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: $2,177 in Carlton versus $808 in Guarulhos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,095 in Carlton versus $1,323 in Guarulhos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,014 in Carlton versus $1,839 in Guarulhos.

Living in Carlton is roughly 169% more expensive than in Guarulhos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 63% above, Guarulhos is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 A$28.24

$7.07 R$36.15

178.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 A$92.3

$33.05 R$169

94.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 A$13.32

$6.71 R$34.28

38.60%

Cappuccino

$2.70 A$3.87

$1.74 R$8.89

55.17%

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

$2.38 A$3.41

$1.27 R$6.47

87.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 A$2.78

$0.84 R$4.28

130.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 A$9.10

$2.19 R$11.19

189.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 A$8.81

$2.94 R$15.04

109.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.60

$1.01 R$5.18

10.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 A$2.46

$1.75 R$8.93

-1.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 A$2.25

$1.13 R$5.76

38.94%

Eggs

$3.13 A$4.48

$2.40 R$12.26

30.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 A$13.20

$10.33 R$52.8

-10.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 A$13.40

$4.05 R$20.70

130.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 A$20.94

$8.55 R$43.68

70.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.58

$2.09 R$10.68

52.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.77

$1.67 R$8.55

57.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.13

$1.37 R$7.03

110.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.62

$1.72 R$8.79

127.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.40 R$7.14

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.02

$1.28 R$6.57

64.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 A$3.15

$0.99 R$5.08

122.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.91

$0.64 R$3.28

107.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.12 A$40.29

$2.18 R$11.12

1189.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 A$14.58

$9.66 R$49.38

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.61 A$6.60

$1.37 R$6.98

236.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.27

$2.15 R$10.98

135.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.17

$1.05 R$5.37

177.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 A$73.2

$38.96 R$199

31.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 A$5.03

$1.05 R$5.37

234.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 A$1.88

$0.58 R$2.98

125.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.61 A$35.26

$7.90 R$40.36

211.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.63

$1.07 R$5.49

6.54%

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

$23.3K A$33.4K

$21.2K R$108.6K

9.65%

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

$13.0K A$18.6K

$29.0K R$148.0K

-55.07%

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

$73.8 A$106

$52.4 R$268

40.86%

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

$21.02 A$30.12

$13.15 R$67.2

59.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 A$61.5

$20.26 R$104

111.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.41 A$65.1

$13.74 R$70.2

230.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 A$25.98

$21.27 R$109

-14.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.61 A$16.64

$7.37 R$37.68

57.53%

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

$1,191 A$1,707

$321 R$1,640

271.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K A$16.3K

$8,794 R$44.9K

29.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 A$98.0

$52.5 R$268

30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 A$76.0

$41.58 R$213

27.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 A$107

$77.1 R$394

-2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$74.5 R$380

40.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 A$1,855

$309 R$1,581

318.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 A$1,656

$213 R$1,087

443.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 A$2,800

$571 R$2,919

242.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 A$2,311

$421 R$2,154

282.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,119 A$10.2K

$1,893 R$9,677

275.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,704 A$8,172

$1,342 R$6,858

325.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,788 A$8,293

$360 R$1,838

1509.69%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Carlton and $309 in Guarulhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 1510% 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: $64.0 in Carlton vs $33.00 in Guarulhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 169% in total monthly costs ($2,177 vs $808 including rent). Guarulhos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1510% 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: $1,295 in Carlton versus $309 in Guarulhos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,191 in Carlton 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 57% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $808 in Guarulhos versus $2,177 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 169% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.