Should you visit Recife or Florianopolis?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Recife and Florianopolis can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
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.
Florianopolis
With a population of almost 500,000, Florianopolis is the capital city of the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. The city is split between mainland Brazil and Santa Catarina Island.
Florianopolis has grown in popularity with tourists recently because of its wonderful scenery, beautiful beaches, and fascinating culture. Many Brazilians have also moved here, leaving behind the big cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Florianopolis has a warm humid subtropical climate. There are summer, winter, spring and fall seasons. Frosts are rare but do occur occasionally. Highs during the warmest months are usually in the high 70s Fahrenheit. Rain is evenly distributed throughout the year and there is no distinct dry season.
Which city is cheaper, Florianopolis or Recife?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Recife is $130, while the average daily cost in Florianopolis is $49. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Recife and Florianopolis in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Recife is $138. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $40 in Florianopolis For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
In Recife travelers spend around $55 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
The average traveler spends about $17 per day in Florianopolis for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Recife $55
Florianopolis $17
Typical Food prices in Florianopolis
For Florianopolis, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florianopolis
For Florianopolis, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Floripa Cooking Class:
$72
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Recife is $6.66 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Florianopolis than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $10 on transportation in Florianopolis on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Recife
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Recife:
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Transfer Recife Airport x Porto de Galinhas:
$28
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Transfer to Boa Viagem/ Piedade:
$34
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Recife Boat Tour with Transfers:
$69
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Private transfer: Recife to Recife International Airport (REC):
$22
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Private transfer: Recife International Airport (REC) to Recife:
$25
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Private transfer from Recife Airport to and from Maragogi:
$121
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Private Transfer from Recife City to Recife (REC) Airport:
$52
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Private Transfer from Recife (REC) Airport to Vitória de Santo Antão:
$154
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Private Transfer from Recife (REC) Airport to Triunfo:
$708
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Private Transfer from Recife (REC) Airport to Tamandaré:
$182
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Private Transfer from Recife (REC) Airport to São Miguel dos Milagres:
$322
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Private Transfer from Recife (REC) Airport to São Lourenço da Mata:
$91
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florianopolis
Also for Florianopolis, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Airport Transfer: Hercilio Luz Int. Airport (FLN) to Florianopolis:
$30
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Private Airport Transfer: from Florianopolis to Hercilio Luz Int. Airport (FLN):
$30
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Shared transfer from Florianópolis airport to Balneário Camboriú:
$35
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Private transfer: Florianopolis to Florianopolis International Airport (FLN):
$45
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Private transfer: Florianopolis International Airport (FLN) to Florianopolis:
$45
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Private transfer: Cali International Airport (CLO) to Cali:
$54
Is it cheaper to fly into Recife or Florianopolis?
Prices for flights to both Florianopolis 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.
Entertainment
Recife's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $8.84 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Florianopolis, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $20 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Recife
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Recife are as follows:
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5-Day Pernambuco Tour from Recife:
$385
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Carneiros Beach Day Tour:
$40
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City Tour Olinda And Recife Antigo:
$26
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City Tour of Olinda Including Instituto Ricardo Brennand:
$77
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City Tour of Recife Including the Park of Sculptures:
$64
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Cultutal Tour in Recife with Ricardo Brennand Institute:
$26
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Day Trip to Igarassu and Itamaracá Island Tour from Recife:
$29
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Full-Day Caruaru and Nova Jerusalém Theater Tour:
$80
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Gastronomic and Boat Evening Tour in Recife:
$100
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Half-Day Tour: Oficina Francisco Brennand and Ricardo Brennand Institute plus Park of Sculptures in Recife:
$71
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Igarassu And Itamaraca Island Tour:
$38
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Maragogi Beach Tour from Recife:
$43
Typical Entertainment prices in Florianopolis
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Florianopolis's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Florianopolis
For Florianopolis, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Shared Shuttle between Florianópolis Airport and Hotel with optional City Tour:
$26
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Florianópolis Full Day City Tour:
$26
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Balneário Camboriú City Tour from Florianópolis:
$35
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Blumenau City Tour - departing from Florianópolis:
$40
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Blumenau City Tour from Florianópolis:
$40
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Roteiro Regular - Floripa City Tour Sul e Leste em grupo:
$45
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Southern Beaches of Florianópolis Bike Tour:
$51
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North Florianópolis Bike Tour: Mozambique, Santinho and Ingleses Beaches:
$51
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Campeche Island day tour - Transport and boat crossing:
$52
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Private Guided Tour in Florianopolis:
$79
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Private Day Tour: Florianópolis Island with Professional Pictures:
$154
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Florianopolis spend on average $6.82 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Florianopolis
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Florianopolis from other travelers:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Recife and Florianopolis, we can see that Recife is more expensive. And not only is Florianopolis much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Florianopolis would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Florianopolis 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 Florianopolis.
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