Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guiyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guiyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $729 in Guiyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,141 in Guiyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,552 in Guiyang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 242% more expensive than in Guiyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Guiyang is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$2.80 ¥18.79

556.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$21.82 ¥146

217.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$4.98 ¥33.42

183.73%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.05 ¥20.46

2.62%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.46 ¥3.10

556.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.27 ¥1.81

625.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$0.88 ¥5.92

354.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$2.12 ¥14.20

124.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.88 ¥12.64

-33.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.62 ¥10.86

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.90 ¥6.02

87.78%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.61 ¥10.78

206.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$12.85 ¥86.2

39.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$3.27 ¥21.97

193.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$10.08 ¥67.6

91.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.86 ¥12.50

74.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.22 ¥8.17

78.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.53 ¥10.23

74.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.10 ¥7.35

151.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.73 ¥4.91

202.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.96 ¥6.42

128.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.56 ¥3.74

171.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.50 ¥3.39

84.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$3.09 ¥20.71

130.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$10.58 ¥71.0

-23.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.80 ¥5.36

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.60 ¥10.74

73.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.27 ¥1.79

1066.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$16.43 ¥110

64.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.38 ¥9.23

135.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.32 ¥2.17

368.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$6.49 ¥43.56

437.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.14 ¥7.64

53.51%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$19.4K ¥129.9K

89.36%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$17.0K ¥114.1K

81.89%

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

$188 €161

$44.51 ¥299

321.55%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$9.61 ¥64.5

60.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$11.88 ¥79.7

218.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$42.29 ¥284

35.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$14.19 ¥95.2

18.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$5.75 ¥38.59

101.39%

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

$1,003 €862

$339 ¥2,272

196.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$17.0K ¥113.9K

0.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$43.29 ¥290

106.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$30.21 ¥203

35.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$72.2 ¥484

52.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$71.1 ¥477

72.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$281 ¥1,887

495.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$196 ¥1,313

580.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$595 ¥3,990

336.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$358 ¥2,400

445.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$3,015 ¥20.2K

151.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,046 ¥13.7K

162.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.89

-18.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Guiyang: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $281 in Guiyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Guiyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $199 per month, with Guiyang 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 Guiyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Guiyang differ by about 242% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $729 including rent). Guiyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,093 in Guiyang 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $281 in Guiyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $339 in Guiyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $729 in Guiyang versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Guiyang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Guiyang 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 Guiyang 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 Guiyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 242% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.