Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gisenyi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gisenyi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $443 in Gisenyi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $691 in Gisenyi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $938 in Gisenyi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 459% more expensive than in Gisenyi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Gisenyi is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$2.65 RWF 3,885

607.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$15.10 RWF 22.2K

360.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.16 RWF 9,037

123.54%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.46 RWF 3,616

26.02%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.80 RWF 1,174

253.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.52 RWF 764

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.00 RWF 1,469

298.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.96 RWF 2,878

131.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.77 RWF 1,129

64.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.03 RWF 1,506

109.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.25 RWF 1,833

40.80%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.63 RWF 2,393

214.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$4.32 RWF 6,346

313.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.49 RWF 6,584

114.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$4.55 RWF 6,684

342.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.37 RWF 3,483

37.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.88 RWF 1,287

153.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.54 RWF 2,266

68.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.00 RWF 1,461

176.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.49 RWF 718

351.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.80 RWF 1,169

165.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.31 RWF 461

400.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.79 RWF 1,157

20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.08 RWF 3,058

252.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.23 RWF 15.0K

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.96 RWF 1,404

60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.58 RWF 2,321

76.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.10 RWF 150

3010.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.70 RWF 3,958

21.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.02 RWF 2,963

-26.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$3.38 RWF 4,957

913.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.78 RWF 2,612

-2.81%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$26.5K RWF 38.9M

37.17%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$29.3K RWF 43.0M

4.26%

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

$187 €163

$84.0 RWF 123.3K

122.61%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$2.98 RWF 4,366

408.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$21.28 RWF 31.2K

77.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$3.44 RWF 5,046

231.69%

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

$997 €869

$115 RWF 168.7K

766.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$9,686 RWF 14.2M

70.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$17.50 RWF 25.7K

429.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$15.39 RWF 22.6K

167.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$21.97 RWF 32.2K

406.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$34.32 RWF 50.4K

264.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$286 RWF 419.9K

496.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$50.1 RWF 73.5K

2466.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$300 RWF 440.1K

755.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$120 RWF 175.9K

1519.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

16.2

-80.49%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Gisenyi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $286 in Gisenyi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Gisenyi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $149 per month, with Gisenyi 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

Barcelona vs Gisenyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gisenyi differ by about 459% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $443 including rent). Gisenyi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $665 in Gisenyi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $286 in Gisenyi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $115 in Gisenyi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gisenyi – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $443 in Gisenyi versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gisenyi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gisenyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Gisenyi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gisenyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 459% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.