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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $919 in Guarulhos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,712 in Guarulhos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,504 in Guarulhos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 171% more expensive than in Guarulhos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Guarulhos is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$8.83 R$45.05

108.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$38.26 R$195

80.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$8.47 R$43.17

66.82%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.48 R$12.66

26.21%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.36 R$6.93

122.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.85 R$4.34

130.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.26 R$11.53

76.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$3.70 R$18.89

28.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.02 R$5.22

22.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.79 R$9.14

20.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.34 R$6.81

26.12%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.73 R$13.93

80.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$11.68 R$59.6

53.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$4.85 R$24.73

98.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$10.42 R$53.1

85.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.30 R$11.71

40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.72 R$8.79

26.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.48 R$7.54

80.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.42 R$7.26

95.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.27 R$6.49

74.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.19 R$6.07

84.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.93 R$4.75

63.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.84 R$4.29

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$2.40 R$12.22

196.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$9.74 R$49.66

-16.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.51 R$7.72

-0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.52 R$12.83

10.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.12 R$5.71

181.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$102 R$522

-73.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.18 R$6.03

175.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.69 R$3.51

117.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$8.30 R$42.34

320.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.23 R$6.29

42.28%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$22.5K R$114.8K

62.83%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$33.2K R$169.1K

-6.69%

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

$188 €161

$70.0 R$357

167.97%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$15.34 R$78.2

0.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$21.72 R$111

74.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$26.90 R$137

112.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$9.82 R$50.1

17.92%

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

$1,003 €862

$420 R$2,144

138.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$9,859 R$50.3K

72.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$62.6 R$319

42.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$55.2 R$282

-26.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$90.6 R$462

21.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$83.0 R$423

47.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$343 R$1,748

388.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$152 R$776

774.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$965 R$4,919

169.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$752 R$3,833

159.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$1,873 R$9,550

304.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$1,452 R$7,404

269.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$363 R$1,850

562.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.25

-71.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $343 in Guarulhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 562% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Guarulhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $222 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 171% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $919 including rent). Guarulhos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 562% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $343 in Guarulhos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $420 in Guarulhos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $919 in Guarulhos versus $2,495 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 171% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.