would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Curitiba and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Recife would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Recife than you might in Curitiba.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Recife Expensive? and Is Curitiba Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Recife or Curitiba?

Curitiba has a larger population, and is about 16% larger than the population of Recife. When comparing the sizes of Recife and Curitiba, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.