Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guarulhos and Brasilia

For one person, living costs are similar in Guarulhos and in Brasilia: $974 and $1,008 a month, rent and utilities included.

47

Cost of Living Index in Guarulhos
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Guarulhos Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Guarulhos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$974

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guarulhos and in Brasilia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guarulhos and in Brasilia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $974 in Guarulhos versus $1,008 in Brasilia.

Guarulhos $974
Brasilia $1,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,776 in Guarulhos versus $1,618 in Brasilia.

Guarulhos $1,776
Brasilia $1,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,578 in Guarulhos versus $2,228 in Brasilia.

Guarulhos $2,578
Brasilia $2,228

Living in Guarulhos costs roughly 3% less than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guarulhos 28% lower, Brasilia 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R$46.36

$9.23 R$46.81

-0.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.64 R$201

$39.99 R$203

-0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 R$44.57

$8.44 R$42.79

4.15%

Cappuccino

$2.61 R$13.25

$2.62 R$13.29

-0.38%

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

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.52 R$7.70

-5.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.45

$0.91 R$4.63

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 R$12.01

$2.43 R$12.30

-2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 R$20.63

$3.99 R$20.23

2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.18

$1.10 R$5.57

-7.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 R$9.42

$2.07 R$10.47

-10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.72

$1.36 R$6.90

-2.21%

Eggs

$2.57 R$13.04

$2.46 R$12.47

4.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 R$63.5

$12.06 R$61.1

3.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 R$25.42

$4.00 R$20.29

25.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 R$53.9

$9.09 R$46.06

16.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.17

$2.43 R$12.33

-1.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.74

$1.53 R$7.76

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.12

$1.33 R$6.73

20.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.74

$1.73 R$8.76

-11.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.39

$1.17 R$5.95

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.34

$1.04 R$5.28

20.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 R$4.67

$0.83 R$4.20

10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.37

$0.99 R$5.03

-13.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 R$12.55

$2.43 R$12.34

2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.84 R$49.87

$8.26 R$41.86

19.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R$7.92

$1.28 R$6.50

21.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.89

$2.48 R$12.58

2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 R$6.15

$1.03 R$5.23

17.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 R$519

$36.05 R$183

184.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.26

$1.05 R$5.32

17.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.62

$0.91 R$4.63

-21.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 R$44.85

$6.31 R$31.99

40.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.28 R$6.51

0.78%

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

$24.0K R$121.6K

$24.2K R$122.5K

-0.71%

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

$34.6K R$175.4K

$33.3K R$169.0K

3.81%

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

$91.9 R$466

$98.4 R$499

-6.64%

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

$14.76 R$74.8

$12.88 R$65.3

14.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$22.35 R$113

2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.95 R$142

$34.14 R$173

-18.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.34 R$144

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 R$51.3

$7.78 R$39.45

29.95%

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

$436 R$2,208

$834 R$4,230

-47.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K R$56.2K

$17.3K R$87.9K

-36.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 R$336

$56.8 R$288

16.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 R$295

$45.40 R$230

28.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 R$482

$85.5 R$433

11.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 R$408

$90.5 R$459

-11.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 R$1,767

$507 R$2,572

-31.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 R$814

$279 R$1,412

-42.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 R$5,017

$1,123 R$5,693

-11.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$3,891

$568 R$2,881

35.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 R$10.0K

$2,518 R$12.8K

-21.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,472 R$7,464

$1,744 R$8,840

-15.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$379 R$1,924

$841 R$4,263

-54.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

12.12

-7.18%

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

Last update for Guarulhos: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Guarulhos

$228 23.4%

Brasilia

$214 21.3% 6.1% $14

Accommodation & Living

Guarulhos

$161 16.5%

Brasilia

$279 27.7% 73.6% $118

Eating Out

Guarulhos

$160 16.4%

Brasilia

$160 15.9% 0.2% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Guarulhos

$135 13.9%

Brasilia

$125 12.4% 7.3% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guarulhos

$129 13.3%

Brasilia

$134 13.3% 3.2% $4.2

Getting Around

Guarulhos

$112 11.5%

Brasilia

$46 4.5% 59.1% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Guarulhos

$48 5%

Brasilia

$50 4.9% 3.2% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $349 in Guarulhos and $507 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 122% 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: $40.00 in Guarulhos vs $40.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $214, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Guarulhos

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

Same time as Guarulhos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,291,771

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Guarulhos Brasilia 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Guarulhos
Brasilia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Guarulhos vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guarulhos and Brasilia differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($974 vs $1,008 including rent). Guarulhos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 122% lower in Brasilia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $349 in Guarulhos versus $507 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guarulhos – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $974 per month in Guarulhos versus $1,008 in Brasilia – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $974 in Guarulhos versus $1,008 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guarulhos but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. 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.

Expats usually find Guarulhos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.