Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Guarapuava Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Guarapuava

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Rio de Janeiro versus $651 in Guarapuava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,079 in Guarapuava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,508 in Guarapuava.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 45% more expensive than in Guarapuava, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Guarapuava 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 R$37.04

$3.68 R$18.65

98.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.46 R$185

$21.24 R$108

71.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$32.76

$5.77 R$29.28

11.96%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.64

$2.03 R$10.31

-6.40%

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

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.03 R$5.23

25.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.40

$0.63 R$3.22

38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.86

$1.93 R$9.77

-9.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.88

$2.77 R$14.07

-1.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.70

$0.91 R$4.61

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.64

$1.48 R$7.49

14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.55

$1.21 R$6.13

23.14%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.88

$1.51 R$7.67

29.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 R$39.47

$8.61 R$43.68

-9.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 R$18.11

$3.46 R$17.54

3.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$39.94

$7.65 R$38.83

2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.32

$1.64 R$8.33

48.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.28

$0.50 R$2.53

226.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$0.91 R$4.61

61.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.85

$1.24 R$6.31

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.26

$1.02 R$5.15

20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.65

$0.87 R$4.44

27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.49

$0.55 R$2.80

25.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.06

$0.67 R$3.39

-10.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$9.99

$1.99 R$10.11

-1.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.29

$8.03 R$40.76

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.23 R$6.22

-0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.55

$1.75 R$8.90

18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.29

$0.92 R$4.66

34.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.87 R$197

$38.59 R$196

0.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.70

$1.07 R$5.44

4.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.30

$0.65 R$3.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$37.57

$6.29 R$31.92

17.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.37

$0.99 R$5.05

7.07%

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

$20.3K R$102.8K

$18.8K R$95.3K

7.88%

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

$28.1K R$142.5K

$26.9K R$136.4K

4.46%

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

$101 R$513

$73.3 R$372

38.02%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$8.23 R$41.74

49.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.55 R$94.1

$18.72 R$95.0

-0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 R$132

$24.61 R$125

5.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 R$123

$21.45 R$109

12.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 R$33.08

$5.29 R$26.84

23.25%

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

$539 R$2,737

$216 R$1,095

149.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.2K

$3,291 R$16.7K

254.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 R$228

$30.15 R$153

49.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 R$210

$29.17 R$148

42.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 R$387

$71.0 R$360

7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 R$313

$34.18 R$173

80.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,203

$211 R$1,072

105.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,646

$145 R$735

124.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R$4,293

$504 R$2,555

68.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 R$2,879

$371 R$1,883

52.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,721 R$18.9K

$1,656 R$8,402

124.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 R$7,516

$596 R$3,024

148.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 R$3,043

$472 R$2,397

26.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

3.00%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: July 27, 2026

Last update for Guarapuava: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Rio de Janeiro and $211 in Guarapuava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 27% 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: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $21.00 in Guarapuava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $163 per month, with Guarapuava 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

Rio de Janeiro vs Guarapuava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guarapuava wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guarapuava the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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: $434 in Rio de Janeiro versus $211 in Guarapuava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $539 in Rio de Janeiro versus $216 in Guarapuava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $651 in Guarapuava versus $946 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guarapuava but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Guarapuava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guarapuava delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $651 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guarapuava hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guarapuava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.