Climate

João Pessoa logs 0 hot days a year to Rio de Janeiro's 65 — João Pessoa wins by 65. Rio de Janeiro also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 5.

João PessoaRio de Janeiro
Sunny days
334249
Hot days
065
Frost days
00
Rainy days
249160
Outdoor dinner months
7/1212/12
Avg wind
5.7 m/s3.0 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,2202,641
Darkest month sun
236 hrs/mo200 hrs/mo
UV peak month
11.610.1

João Pessoa

Feels-like °C

31
32
31
31
30
28
26
26
27
29
30
31

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Rio de Janeiro

Feels-like °C

31
31
32
26
25
24
22
24
28
27
28
30

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Rio de Janeiro averages $1,689/mo for balanced living; João Pessoa has no cost baseline yet.

João Pessoa

monthly · balanced

Rio de Janeiro

$1,689

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,260Comfort $2,966
Top 79%in Among 48 Latin America cities

Mobility

Rio de Janeiro scores 2.8 on mobility (0–5 scale); João Pessoa has no mobility baseline.

/5
vs
2.8/5
João PessoaRio de Janeiro
TransitMotorbikeFlightsAirport

Culture

Rio de Janeiro's culture score of 4.2 sits well above João Pessoa's 0.0.

0.0/5
vs
4.2/5
João PessoaRio de Janeiro
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Rio de Janeiro leads

Nature & Outdoors

Rio de Janeiro scores 5.0 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); João Pessoa has no nature & outdoors baseline.

/5
vs
5.0/5
João PessoaRio de Janeiro
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingClimbing

Safety

Rio de Janeiro scores 0.6 on safety (0–5 scale); João Pessoa has no safety baseline.

/5
vs
0.6/5
João PessoaRio de Janeiro
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadWildfireFlooding

Career

Rio de Janeiro scores 3.2 on career (0–5 scale); João Pessoa has no career baseline.

/5
vs
3.2/5
João PessoaRio de Janeiro
JobsEconomyCoworking

Social & Community

Rio de Janeiro scores 3.4 on social & community (0–5 scale); João Pessoa has no social & community baseline.

/5
vs
3.4/5
João PessoaRio de Janeiro
Expat-First CommunityExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration Friendliness

Food & Dining

Rio de Janeiro scores 3.2 on food & dining (0–5 scale); João Pessoa has no food & dining baseline.

/5
vs
3.2/5
João PessoaRio de Janeiro
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Rio de Janeiro scores 3.1 on family (0–5 scale); João Pessoa has no family baseline.

/5
vs
3.1/5
João PessoaRio de Janeiro
UniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

Rio de Janeiro scores 2.4 on healthcare (0–5 scale); João Pessoa has no healthcare baseline.

/5
vs
2.4/5
João PessoaRio de Janeiro
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

João Pessoa averages 13.2 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Rio de Janeiro's 15.7 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — João Pessoa breathes ~16% cleaner air (2.5 µg/m³ lower).

João Pessoa

Rio de Janeiro

13.2µg/m³
15.7µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Moderate
Sensitive Groups

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

João Pessoa (1.1M) and Rio de Janeiro (9.9M) are 8.8x in population — Rio de Janeiro is the larger metro, João Pessoa the smaller; on land area Rio de Janeiro spans roughly 6.5x more ground.

7.6x

Rio de Janeiro is roughly 7.6x the scale of João Pessoa

Combined population & area comparison

BR flagRio de Janeiro
7.6x
BR flagJoão Pessoa
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.BR flagRio de Janeiro9.9M8.8x
2.BR flagJoão Pessoa1.1M1x
Area
1.BR flagRio de Janeiro1,285 km²6.5x
2.BR flagJoão Pessoa198 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
20 km18 km

BR flagJoão Pessoa

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
62 km49 km

BR flagRio de Janeiro

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about João Pessoa vs Rio de Janeiro

Which is cheaper, João Pessoa or Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro has an estimated monthly cost of $1,689.
How does the climate compare between João Pessoa and Rio de Janeiro?
Sunny days: 334 vs 249 d — João Pessoa higher Annual sunshine: 3,220 vs 2,641 hrs — João Pessoa higher Winter sunshine: 236 vs 200 hrs/day — João Pessoa higher Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 65 d — João Pessoa lower Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 249 vs 160 d — Rio de Janeiro lower
Is João Pessoa or Rio de Janeiro safer?
Rio de Janeiro has a safety score of 0.6/5.
Should I move to João Pessoa or Rio de Janeiro?
João Pessoa and Rio de Janeiro are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how João Pessoa and Rio de Janeiro stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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