Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guarulhos Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guarulhos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $808 in Guarulhos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,323 in Guarulhos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,839 in Guarulhos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 187% more expensive than in Guarulhos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Guarulhos is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$7.07 R$36.01

149.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$33.05 R$168

110.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.71 R$34.15

111.03%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.74 R$8.86

60.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.27 R$6.45

121.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.84 R$4.26

145.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.19 R$11.15

110.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.94 R$14.99

59.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.01 R$5.16

21.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.75 R$8.89

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.13 R$5.74

75.22%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.40 R$12.22

45.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.33 R$52.6

77.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.05 R$20.62

142.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.55 R$43.51

123.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.09 R$10.64

30.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.67 R$8.52

42.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.37 R$7.00

51.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.72 R$8.75

59.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.40 R$7.12

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.28 R$6.54

39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.99 R$5.06

49.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.64 R$3.26

42.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.18 R$11.08

227.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.66 R$49.20

-18.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.37 R$6.95

0.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.15 R$10.94

11.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.05 R$5.35

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$38.96 R$198

-24.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.05 R$5.35

315.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.58 R$2.97

267.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$7.90 R$40.21

274.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.07 R$5.47

70.09%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.9K €33.2K

$21.2K R$108.1K

78.39%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K €28.4K

$29.0K R$147.5K

11.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €166

$52.4 R$267

260.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.29 €19.52

$13.15 R$66.9

69.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$20.26 R$103

83.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$13.74 R$69.9

322.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$21.27 R$108

-2.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$7.37 R$37.54

47.49%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 €618

$321 R$1,633

120.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$8,794 R$44.8K

69.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$52.5 R$267

70.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$41.58 R$212

-11.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$77.1 R$392

34.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$74.5 R$379

60.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$309 R$1,575

410.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$213 R$1,083

482.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$571 R$2,908

374.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$421 R$2,146

383.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,893 R$9,640

297.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,342 R$6,832

290.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$360 R$1,831

557.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.17

-69.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $309 in Guarulhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 557% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Guarulhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $202 per month, with Guarulhos cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Guarulhos differ by about 187% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $808 including rent). Guarulhos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 557% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $309 in Guarulhos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $321 in Guarulhos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $808 in Guarulhos versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guarulhos but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Guarulhos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Guarulhos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Guarulhos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.