Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Guarulhos

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarulhos: $964 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sao Paulo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Guarulhos
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Guarulhos Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Guarulhos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$964

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Guarulhos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sao Paulo and in Guarulhos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Sao Paulo vs $964 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Guarulhos $964

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,764 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Guarulhos $1,764

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,565 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Guarulhos $2,565

Sao Paulo costs about 27% more than Guarulhos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sao Paulo and Guarulhos are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 10% lower, Guarulhos 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$8.69 R$44.06

0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$40.01 R$203

21.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$9.00 R$45.61

0.33%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$2.46 R$12.50

3.66%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$1.35 R$6.82

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.86 R$4.37

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$2.44 R$12.39

25.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$3.88 R$19.65

12.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.05 R$5.32

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$1.88 R$9.52

-4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.33 R$6.76

11.28%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$2.46 R$12.47

14.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$4.79 R$24.27

12.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$10.70 R$54.3

0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$2.38 R$12.07

18.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$1.72 R$8.71

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$1.53 R$7.74

4.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$1.53 R$7.76

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$1.26 R$6.40

15.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$1.18 R$6.00

5.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$0.98 R$4.97

27.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$0.85 R$4.32

15.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$2.49 R$12.65

20.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$9.88 R$50.1

-1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$1.50 R$7.62

22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$2.49 R$12.64

1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$1.24 R$6.30

-13.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

$105 R$532

-54.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.17 R$5.94

54.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$0.72 R$3.64

40.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$8.49 R$43.03

20.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.28 R$6.50

0.78%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$23.6K R$119.5K

-0.20%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$34.2K R$173.5K

0.86%

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

$104 R$527

$91.6 R$465

13.53%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$14.98 R$75.9

10.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$22.33 R$113

-1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$28.22 R$143

29.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$10.05 R$50.9

-3.58%

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

$573 R$2,906

$429 R$2,173

33.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$11.0K R$56.0K

53.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$65.1 R$330

1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$57.1 R$289

7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$92.2 R$467

7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$79.5 R$403

14.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$349 R$1,770

87.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$158 R$801

164.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$995 R$5,042

53.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$768 R$3,895

29.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$1,944 R$9,855

37.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

$1,480 R$7,502

36.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

$378 R$1,914

138.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.25

3.82%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Guarulhos

$158 16.4% 62.2% $260

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Guarulhos

$227 23.5% 6.7% $16

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Guarulhos

$155 16.1% 3.5% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Guarulhos

$132 13.7% 7.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Guarulhos

$129 13.4% 9.6% $14

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Guarulhos

$115 11.9% 96.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Guarulhos

$48 5% 13.4% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $654 in Sao Paulo versus $349 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 138% higher in Sao Paulo, 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 $49.00 in Sao Paulo versus $40.00 in Guarulhos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $227 – making Guarulhos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Guarulhos

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

Same time as Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

1,291,771

💱 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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Sao Paulo Guarulhos 14 km

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Sao Paulo
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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

Sao Paulo vs Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 27% 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 $1,833 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,446 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 $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $40.00 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 $1,222 in Sao Paulo and $964 in Guarulhos. That's a gap of about 27%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Sao Paulo at $1,222. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $964 versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo. 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, Sao Paulo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.