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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $415 in Gisenyi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $653 in Gisenyi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $891 in Gisenyi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 479% more expensive than Gisenyi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Gisenyi is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$4.10 RWF 5,980

331.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$15.19 RWF 22.2K

361.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$6.04 RWF 8,812

126.16%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.24 RWF 3,271

22.32%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.87 RWF 1,274

220.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.52 RWF 766

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.02 RWF 1,491

327.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$1.98 RWF 2,897

131.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.67 RWF 975

92.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.07 RWF 1,555

91.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.24 RWF 1,808

59.68%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.65 RWF 2,402

105.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$3.99 RWF 5,831

367.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$4.30 RWF 6,274

122.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$3.66 RWF 5,341

414.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.47 RWF 3,602

11.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.00 RWF 1,465

147.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.47 RWF 2,147

42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.15 RWF 1,676

145.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.48 RWF 702

320.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.81 RWF 1,178

128.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.31 RWF 454

387.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.75 RWF 1,092

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$1.69 RWF 2,473

317.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$10.16 RWF 14.8K

-21.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.89 RWF 1,305

60.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.72 RWF 2,508

33.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.09 RWF 137

3100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$3.15 RWF 4,604

39.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.39 RWF 2,025

53.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$3.72 RWF 5,427

683.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.13 RWF 1,644

64.60%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.4K RWF 38.5M

47.89%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$30.7K RWF 44.9M

6.36%

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

$189 €163

$45.88 RWF 67.0K

312.16%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$2.92 RWF 4,258

677.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$17.84 RWF 26.0K

104.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$3.53 RWF 5,156

206.23%

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

$726 €625

$153 RWF 223.8K

373.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$5,039 RWF 7.4M

199.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$17.19 RWF 25.1K

409.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$19.26 RWF 28.1K

91.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$24.51 RWF 35.8K

322.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$30.88 RWF 45.1K

277.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$98.2 RWF 143.3K

1502.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$49.96 RWF 72.9K

2341.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$299 RWF 437.0K

805.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$120 RWF 175.3K

1537.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

16.2

-79.07%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Gisenyi: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $98.2 in Gisenyi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Gisenyi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $145 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 479% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $415 including rent). Gisenyi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,599 in Barcelona and $622 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $98.2 in Gisenyi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $153 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 $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $415 in Gisenyi versus $2,399 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 479% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.