Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Guarulhos Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Guarulhos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Curitiba versus $802 in Guarulhos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Curitiba versus $1,298 in Guarulhos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Curitiba versus $1,793 in Guarulhos.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 6% more expensive than Guarulhos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 37% lower, Guarulhos 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 R$27.09

$7.15 R$36.20

-25.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.23 R$163

$32.78 R$166

-1.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 R$31.16

$6.91 R$34.94

-10.85%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R$10.46

$1.74 R$8.78

18.97%

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

$1.13 R$5.70

$1.21 R$6.14

-6.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.49

$0.89 R$4.48

-22.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R$11.22

$2.14 R$10.81

3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.73

$2.85 R$14.41

16.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.91

$1.02 R$5.16

-4.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.75 R$8.85

-15.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.79

$1.15 R$5.82

-0.87%

Eggs

$2.05 R$10.39

$2.40 R$12.16

-14.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 R$41.21

$10.33 R$52.2

-21.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 R$19.01

$4.01 R$20.28

-6.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 R$38.13

$8.37 R$42.36

-9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 R$10.79

$2.14 R$10.85

-0.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.71

$1.65 R$8.37

-43.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.39 R$7.01

-30.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.11

$1.68 R$8.49

-27.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$1.37 R$6.95

-24.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.42

$1.29 R$6.53

-32.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$3.01

$0.93 R$4.73

-36.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.34

$0.69 R$3.49

-4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.66

$2.10 R$10.63

0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 R$40.10

$9.95 R$50.3

-20.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.99

$1.30 R$6.57

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.89

$2.22 R$11.24

-3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.40

$1.02 R$5.17

4.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.33 R$239

$38.02 R$192

24.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.06 R$5.34

3.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.50

$0.63 R$3.18

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 R$32.28

$7.73 R$39.11

-17.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.06 R$5.36

15.09%

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

$18.7K R$94.7K

$21.5K R$108.6K

-12.80%

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

$26.2K R$132.6K

$28.1K R$142.2K

-6.73%

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

$72.4 R$366

$52.3 R$265

38.36%

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

$11.52 R$58.3

$13.10 R$66.3

-12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 R$108

$19.90 R$101

6.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 R$128

$14.02 R$70.9

80.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.61 R$84.0

$21.73 R$110

-23.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 R$32.52

$7.03 R$35.58

-8.53%

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

$286 R$1,445

$333 R$1,683

-14.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,389 R$32.3K

$8,817 R$44.6K

-27.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R$274

$52.0 R$263

4.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.55 R$225

$42.18 R$213

5.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 R$419

$74.9 R$379

10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 R$347

$73.5 R$372

-6.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,792

$317 R$1,603

11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,246

$216 R$1,092

14.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 R$3,412

$591 R$2,988

14.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 R$2,504

$427 R$2,158

16.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,354 R$11.9K

$1,938 R$9,806

21.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,721 R$8,710

$1,325 R$6,705

29.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 R$3,319

$368 R$1,862

78.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

-1.52%

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

Last update for Curitiba: June 1, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Curitiba and $317 in Guarulhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 78% 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: $32.00 in Curitiba vs $33.00 in Guarulhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $202 per month, with Curitiba 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

Curitiba vs Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guarulhos wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Curitiba. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guarulhos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Curitiba pays 78% 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: $354 in Curitiba versus $317 in Guarulhos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Guarulhos runs roughly 24% less than in Curitiba. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $286 in Curitiba versus $333 in Guarulhos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Guarulhos gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guarulhos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $802 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guarulhos hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guarulhos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.