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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $960 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $802 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,298 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,997 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,793 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 20% more than Guarulhos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Guarulhos are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Guarulhos 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$36.03

$7.15 R$35.80

0.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$178

$32.78 R$164

8.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$32.25

$6.91 R$34.56

-6.80%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$9.88

$1.74 R$8.69

13.22%

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

$1.27 R$6.38

$1.21 R$6.08

4.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.49

$0.89 R$4.43

1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.83

$2.14 R$10.69

-17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.43

$2.85 R$14.25

-5.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.82

$1.02 R$5.10

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.50

$1.75 R$8.76

-2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.07

$1.15 R$5.75

22.61%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.00

$2.40 R$12.03

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$40.27

$10.33 R$51.7

-22.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.11

$4.01 R$20.06

-9.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$41.04

$8.37 R$41.90

-2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.00

$2.14 R$10.73

12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$7.91

$1.65 R$8.28

-4.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.48

$1.39 R$6.93

7.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.81

$1.68 R$8.40

-7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.53

$1.37 R$6.87

-5.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.52

$1.29 R$6.46

-14.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.42

$0.93 R$4.68

-26.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.90

$0.69 R$3.45

-15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.75

$2.10 R$10.52

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$43.69

$9.95 R$49.79

-12.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.08

$1.30 R$6.50

-6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.77

$2.22 R$11.11

-3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.16

$1.02 R$5.12

20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$197

$38.02 R$190

3.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.57

$1.06 R$5.28

4.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.57

$0.63 R$3.14

12.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$36.90

$7.73 R$38.68

-4.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.37

$1.06 R$5.31

0.94%

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$21.5K R$107.5K

-5.21%

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

$27.1K R$135.6K

$28.1K R$140.6K

-3.56%

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

$104 R$519

$52.3 R$262

98.53%

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

$12.18 R$61.0

$13.10 R$65.6

-7.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$93.6

$19.90 R$99.6

-6.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$128

$14.02 R$70.1

83.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$122

$21.73 R$109

12.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$33.05

$7.03 R$35.19

-6.12%

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

$542 R$2,712

$333 R$1,665

62.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$59.1K

$8,817 R$44.1K

33.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$221

$52.0 R$260

-14.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$210

$42.18 R$211

-0.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$385

$74.9 R$375

2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$310

$73.5 R$368

-15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,194

$317 R$1,585

38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,654

$216 R$1,080

53.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,196

$591 R$2,955

41.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,849

$427 R$2,135

33.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$16.8K

$1,938 R$9,699

73.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$6,950

$1,325 R$6,632

4.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,743

$368 R$1,842

48.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

11.17

1.43%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $317 in Guarulhos. 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 49% 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 $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $33.00 in Guarulhos. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Rio de Janeiro vs $202 in Guarulhos – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 20% more than Guarulhos, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,440 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,203 in Guarulhos. 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 $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $33.00 in Guarulhos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $960 in Rio de Janeiro and $802 in Guarulhos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $802, than in Rio de Janeiro at $960. 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 $802 versus $960 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.