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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $660 in Guilin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,050 in Guilin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,440 in Guilin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 275% more expensive than in Guilin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Guilin is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$2.21 ¥14.78

747.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$14.65 ¥98.1

374.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$2.95 ¥19.77

366.78%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.10 ¥14.07

47.62%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.43 ¥2.85

558.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.29 ¥1.93

548.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.83 ¥5.59

379.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.15 ¥14.41

110.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.45 ¥9.70

-12.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.25 ¥8.38

72.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.64 ¥4.26

175.00%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.76 ¥11.78

191.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$13.44 ¥90.0

33.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.36 ¥22.47

187.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$11.16 ¥74.7

80.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.47 ¥9.87

121.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.17 ¥7.85

90.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.03 ¥6.87

152.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.88 ¥5.86

213.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.75 ¥5.03

194.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.94 ¥6.30

125.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.53 ¥3.56

192.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.43 ¥2.90

120.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.77 ¥25.23

94.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$12.12 ¥81.1

-33.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.85 ¥5.68

81.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.64 ¥10.96

70.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.29 ¥1.93

972.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$18.88 ¥126

36.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.31 ¥8.77

149.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.31 ¥2.08

377.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$6.76 ¥45.24

406.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.20 ¥8.06

44.17%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.1K ¥127.6K

90.79%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$16.9K ¥113.2K

80.70%

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

$187 €163

$24.13 ¥162

675.30%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$5.02 ¥33.59

201.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$11.01 ¥73.7

242.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$41.11 ¥275

36.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$13.76 ¥92.2

24.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$5.07 ¥33.95

125.05%

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

$997 €868

$383 ¥2,565

160.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$15.5K ¥103.7K

6.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$42.87 ¥287

116.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$38.44 ¥257

7.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$75.4 ¥505

47.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$74.0 ¥496

69.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$290 ¥1,943

488.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$180 ¥1,207

613.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$593 ¥3,972

332.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$366 ¥2,451

430.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$1,377 ¥9,223

455.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,908 ¥12.8K

170.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$481 ¥3,223

387.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.38

-6.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Guilin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $290 in Guilin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 388% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Guilin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $193 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 275% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $660 including rent). Guilin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 388% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $290 in Guilin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $383 in Guilin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $660 in Guilin versus $2,476 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 275% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.