Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kaufbeuren Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kaufbeuren

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,939 in Kaufbeuren.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,993 in Kaufbeuren.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $4,047 in Kaufbeuren.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 21% more expensive than Kaufbeuren, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Kaufbeuren 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$17.10 €14.73

-0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$65.5 €56.4

5.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$11.60 €9.99

18.79%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.15 €3.57

-33.49%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.86 €2.47

-2.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.60 €2.24

-23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$4.74 €4.08

-8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.69 €4.04

1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.27 €1.10

1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.11 €1.82

-2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.36 €2.90

-40.77%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.67 €3.16

-7.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$14.87 €12.82

26.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$13.15 €11.33

-28.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$20.86 €17.98

-8.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.35 €2.89

-19.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.80 €1.55

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.58 €2.23

-17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.96 €4.27

-42.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.80 €1.55

9.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.83 €1.58

-1.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.87 €1.61

-22.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.36 €1.17

-36.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$9.32 €8.03

-27.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.18 €5.32

27.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.11 €0.95

25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.78 €1.53

33.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$3.46 €2.98

-15.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$62.5 €53.8

-54.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.04 €3.48

10.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.03 €1.75

0.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$28.72 €24.74

2.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.00 €1.72

-9.00%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$33.3K €28.7K

16.69%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$36.1K €31.1K

-8.30%

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

$189 €163

$272 €234

-30.43%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$34.05 €29.34

-33.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$54.7 €47.12

-31.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$40.04 €34.50

44.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$23.18 €19.97

-10.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$17.64 €15.20

-38.66%

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

$728 €628

$342 €295

113.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$11.5K €9,907

28.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$76.4 €65.8

15.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$48.70 €41.96

-24.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$73.9 €63.7

38.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$100 €86.5

15.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$840 €723

86.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$653 €562

86.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,521 €1,310

83.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,225 €1,056

61.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$5,038 €4,341

53.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$3,465 €2,985

49.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,881 €2,482

-18.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.97

-14.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kaufbeuren: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $840 in Kaufbeuren. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaufbeuren pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $65.0 in Kaufbeuren. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $352, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

Barcelona and Kaufbeuren differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,939 including rent). Kaufbeuren is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaufbeuren earns 23% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $840 in Kaufbeuren. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $342 in Kaufbeuren. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,939 in Kaufbeuren versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kaufbeuren but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kaufbeuren 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 Kaufbeuren 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 Kaufbeuren gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.