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: $2,431 in Carlton versus $919 in Guarulhos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,467 in Carlton versus $1,712 in Guarulhos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,503 in Carlton versus $2,504 in Guarulhos.

Living in Carlton is roughly 164% more expensive than in Guarulhos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 77% above, Guarulhos is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 A$25.17

$8.83 R$45.05

105.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 A$97.8

$38.26 R$195

84.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 A$14.56

$8.47 R$43.17

23.85%

Cappuccino

$3.10 A$4.30

$2.48 R$12.66

25.00%

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

$2.62 A$3.63

$1.36 R$6.93

92.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.03

$0.85 R$4.34

156.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.01 A$9.73

$2.26 R$11.53

210.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 A$9.31

$3.70 R$18.89

81.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.88

$1.02 R$5.22

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 A$2.88

$1.79 R$9.14

15.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 A$1.87

$1.34 R$6.81

0.75%

Eggs

$3.37 A$4.68

$2.73 R$13.93

23.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 A$15.77

$11.68 R$59.6

-2.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 A$13.12

$4.85 R$24.73

94.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.03 A$22.25

$10.42 R$53.1

53.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 A$4.90

$2.30 R$11.71

53.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.05

$1.72 R$8.79

69.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.59

$1.48 R$7.54

122.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 A$6.75

$1.42 R$7.26

242.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.47

$1.27 R$6.49

96.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.21

$1.19 R$6.07

94.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.21

$0.93 R$4.75

148.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 A$1.22

$0.84 R$4.29

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.29 A$36.49

$2.40 R$12.22

995.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.77 A$14.96

$9.74 R$49.66

10.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.58 A$7.74

$1.51 R$7.72

269.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 A$7.01

$2.52 R$12.83

100.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 A$4.55

$1.12 R$5.71

192.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 A$120

$102 R$522

-15.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 A$5.27

$1.18 R$6.03

222.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 A$1.75

$0.69 R$3.51

82.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.64 A$36.99

$8.30 R$42.34

220.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.94

$1.23 R$6.29

13.01%

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

$18.5K A$25.7K

$22.5K R$114.8K

-17.76%

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

$14.1K A$19.6K

$33.2K R$169.1K

-57.50%

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

$94.7 A$131

$70.0 R$357

35.18%

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

$27.70 A$38.46

$15.34 R$78.2

80.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.28 A$65.6

$21.72 R$111

117.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.86 A$45.61

$26.90 R$137

22.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.07 A$25.08

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 A$19.10

$9.82 R$50.1

40.12%

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

$2,132 A$2,960

$420 R$2,144

407.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K A$17.8K

$9,859 R$50.3K

30.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 A$115

$62.6 R$319

32.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 A$70.3

$55.2 R$282

-8.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 A$99.8

$90.6 R$462

-20.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$186

$83.0 R$423

61.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 A$2,038

$343 R$1,748

328.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 A$1,814

$152 R$776

758.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 A$3,155

$965 R$4,919

135.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 A$2,570

$752 R$3,833

146.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,530 A$10.5K

$1,873 R$9,550

302.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,658 A$7,854

$1,452 R$7,404

289.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,057 A$8,408

$363 R$1,850

1569.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

11.25

-48.00%

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

Last update for Carlton: August 29, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,468 in Carlton and $343 in Guarulhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 1569% 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 Carlton vs $38.00 in Guarulhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 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

Carlton vs Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Guarulhos differ by about 164% in total monthly costs ($2,431 vs $919 including rent). Guarulhos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1569% higher in Carlton, 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: $1,468 in Carlton versus $343 in Guarulhos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,132 in Carlton 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 56% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $919 in Guarulhos versus $2,431 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 164% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.