Brazil · Brazil

Recife

Q: Does cost of living or the land price per m² enter the score?

No. Cost of living and the land price per m² appear on the page but are not part of the score. See the methodology .

Q: How is the score calculated?

It is an indicative 0–10 quality-of-life index, with 13 variables and published weights. Safety has a 15% weight and, when local data exist, a lethal-violence penalty may cap the total. The full method is on the methodology page.

Q: Are any figures on this page estimates?

This page has no value marked as an estimate. Each metric cites its source.

indicative score unofficial source safety penalty land: listing (caveat)

6.00 / 10

Onde Viver Bem · updated November 10, 2026

Technical notes for this page

Updated November 10, 2026. Indicative score. Weights: entertainment 11.73% (destinations and venues within 50 km); bars 3.73%; safety 15% with a penalty; water at country level; land price per m² = official source (ITBI, Terracap, registries, valuations) or listings with a caveat · coverage 100%

Recife has an indicative score of 6.00/10 in the Brazil ranking of Onde Viver Bem, updated November 10, 2026. The strongest published variables are Beach / mountains (10.00), Mild climate (9.87) and Sun (9.45); the weakest are Safety (1.25), Bars (3.18) and Restaurants (4.53). The scores are indicative. Cost of living and the land price per m² are not part of the score.

Recife: view of the city — Recife. Photo: Portal da Copa/ME, CC BY 3.0 br, Wikimedia Commons.

air: not in the WHO database — modelled NATIONAL average; safety: feeling of safety at national level only (Gallup); safety: robbery from an unofficial source (press or intermediary citing official figures); safety penalty: score capped at 6.0 (rate 56.2/100k; 7.11 without the penalty)

Land price per m²

R$ 653/m² P25–P75 R$ 574–R$ 836 · n=22 · small sample

plot listings (asking price) — open ITBI data with no usable vacant plots; listings with a caveat

Note: asking price in a listing (not a transaction). The sample is typically from the first page; neighbourhoods are mixed; n < 30 = small sample.

Score breakdown

Each criterion's score, its weight in the total and the raw figure, linked to its source.

Safety · score 1.25 · weight 15.00% · sources: homicidios_100k_local (56.2) · homicidios_100k_agressoes_br (41.69) · roubo_razao_cidade_pais unofficial (4.04) · sensacao_seguranca_noite_pct (51)

raw: 56.2 per 100k pop. · 40% violent deaths (log 30→0, 0.5→10 per 100k) + 30% city robbery ÷ country average (log 5×→0, 0.5×→10) + 30% share who feel safe at night (lin 30%→0, 95%→10); any part without data: weights renormalized

Composite safety: violent deaths 56.2 per 100k → 0.0 (weight 40%) · robbery 4.04× the country average (municipality of Recife, jan–ago 2024) → 0.9 (weight 30%) · 51.0% feel safe walking alone at night (Brazil (national), 2024) → 3.2 (weight 30%).

Beach / mountains · score 10.00 · weight 11.59% · sources: km_ate_praia_osm (5.0) · km_ate_relevo_montanhoso (100.0) · osm_cachoeiras_50km (5.0) · osm_areas_protegidas_50km (43.0) · osm_trilhas_rota_50km (0.0) · osm_mirantes_50km (52.0)

raw: 5.0 km · beach: distance log 5 km→10, 150 km→0; mountains: richness of nature leisure (mean of the top 3 of 4 counts, 50 km) × access (1 up to 15 km → 0 at 150 km, log), 0 with no relief; score = min(10, max(beach, mountains) + 0.3·min)

Water · score 8.86 · weight 9.94% · sources: wb_estresse_hidrico_pais (1.496) · wb_agua_gerida_segura_pais (88.624)

raw: 1.496 % withdrawal / available resources · average: stress log 100%→0, 10%→10; safe water lin 50%→0, 100%→10

Parks · score 8.33 · weight 9.94% · sources: osm_parques_2km (118.0) · osm_parques_municipio (796.0)

raw: 118.0 count of OSM objects · 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 60→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 15→10

Sun · score 9.45 · weight 9.94% · sources: radiacao_solar_global (2039.2)

raw: 2039.2 kWh/m²/year · lin 1000→0, 2100→10 kWh/m²/year

Restaurants · score 4.53 · weight 9.11% · sources: cnpj_restaurantes_municipio (3182.0) · osm_restaurantes_2km (63.0) · osm_restaurantes_municipio (366.0) · overture_restaurantes_2km (311.0) · overture_restaurantes_municipio (2097.0)

raw: 3182.0 active businesses (CNPJ) · Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.57 within 2 km, 3.41 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 1000→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 30→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 30→10

Entertainment · score 9.19 · weight 11.73% · sources: osm_destinos_entretenimento_50km (19.0) · osm_arenas_grandes_50km (62.0)

raw: 81.0 count of OSM objects (destinations + venues, 50 km) · log1p(destinations + stadiums/music venues), 120→10; 50 km radius

A1ed, radius 50 km: 19.0 destinations (theme_park/zoo/aquarium/water_park) + 62.0 stadiums/music venues (stadium, music_venue, concert_hall). Left out: events_venue, sports_centre, theatre, amusement_ride, amusement_arcade. OpenStreetMap via ohsome.

Bars · score 3.18 · weight 3.73% · sources: cnpj_bares_municipio (659.0) · osm_bares_2km (21.0) · osm_bares_municipio (114.0) · overture_bares_2km (127.0) · overture_bares_municipio (797.0)

raw: 659.0 active businesses (CNPJ) · Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.48 within 2 km, 3.20 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 500→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 10→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 10→10

Mild climate · score 9.87 · weight 4.97% · sources: dias_conforto_termico (325.6)

raw: 325.6 days/year · lin 0→0, 330→10 days/year

Health · score 7.01 · weight 4.97% · sources: wb_expectativa_vida (76.023) · cnes_leitos_existentes_municipio (11264.0) · osm_hospitais_10km (184.0)

raw: 76.023 years · average: life expectancy lin 70→0, 85→10; Brazil: beds/10k pop. lin 0→0, 50→10; World: OSM hospitals within 10 km log1p 50→10

Clean air · score 7.21 · weight 4.14% · sources: pm25_media_anual (13.38)

raw: 13.38 µg/m³ · lin 35→0, 5→10 µg/m³ (WHO=5)

Airport · score 7.00 · weight 2.48% · sources: osm_aeroportos_iata_50km (1.0)

raw: 1.0 count of OSM objects · 0→0, 1→7, ≥2→10

Culture · score 7.91 · weight 2.48% · sources: osm_cultura_5km (52.0)

raw: 52.0 count of OSM objects · log1p(count), 150→10

The city

Recife is the capital of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, in the country's Northeast Region. Covering about 218 km², it is built on an alluvial plain whose main geographic features are islands, peninsulas and mangroves. The northeastern city with the highest Municipal Human Development Index (MHDI), Recife is the fourth Brazilian capital in the federal administrative hierarchy, after Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and has Brazil's fifth most populous urban agglomeration, with 3.7 million inhabitants in 2022, behind only the urban concentrations of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasília. Within a 300 km radius, three state capitals are under its direct influence: João Pessoa (122 km), Maceió (257 km) and Natal (286 km).

English rendering of the Portuguese Wikipedia summary linked below. Source: wikipedia_pt. Wikipedia revision 73398243 (2026-11-08T17:09:26Z).

Taxation

ITBI; no official local rate collected yet (we do not invent the figure). GAP: rate found only in secondary sources (sometimes conflicting); to be confirmed in the law or on the city's page

IPTU; no official local rate collected yet (we do not invent the figure). GAP: progressive tables by assessed value/use; to be collected from municipal law

Frequently asked questions

What is the Onde Viver Bem score for Recife?

Recife has an indicative score of 6.00/10 in the Brazil ranking, updated November 10, 2026. Cost of living is not part of the score.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the score for Recife?

The strongest published variables are Beach / mountains (10.00), Mild climate (9.87) and Sun (9.45); the weakest are Safety (1.25), Bars (3.18) and Restaurants (4.53).

Does cost of living or the land price per m² enter the score?

No. Cost of living and the land price per m² appear on the page but are not part of the score. See the methodology.

How is the score calculated?