The invention discloses a method for synthesizing a citric acid ester type compound, which belongs to the technical field of chemical synthesis. The method comprises the following steps of: using citric acid and fatty alcohol as main raw materials, and using benzene sulfonic acid or amino benzene sulfonic acid as a catalyst; and performing esterification and the purification processes of acetylation, neutralization, washing, drying, distillation and the like. The catalyst has rich sources, a low cost and high activity, can be separated from an esterification liquid easily after the neutralization, is coke-free during the distillation, has less corrosion to equipment, and is safe and environment-friendly; the water generated by the esterification is separated out by adopting a binary heterogeneous separation technique, and no water separating agent is additionally added; and acetyl citric acid ester is produced by adopting an esterification-acetylation continuous synthesis method, the flow is greatly simplified, and a synthesis process is shortened. The citric acid ester prepared by the method has the advantages of high quality, high purity, low degree of color and wide applicationrange.