Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guarulhos and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarulhos: $964 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

47

Cost of Living Index in Guarulhos
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Guarulhos Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Guarulhos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$964

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guarulhos and in Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $964 per month in Guarulhos vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Guarulhos $964
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $1,764 per month in Guarulhos vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Guarulhos $1,764
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $2,565 per month in Guarulhos vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Guarulhos $2,565
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Guarulhos is about 24% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guarulhos and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Guarulhos 29% lower, Rio de Janeiro 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.69 R$44.06

$9.38 R$47.54

-7.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.01 R$203

$40.00 R$203

0.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 R$45.61

$8.34 R$42.28

7.91%

Cappuccino

$2.46 R$12.50

$2.29 R$11.62

7.42%

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

$1.35 R$6.82

$1.59 R$8.05

-15.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.37

$1.01 R$5.10

-14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.39

$2.14 R$10.85

14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 R$19.65

$3.66 R$18.55

6.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.32

$1.13 R$5.72

-7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 R$9.52

$2.09 R$10.60

-10.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.76

$1.25 R$6.36

6.40%

Eggs

$2.46 R$12.47

$2.25 R$11.39

9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$10.92 R$55.3

15.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 R$24.27

$4.36 R$22.10

9.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.70 R$54.3

$9.60 R$48.66

11.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 R$12.07

$2.85 R$14.46

-16.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.71

$1.81 R$9.16

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.74

$1.58 R$8.02

-3.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.76

$1.83 R$9.28

-16.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.40

$1.20 R$6.10

5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.00

$1.06 R$5.35

11.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R$4.97

$0.75 R$3.81

30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.32

$0.68 R$3.45

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.65

$2.94 R$14.90

-15.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 R$50.1

$7.98 R$40.43

23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R$7.62

$1.18 R$5.98

27.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R$12.64

$2.42 R$12.26

2.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.30

$0.94 R$4.78

31.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 R$532

$50.3 R$255

108.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$5.94

$1.20 R$6.10

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.64

$0.83 R$4.20

-13.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.49 R$43.03

$8.97 R$45.48

-5.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.29 R$6.53

-0.78%

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

$23.6K R$119.5K

$22.8K R$115.5K

3.54%

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

$34.2K R$173.5K

$34.0K R$172.1K

0.76%

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

$91.6 R$465

$134 R$681

-31.77%

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

$14.98 R$75.9

$10.73 R$54.4

39.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.33 R$113

$22.84 R$116

-2.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.22 R$143

$30.16 R$153

-6.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$10.05 R$50.9

$7.73 R$39.17

30.01%

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

$429 R$2,173

$584 R$2,960

-26.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K R$56.0K

$12.8K R$64.9K

-13.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 R$330

$41.12 R$208

58.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 R$289

$49.26 R$250

15.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 R$467

$73.7 R$373

25.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 R$403

$65.9 R$334

20.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 R$1,770

$900 R$4,561

-61.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 R$801

$527 R$2,673

-70.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 R$5,042

$1,332 R$6,754

-25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$3,895

$748 R$3,790

2.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,944 R$9,855

$3,990 R$20.2K

-51.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,480 R$7,502

$1,560 R$7,908

-5.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$378 R$1,914

$640 R$3,246

-41.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

11.93

-5.70%

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

Last update for Guarulhos: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Guarulhos

$227 23.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 5.8% $13

Accommodation & Living

Guarulhos

$158 16.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 234% $369

Eating Out

Guarulhos

$155 16.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 0.7% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Guarulhos

$132 13.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 21.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guarulhos

$129 13.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 30.2% $39

Getting Around

Guarulhos

$115 11.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 48.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Guarulhos

$48 5%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 5.6% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $349 in Guarulhos versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 70% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Guarulhos versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Guarulhos vs $214 in Rio de Janeiro – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Guarulhos

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

Same time as Guarulhos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,291,771

6,211,223

💱 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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Guarulhos Rio de Janeiro 340 km

From you

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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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 32% more than Guarulhos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,446 per month in Guarulhos and $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarulhos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Guarulhos and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $964 in Guarulhos and $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 32%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,273. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $964 versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Guarulhos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rio de Janeiro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.