1 Kilo Gold Bar
$134,950 1 kilo gold bar, gold value at spot
32.1507 troy ounces · 10 oz bar $41,974
Gold spot $4,197.40/oz · updated
Quick answer: A 1 kilo gold bar holds 32.1507 troy ounces, which is $134,950 of gold at the live gold price of $4,197.40 per ounce. That is the value of the metal before a seller's premium, delivery and insurance. The kilo is the largest bar size that appears on a retail bank's page in our research: CIBC's page lists a 1 kg gold bar, and UBS's key4 gold page says physical bars can be ordered by its clients in Switzerland.
The size
A kilogram is 1,000 grams, and gold is priced by the troy ounce, so the bar needs converting. Divide 1,000 by 31.1035 and you get 32.1507 troy ounces. Multiply that by the spot price of $4,197.40 and you reach $134,950. The same figure comes from multiplying the spot per kilo, $134,950, by one.
Compared with a regular ounce, a kilo is about 35.3 ounces of the kind used for food, from 1,000 divided by 28.3495. The difference between 32.15 and 35.3 is the troy-versus-regular gap again, and it is the main way people go wrong when they convert a kilo bar by eye. The guide to gold bar weight sets out the arithmetic.
Next to the other sizes, a kilo bar is worth ten times a 100 g bar and about three times a 10 oz gold bar. The 10 oz bar is worth $41,974, so a kilo is a little over three of them. The 400 oz bank bar at $1,678,960 is the next step up the ladder, but it belongs in a vault.
On fineness, minted kilo bars are commonly marked .9999 or .999, and the mark is on the bar. If the mark is .999 then the pure gold inside is slightly less than 32.1507 troy ounces. At the .999 mark, the pure gold weight is the bar's weight times 0.999. The value figure above uses pure gold, so a .999 bar is worth a hair under it. The price page, gold bar price, lists every size on the same basis.
Why banks mention kilo bars
The kilo bar turns up in bank conversations because it is a size banks outside the US talk about. We looked at bank pages and, in each case below, the bank's own page is the source.
CIBC, a Canadian bank, lists gold bars in 1 oz and 1 kg sizes on its page, along with silver bars and gold coins. The page also says that buy-back is considered only with the original receipt, in pristine condition, and only if CIBC still sells that product. That condition is worth reading closely if you are thinking about a kilo bar, because a large bar leaves little room for doubt about what you are holding.
UBS offers a gold product called key4 gold. As its page describes it, the product gives co-ownership in collective custody to clients domiciled in Switzerland, and physical bars can be ordered. It is not a product for US residents, and we print none of its limits or fees. Treat it as a sign of what a bank in Switzerland offers, not as a place for a US reader to shop.
Raiffeisen Switzerland says on its page that it offers gold bars from 1 g to 1 kg at the counter or by phone, with a certificate for each bar, and states it will repurchase standard bars at market price. That is the bank's own wording, and we have not tested it.
In the US, we found no page on a large bank's site offering gold bars for sale. The page on banks that sell gold bars gives each bank, the source and the date we read it. If your plan for a kilo bar depends on a bank, that list is the first stop, and the second is a call to your own branch.
The reasons commonly given for why banks keep out of this business are cost and effort. Vaults, insurance, transport and staff who can handle metal all cost money, and the margins are thin. A kilo bar makes those costs more obvious, since it is worth $134,950 in one piece.
Weight and storage
A kilo of gold is 1 kilogram on the scale, a little over 2 pounds of metal in a pocket-sized block. It is a small object for its value, which is both its appeal and the reason to be careful with it.
If you hold a bar this size at home, think about the whole plan: where it is kept, who knows, how it is insured and what happens if you move. A home safe that suits a few 1 oz bars may not suit a kilo bar. The right size of safe, its anchoring and its rating are questions for a safe supplier and your insurer.
If you plan to keep it at a bank, read the box agreement. The FDIC's page says that a safe deposit box is not a deposit account, that its contents are not covered by FDIC deposit insurance, and that institutions generally do not insure contents either, so ask an insurance agent about coverage. Chase's page on safe deposit boxes says boxes do not come with insurance for what is stored. The guide to gold bars in a safe deposit box goes through the checklist.
Weight is also a practical limit on a box. Two kilo bars weigh 2 kg between them, which is nothing for a shelf but can matter for a small box lid. Ask the branch what a box will hold before you arrange anything.
When the bar moves, it moves with paperwork. A buyer will usually want to see the seal and the certificate intact, so avoid opening them without a reason. Record the serial number and take a photo of the markings, and store the photo away from the bar.
Buying one
Few people buy a kilo bar as a first purchase, and the reasons are mostly practical. It is a large sum in one object, the number of buyers is smaller, and the shipping needs more care.
If you are considering one, work backward from the spot value of $134,950. Ask each seller for a total in writing that includes shipping and insurance, subtract spot, and see what the difference is in dollars. Then ask what the seller would offer if you came back to sell, and what documents they would want.
The pillar guide on where to buy gold bars compares the main kinds of seller, and the how much a gold bar is worth page shows the buy and sell gap with an example.
What this can't tell you
This page can't tell you what a kilo bar costs from any seller. We print spot value only, and the premium, shipping and insurance are the seller's to state in writing.
It also can't tell you what any bank will do for you. The bank pages quoted here describe the bank's own customers and products, which for CIBC and UBS are outside the US. A bank's policy can change, so read the current page and ask.
And it can't tell you what the metal is worth next week. The figure above is a snapshot of the live feed, not a forecast.
FAQ
How many troy ounces are in a 1 kilo gold bar?
A kilo bar holds 32.1507 troy ounces of gold when it is pure. A bar marked .999 or .9999 holds very slightly less pure gold than that. Gold is priced per troy ounce, so this conversion is the first step in finding what the bar is worth.
How much is a 1 kilo gold bar worth today?
At the current spot price, the gold in a 1 kilo bar is worth $134,950. A seller's premium, delivery and insurance come on top when you buy. The live figure at the top of the page follows the gold feed and shows its time stamp.
Do banks sell 1 kilo gold bars?
Some do outside the US. CIBC's page lists a 1 kg gold bar, and Raiffeisen Switzerland says its bars run from 1 g to 1 kg. For US banks, we found no page offering gold bars for sale. See the list of banks for sources and dates.
Is a kilo bar the same as a 400 oz bar?
No. A kilo bar is about 32 troy ounces. The 400 oz bar is the large bar used between refiners and vaults, and it weighs roughly 12.44 kilos. The two sit at opposite ends of the size table on the price page.
Keep reading
- gold bar price: spot value for each size, with the premium checker
- 10 oz gold bar: the size below the kilo, with its premium and storage points
- gold bar weight: the troy ounce, the regular ounce and the kilo side by side
Data sources: Spot price via api.gold-api.com · COMEX futures (GC=F) via Yahoo Finance. Prices are for informational purposes only and may be delayed. Figures on this page were generated . Gold is quoted in US dollars per troy ounce.