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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $850 in Guangzhou (Canton).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,416 in Guangzhou (Canton).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,981 in Guangzhou (Canton).

Living in Barcelona is roughly 178% more expensive than Guangzhou (Canton), driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Guangzhou (Canton) is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.74 ¥18.57

541.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$22.37 ¥151

205.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.77 ¥32.29

194.76%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.17 ¥21.43

-12.30%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.50 ¥3.40

460.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.30 ¥2.02

586.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.01 ¥6.84

341.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$1.66 ¥11.21

177.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.89 ¥12.78

-34.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.03 ¥13.77

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.29 ¥8.72

48.84%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.56 ¥10.57

112.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$19.15 ¥130

-3.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.70 ¥31.84

101.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$14.33 ¥97.0

33.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.12 ¥14.38

24.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.25 ¥8.49

96.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.99 ¥13.49

6.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.48 ¥10.03

92.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.95 ¥6.43

114.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.08 ¥7.34

71.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.56 ¥3.81

162.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.61 ¥4.12

37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.93 ¥26.57

81.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.48 ¥71.0

-24.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.93 ¥6.31

48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.41 ¥9.54

63.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.44 ¥2.97

577.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$25.10 ¥170

16.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.62 ¥10.98

183.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.35 ¥2.34

491.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$6.12 ¥41.39

376.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.16 ¥7.86

58.62%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$21.3K ¥144.0K

83.37%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$19.5K ¥131.7K

68.08%

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

$188 €162

$60.2 ¥408

211.79%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$12.94 ¥87.6

77.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$11.49 ¥77.8

219.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$40.75 ¥276

40.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.85 ¥93.7

49.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.47 ¥43.81

72.95%

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

$721 €621

$319 ¥2,161

125.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$16.2K ¥109.7K

-7.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$41.23 ¥279

109.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$28.59 ¥194

29.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$69.1 ¥467

47.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$61.7 ¥417

88.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$492 ¥3,333

211.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$269 ¥1,824

352.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,135 ¥7,680

137.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$618 ¥4,181

225.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$8,864 ¥60.0K

-18.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$3,369 ¥22.8K

54.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,314 ¥8,894

79.55%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $492 in Guangzhou (Canton). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 80% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Guangzhou (Canton) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $251 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 178% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $850 including rent). Guangzhou (Canton) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 80% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $492 in Guangzhou (Canton). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $319 in Guangzhou (Canton). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $850 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $2,367 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 178% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.