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: $952 in Rio de Janeiro versus $663 in Guarapuava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,062 in Guarapuava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,461 in Guarapuava.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 44% more expensive than 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

$7.33 R$37.12

$3.52 R$17.81

108.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.43 R$184

$21.52 R$109

69.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 R$31.74

$5.64 R$28.54

11.17%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R$10.00

$1.96 R$9.94

1.02%

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

$1.27 R$6.42

$1.07 R$5.43

18.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.27

$0.68 R$3.43

23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$8.98

$2.03 R$10.27

-12.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R$14.04

$2.76 R$13.98

0.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.60

$0.95 R$4.81

16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 R$8.65

$1.47 R$7.42

16.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.17 R$5.90

26.50%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.11

$1.52 R$7.71

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 R$39.35

$8.35 R$42.26

-6.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$18.35

$3.42 R$17.33

6.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 R$40.88

$7.36 R$37.28

9.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$11.67

$1.65 R$8.34

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.97

$0.50 R$2.55

214.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.39

$0.95 R$4.82

53.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.67

$1.22 R$6.16

24.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.38

$0.97 R$4.92

29.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.87

$0.94 R$4.77

23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 R$3.26

$0.56 R$2.84

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.66 R$3.33

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.86

$1.94 R$9.85

0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 R$43.22

$7.87 R$39.84

8.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.16

$1.23 R$6.24

-0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R$10.40

$1.76 R$8.91

16.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.31

$0.87 R$4.39

43.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.19 R$198

$38.55 R$195

1.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.67

$1.01 R$5.13

10.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 R$3.37

$0.66 R$3.35

1.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 R$37.61

$6.25 R$31.62

18.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.66

$1.02 R$5.18

9.80%

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

$20.5K R$103.6K

$18.5K R$93.7K

10.61%

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

$27.1K R$137.0K

$26.4K R$133.7K

2.42%

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

$103 R$519

$72.7 R$368

41.09%

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

$12.09 R$61.2

$7.93 R$40.14

52.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.19 R$97.1

$18.36 R$92.9

4.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.29 R$133

$23.91 R$121

9.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.69 R$120

$21.80 R$110

8.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 R$32.71

$5.46 R$27.64

18.32%

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

$537 R$2,716

$218 R$1,103

146.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.1K

$3,289 R$16.7K

254.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 R$229

$30.23 R$153

49.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.03 R$208

$28.76 R$146

42.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$383

$71.7 R$363

5.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 R$303

$34.40 R$174

74.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 R$2,225

$215 R$1,087

104.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 R$1,645

$147 R$744

121.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 R$4,341

$517 R$2,618

65.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 R$2,917

$386 R$1,953

49.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,415 R$17.3K

$945 R$4,782

261.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,469 R$7,437

$580 R$2,935

153.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 R$2,714

$470 R$2,382

13.94%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Guarapuava: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Rio de Janeiro and $215 in Guarapuava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 14% 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 $22.00 in Guarapuava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $161 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 44% 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.

Rio de Janeiro pays 14% more on average, 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: $440 in Rio de Janeiro versus $215 in Guarapuava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $537 in Rio de Janeiro versus $218 in Guarapuava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Guarapuava gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guarapuava delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $663 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 44% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.