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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $414 in Gisenyi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $651 in Gisenyi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $888 in Gisenyi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 470% more expensive than in Gisenyi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Gisenyi is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.19 RWF 6,133

309.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$15.04 RWF 22.0K

352.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.86 RWF 8,580

132.76%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.24 RWF 3,277

24.11%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.86 RWF 1,253

227.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.51 RWF 753

284.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.02 RWF 1,497

334.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.01 RWF 2,942

129.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.66 RWF 963

92.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.07 RWF 1,567

99.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.25 RWF 1,824

59.20%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.68 RWF 2,462

100.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$4.16 RWF 6,086

355.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.26 RWF 6,233

123.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$3.73 RWF 5,464

402.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.37 RWF 3,465

11.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.01 RWF 1,476

132.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.47 RWF 2,152

42.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.14 RWF 1,662

139.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.49 RWF 710

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.83 RWF 1,211

118.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.31 RWF 454

387.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.80 RWF 1,170

11.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$1.69 RWF 2,479

301.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$10.03 RWF 14.7K

-21.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.97 RWF 1,425

41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.78 RWF 2,599

34.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.09 RWF 136

3133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.14 RWF 4,602

45.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.40 RWF 2,052

45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$3.75 RWF 5,488

665.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.17 RWF 1,713

55.56%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.9K RWF 39.4M

46.12%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$30.0K RWF 43.9M

8.32%

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

$187 €162

$45.73 RWF 66.9K

308.11%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$3.06 RWF 4,483

628.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$17.97 RWF 26.3K

102.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$3.42 RWF 5,009

214.91%

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

$725 €628

$153 RWF 223.4K

374.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$5,123 RWF 7.5M

195.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$17.30 RWF 25.3K

407.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$19.10 RWF 28.0K

92.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$24.56 RWF 35.9K

321.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$30.90 RWF 45.2K

283.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$101 RWF 148.2K

1404.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$50.6 RWF 74.1K

2323.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$299 RWF 438.1K

811.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$118 RWF 172.8K

1580.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gisenyi: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $101 in Gisenyi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Gisenyi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $146 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 470% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $414 including rent). Gisenyi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $620 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $101 in Gisenyi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $414 in Gisenyi versus $2,359 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 470% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.