carioca's family units, are a high priority in every day life - visitors are often amazed by the warm and close connections most locals hold with members of their family - cariocas attach a great deal of honor, respect and loyalty to blood ties, which is manifested in the way they discuss and interact with relatives, along with the lengths they go in order to support one another.

cariocas tend to live with their parents until a late age, partly because of the expense of moving out, but also in connection to the closeness between a family in one household - cariocas might live under their parents' roof until they become married and move in with their spouse.

the local culture commonly transitions directly from one family to another - in this way, the familial nucleus tends to be the most common living arrangement, and the most important safety net that bolsters cariocas through life.