Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guangzhou (Canton) Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guangzhou (Canton)

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $859 in Guangzhou (Canton).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,406 in Guangzhou (Canton).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,952 in Guangzhou (Canton).

Living in Barcelona is roughly 170% more expensive than in Guangzhou (Canton), driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Guangzhou (Canton) is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.82 ¥19.08

526.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$21.90 ¥148

218.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.77 ¥32.22

196.86%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.11 ¥21.00

-9.97%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.50 ¥3.39

462.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.30 ¥2.01

586.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.01 ¥6.83

355.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.63 ¥11.02

187.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.89 ¥12.76

-34.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.00 ¥13.49

1.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.29 ¥8.71

53.49%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.57 ¥10.59

122.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$18.92 ¥128

-3.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.58 ¥30.92

114.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$14.34 ¥96.9

33.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.11 ¥14.23

29.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.25 ¥8.42

90.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.98 ¥13.40

5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.42 ¥9.60

93.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.94 ¥6.33

108.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.06 ¥7.14

68.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.55 ¥3.73

169.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.65 ¥4.40

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.77 ¥25.44

89.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$12.08 ¥81.6

-34.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.92 ¥6.25

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.41 ¥9.51

69.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.44 ¥2.94

584.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$24.85 ¥168

18.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.71 ¥11.54

154.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.35 ¥2.36

508.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.09 ¥41.13

386.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.18 ¥8.00

54.24%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$21.1K ¥142.6K

79.59%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

66.03%

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

$189 €166

$60.0 ¥406

214.84%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$13.13 ¥88.7

69.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$11.76 ¥79.5

215.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.79 ¥282

38.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$13.83 ¥93.4

49.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.34 ¥42.86

71.45%

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

$706 €618

$313 ¥2,114

125.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$15.8K ¥106.7K

-5.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$40.68 ¥275

119.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$28.49 ¥192

28.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$69.7 ¥471

49.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$60.2 ¥407

98.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$495 ¥3,347

218.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$274 ¥1,852

351.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,143 ¥7,723

137.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$620 ¥4,186

229.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$8,867 ¥59.9K

-15.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,363 ¥22.7K

55.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,278 ¥8,638

84.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.08

-16.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $495 in Guangzhou (Canton). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 85% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Guangzhou (Canton) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $253 per month, with Guangzhou (Canton) 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 Guangzhou (Canton): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Guangzhou (Canton) differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $859 including rent). Guangzhou (Canton) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 85% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $495 in Guangzhou (Canton). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $313 in Guangzhou (Canton). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $859 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Guangzhou (Canton) but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Guangzhou (Canton) 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 Guangzhou (Canton) 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 Guangzhou (Canton) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.