Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guilin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guilin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $682 in Guilin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,074 in Guilin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,466 in Guilin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 240% more expensive than in Guilin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Guilin is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$4.06 ¥27.45

334.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$18.54 ¥125

275.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$3.47 ¥23.43

308.07%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.71 ¥18.34

3.32%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.75 ¥5.05

274.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.27 ¥1.80

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.01 ¥6.85

355.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.15 ¥14.52

118.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.42 ¥9.59

-13.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.36 ¥9.21

49.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.58 ¥3.94

241.38%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.72 ¥11.59

102.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.77 ¥86.3

43.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.19 ¥21.58

208.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.31 ¥56.2

130.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.79 ¥12.08

52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.22 ¥8.24

95.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.40 ¥9.48

48.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.13 ¥7.63

143.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.68 ¥4.59

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.92 ¥6.20

94.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.60 ¥4.06

146.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.95 ¥6.40

-4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.09 ¥20.90

130.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$10.55 ¥71.3

-25.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.90 ¥6.07

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.60 ¥10.81

49.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.27 ¥1.82

1014.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$16.85 ¥114

74.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.96 ¥6.47

354.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.31 ¥2.06

587.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.79 ¥45.88

335.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.13 ¥7.61

61.06%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$19.5K ¥131.9K

94.18%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$16.7K ¥112.7K

94.21%

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

$189 €166

$27.90 ¥189

577.53%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$4.73 ¥31.94

371.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$11.51 ¥77.8

222.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.41 ¥280

40.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.07 ¥95.1

46.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.11 ¥27.79

164.48%

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

$706 €618

$338 ¥2,281

109.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$17.1K ¥115.3K

-12.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$43.66 ¥295

104.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$30.31 ¥205

20.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$72.3 ¥488

43.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$75.5 ¥510

58.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$275 ¥1,858

474.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$191 ¥1,288

549.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$593 ¥4,009

357.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$359 ¥2,426

468.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,338 ¥9,039

462.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,856 ¥12.5K

182.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$487 ¥3,291

385.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.87

-12.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Guilin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $275 in Guilin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 385% 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 $19.00 in Guilin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $190 per month, with Guilin 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 Guilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Guilin differ by about 240% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $682 including rent). Guilin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 385% 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 $275 in Guilin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $338 in Guilin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Guilin versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Guilin but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Guilin 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 Guilin 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 Guilin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 240% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.