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: $988 in Curitiba versus $919 in Guarulhos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,578 in Curitiba versus $1,712 in Guarulhos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Curitiba versus $2,504 in Guarulhos.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 7% more expensive than in Guarulhos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 28% lower, Guarulhos 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.77 R$39.61

$8.83 R$45.05

-12.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.20 R$195

$38.26 R$195

-0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 R$42.96

$8.47 R$43.17

-0.59%

Cappuccino

$2.65 R$13.50

$2.48 R$12.66

6.85%

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

$1.17 R$5.98

$1.36 R$6.93

-13.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.42

$0.85 R$4.34

2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 R$13.58

$2.26 R$11.53

17.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 R$21.24

$3.70 R$18.89

12.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.12

$1.02 R$5.22

-1.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 R$9.25

$1.79 R$9.14

1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.68

$1.34 R$6.81

-2.24%

Eggs

$2.34 R$11.92

$2.73 R$13.93

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 R$48.90

$11.68 R$59.6

-17.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 R$24.76

$4.85 R$24.73

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 R$50.9

$10.42 R$53.1

-4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.17

$2.30 R$11.71

-30.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.04

$1.72 R$8.79

-42.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.48 R$7.54

-31.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.80

$1.42 R$7.26

-19.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.41

$1.27 R$6.49

-32.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 R$3.77

$1.19 R$6.07

-37.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.90

$0.93 R$4.75

-18.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.41

$0.84 R$4.29

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 R$14.67

$2.40 R$12.22

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 R$38.45

$9.74 R$49.66

-22.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.98

$1.51 R$7.72

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R$13.10

$2.52 R$12.83

1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 R$5.86

$1.12 R$5.71

2.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 R$349

$102 R$522

-33.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.54

$1.18 R$6.03

8.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.74

$0.69 R$3.51

5.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 R$30.12

$8.30 R$42.34

-28.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.75

$1.23 R$6.29

7.32%

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

$23.0K R$117.2K

$22.5K R$114.8K

2.10%

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

$31.8K R$162.1K

$33.2K R$169.1K

-4.12%

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

$98.6 R$503

$70.0 R$357

40.87%

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

$14.65 R$74.7

$15.34 R$78.2

-4.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.53 R$115

$21.72 R$111

3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 R$138

$26.90 R$137

0.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 R$87.8

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R$34.06

$9.82 R$50.1

-31.98%

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

$368 R$1,877

$420 R$2,144

-12.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K R$54.8K

$9,859 R$50.3K

8.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 R$285

$62.6 R$319

-10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 R$254

$55.2 R$282

-9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 R$460

$90.6 R$462

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 R$383

$83.0 R$423

-9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 R$2,445

$343 R$1,748

39.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 R$1,414

$152 R$776

82.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 R$3,990

$965 R$4,919

-18.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R$2,662

$752 R$3,833

-30.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,375 R$12.1K

$1,873 R$9,550

26.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 R$8,893

$1,452 R$7,404

20.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 R$3,317

$363 R$1,850

79.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.54

11.25

2.58%

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

Last update for Curitiba: August 30, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Curitiba and $343 in Guarulhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 79% 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: $38.00 in Curitiba vs $38.00 in Guarulhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $222 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 7% 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.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Curitiba, 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: $479 in Curitiba versus $343 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 50% less than in Curitiba. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $368 in Curitiba versus $420 in Guarulhos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $919 in Guarulhos versus $988 in Curitiba, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guarulhos but tight or insufficient in Curitiba. The gap between the two cities makes Guarulhos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guarulhos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $919 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 7% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.