Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Guarulhos Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Guarulhos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,137 in Carlton versus $802 in Guarulhos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Carlton versus $1,298 in Guarulhos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,930 in Carlton versus $1,793 in Guarulhos.

Living in Carlton is roughly 166% more expensive than Guarulhos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 59% above, Guarulhos is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 A$27.10

$7.15 R$36.20

170.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 A$90.5

$32.78 R$166

96.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.57

$6.91 R$34.94

40.09%

Cappuccino

$2.71 A$3.80

$1.74 R$8.78

55.75%

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

$2.46 A$3.45

$1.21 R$6.14

103.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.78

$0.89 R$4.48

122.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 A$8.77

$2.14 R$10.81

192.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 A$8.45

$2.85 R$14.41

111.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 A$1.56

$1.02 R$5.16

8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 A$2.38

$1.75 R$8.85

-2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 A$2.27

$1.15 R$5.82

40.87%

Eggs

$3.08 A$4.31

$2.40 R$12.16

28.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 A$12.18

$10.33 R$52.2

-15.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 A$12.81

$4.01 R$20.28

127.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.87 A$20.84

$8.37 R$42.36

77.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.44

$2.14 R$10.85

48.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.73

$1.65 R$8.37

61.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.07

$1.39 R$7.01

108.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 A$5.66

$1.68 R$8.49

140.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.19

$1.37 R$6.95

66.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.82

$1.29 R$6.53

55.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 A$2.99

$0.93 R$4.73

129.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 A$1.84

$0.69 R$3.49

89.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.17 A$39.47

$2.10 R$10.63

1241.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 A$14.92

$9.95 R$50.3

7.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.65 A$6.52

$1.30 R$6.57

257.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.19

$2.22 R$11.24

131.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 A$4.17

$1.02 R$5.17

192.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 A$71.7

$38.02 R$192

34.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.16

$1.06 R$5.34

247.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.90

$0.63 R$3.18

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.73 A$34.65

$7.73 R$39.11

219.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.59

$1.06 R$5.36

7.55%

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

$23.5K A$32.9K

$21.5K R$108.6K

9.36%

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

$13.0K A$18.3K

$28.1K R$142.2K

-53.62%

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

$73.9 A$104

$52.3 R$265

41.29%

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

$21.23 A$29.75

$13.10 R$66.3

62.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.45 A$60.9

$19.90 R$101

118.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.96 A$63.0

$14.02 R$70.9

220.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 A$25.53

$21.73 R$110

-16.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.82 A$16.56

$7.03 R$35.58

68.14%

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

$1,166 A$1,634

$333 R$1,683

250.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K A$15.9K

$8,817 R$44.6K

28.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 A$94.9

$52.0 R$263

30.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 A$76.1

$42.18 R$213

28.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 A$108

$74.9 R$379

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$144

$73.5 R$372

39.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 A$1,810

$317 R$1,603

307.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 A$1,598

$216 R$1,092

428.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 A$2,731

$591 R$2,988

230.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 A$2,242

$427 R$2,158

275.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,631 A$7,890

$1,938 R$9,806

190.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,897 A$8,263

$1,325 R$6,705

345.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,980 A$8,379

$368 R$1,862

1525.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

11.17

-44.58%

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

Last update for Carlton: June 1, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,292 in Carlton and $317 in Guarulhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 1525% 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: $65.0 in Carlton vs $33.00 in Guarulhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 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

Carlton vs Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Guarulhos differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($2,137 vs $802 including rent). Guarulhos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Carlton pays 1525% more on average, 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: $1,292 in Carlton versus $317 in Guarulhos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,166 in Carlton versus $333 in Guarulhos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $802 in Guarulhos versus $2,137 in Carlton, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guarulhos but tight or insufficient in Carlton. 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, Carlton 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 166% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.