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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $919 in Guarulhos versus $988 in Curitiba.

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

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

Living in Guarulhos costs roughly 7% less than in Curitiba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 R$45.05

$7.77 R$39.61

13.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.26 R$195

$38.20 R$195

0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 R$43.17

$8.42 R$42.96

0.59%

Cappuccino

$2.48 R$12.66

$2.65 R$13.50

-6.42%

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

$1.36 R$6.93

$1.17 R$5.98

16.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.34

$0.87 R$4.42

-2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R$11.53

$2.66 R$13.58

-15.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.89

$4.16 R$21.24

-11.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.22

$1.00 R$5.12

2.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 R$9.14

$1.81 R$9.25

-1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.81

$1.31 R$6.68

2.29%

Eggs

$2.73 R$13.93

$2.34 R$11.92

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 R$59.6

$9.59 R$48.90

21.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 R$24.73

$4.85 R$24.76

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 R$53.1

$9.98 R$50.9

4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 R$11.71

$1.60 R$8.17

43.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.79

$0.99 R$5.04

73.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.54

$1.01 R$5.13

46.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.26

$1.14 R$5.80

24.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.49

$0.86 R$4.41

47.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.07

$0.74 R$3.77

60.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 R$4.75

$0.76 R$3.90

22.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.29

$0.86 R$4.41

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 R$12.22

$2.88 R$14.67

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 R$49.66

$7.54 R$38.45

29.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R$7.72

$1.37 R$6.98

10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.83

$2.57 R$13.10

-1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 R$5.71

$1.15 R$5.86

-2.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 R$522

$68.3 R$349

49.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.03

$1.28 R$6.54

-7.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.51

$0.73 R$3.74

-5.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.30 R$42.34

$5.91 R$30.12

40.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.29

$1.32 R$6.75

-6.82%

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

$22.5K R$114.8K

$23.0K R$117.2K

-2.06%

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

$33.2K R$169.1K

$31.8K R$162.1K

4.30%

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

$70.0 R$357

$98.6 R$503

-29.01%

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

$15.34 R$78.2

$14.65 R$74.7

4.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.72 R$111

$22.53 R$115

-3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.90 R$137

$27.08 R$138

-0.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 R$87.8

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 R$50.1

$6.68 R$34.06

47.01%

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

$420 R$2,144

$368 R$1,877

14.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,859 R$50.3K

$10.7K R$54.8K

-8.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 R$319

$56.0 R$285

11.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 R$282

$49.73 R$254

11.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 R$462

$90.2 R$460

0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 R$423

$75.1 R$383

10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,748

$479 R$2,445

-28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 R$776

$277 R$1,414

-45.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 R$4,919

$782 R$3,990

23.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 R$3,833

$522 R$2,662

43.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,873 R$9,550

$2,375 R$12.1K

-21.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,452 R$7,404

$1,744 R$8,893

-16.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$363 R$1,850

$650 R$3,317

-44.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

11.54

-2.51%

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

Last update for Guarulhos: August 30, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Guarulhos and $479 in Curitiba. 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 Guarulhos vs $38.00 in Curitiba. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $194, with Curitiba cheaper for home cooking.

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 Curitiba: 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.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Curitiba. 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: $343 in Guarulhos versus $479 in Curitiba. 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 $420 in Guarulhos versus $368 in Curitiba. 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.