Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kaufbeuren

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaufbeuren: $1,961 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona, Spain
Kaufbeuren, Germany
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Kaufbeuren
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,961
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Kaufbeuren

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Kaufbeuren actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,961 in Kaufbeuren.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Kaufbeuren $1,961

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,964 in Kaufbeuren.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Kaufbeuren $2,964

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $3,967 in Kaufbeuren.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Kaufbeuren $3,967

Living in Barcelona is roughly 25% more expensive than in Kaufbeuren, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Kaufbeuren 45% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.79
$16.62 €14.86
6.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.3
$66.9 €59.9
0.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.17
$10.95 €9.79
24.29%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.77
$3.86 €3.45
-19.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.68
$2.81 €2.51
6.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$2.41 €2.16
-19.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.44
$4.44 €3.97
-13.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.90
$4.43 €3.96
-1.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.31 €1.17
-4.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.90
$1.99 €1.78
6.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$4.07 €3.64
-51.60%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.26
$4.01 €3.59
18.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.26
$14.27 €12.76
19.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €8.01
$10.37 €9.27
-13.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.46
$24.64 €22.03
-16.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.83
$3.16 €2.83
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.11 €1.89
-6.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.37
$2.10 €1.88
26.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.58
$4.40 €3.93
-34.55%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$1.26 €1.12
63.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.27 €1.14
71.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.51 €1.35
1.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.87
$1.02 €0.91
-4.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.23
$9.18 €8.21
-24.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.05
$6.31 €5.64
25.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.11 €0.99
27.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.40
$1.65 €1.48
63.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Kaufbeuren
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.96
$3.41 €3.05
-2.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.90
$70.1 €62.7
-63.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.76
$3.88 €3.47
-20.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.33
$2.29 €2.04
-35.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.40
$28.33 €25.33
16.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.67
$2.06 €1.84
-9.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.5K
$33.1K €29.6K
-0.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.6K
$38.4K €34.4K
-16.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €164
$266 €238
-31.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.73
$33.57 €30.02
-57.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.91
$49.37 €44.14
-30.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.98
$38.33 €34.28
34.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.65
$26.54 €23.73
-38.28%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.89
$15.97 €14.28
-30.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €844
$342 €305
176.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.9K
$9,557 €8,545
133.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.4
$91.8 €82.1
-4.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.67
$59.6 €53.3
-34.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.5
$79.5 €71.0
31.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$173 €155
-32.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Kaufbeuren
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,517
$807 €722
110.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,195
$658 €589
103.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,407
$1,497 €1,338
79.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,857
$1,136 €1,016
82.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,398
$4,614 €4,125
55.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,542
$3,299 €2,950
53.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €2,004
$2,826 €2,527
-20.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
3.95
-19.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kaufbeuren: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Kaufbeuren
$658 50.7% $678
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Kaufbeuren
$339 3.4% $11
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Kaufbeuren
$264 1.1% $3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Kaufbeuren
$349 50.5% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Kaufbeuren
$182 15.9% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Kaufbeuren
$70 4.5% $3.3
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Kaufbeuren
$99 101% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $807 in Kaufbeuren. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaufbeuren pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $67 in Kaufbeuren for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $339 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇩🇪 Kaufbeuren
🕒 Local time
04:09 4:09 AM
04:09 4:09 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
41,759
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Kaufbeuren 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Kaufbeuren

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kaufbeuren: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Kaufbeuren?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,961 in Kaufbeuren, so Kaufbeuren is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Kaufbeuren?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $807 in Kaufbeuren. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Kaufbeuren?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $342 in Kaufbeuren. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do commuting costs compare in Barcelona and in Kaufbeuren?
A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 63% less than in Kaufbeuren. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How far does $3,000 go in Barcelona compared to Kaufbeuren?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Kaufbeuren gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Kaufbeuren?
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.
Is Barcelona or Kaufbeuren safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Kaufbeuren are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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