Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kempten

For one person, living is cheaper in Kempten: $1,977 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Kempten
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Kempten Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Kempten

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Kempten

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 Kempten actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,977 in Kempten.

Barcelona $2,443
Kempten $1,977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,950 in Kempten.

Barcelona $3,519
Kempten $2,950

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $3,924 in Kempten.

Barcelona $4,595
Kempten $3,924

Living in Barcelona is roughly 24% more expensive than in Kempten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Kempten 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.79

$17.69 €15.82

-0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.3

$56.0 €50.1

20.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.17

$9.73 €8.70

39.88%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.77

$4.06 €3.63

-23.65%

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

$3.00 €2.68

$2.79 €2.49

7.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.36 €2.11

-18.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.44

$4.87 €4.35

-21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.90

$3.43 €3.06

27.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.28 €1.15

-2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.29 €2.04

-7.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.11 €2.78

-36.66%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.26

$4.37 €3.91

8.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.26

$16.66 €14.90

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €8.01

$12.67 €11.33

-29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.46

$16.81 €15.03

22.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.83

$2.45 €2.19

28.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.42 €1.27

38.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.37

$1.58 €1.41

67.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.58

$4.10 €3.66

-29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.68 €1.51

22.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.61 €1.44

35.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.47 €1.32

4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$0.54 €0.48

79.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.23

$9.05 €8.09

-22.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.05

$5.51 €4.93

43.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.09 €0.97

30.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.40

$1.09 €0.97

146.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.96

$3.15 €2.81

5.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.90

$60.6 €54.2

-57.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.76

$4.76 €4.25

-35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.33

$2.87 €2.56

-48.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.40

$39.80 €35.59

-17.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.10 €1.88

-10.95%

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

$33.0K €29.5K

$33.5K €30.0K

-1.61%

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

$31.9K €28.6K

$33.0K €29.5K

-3.19%

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

$183 €164

$312 €279

-41.47%

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

$14.24 €12.73

$17.72 €15.85

-19.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.91

$43.47 €38.87

-20.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.98

$56.1 €50.2

-8.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.65

$26.35 €23.56

-37.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.89

$13.08 €11.70

-15.44%

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

$944 €844

$318 €284

196.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.9K

$22.2K €19.8K

0.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.4

$80.4 €71.9

9.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.67

$43.26 €38.68

-10.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$96.0 €85.9

8.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$139 €124

-15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,517

$894 €799

89.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,195

$680 €608

96.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,407

$1,544 €1,380

74.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,857

$1,213 €1,084

71.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,398

$6,054 €5,413

18.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,542

$4,882 €4,366

4.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €2,004

$3,872 €3,463

-42.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

2.6

22.69%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kempten: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Kempten

$680 34.4% 49.1% $657

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Kempten

$316 16% 3.5% $12

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Kempten

$271 13.7% 1.6% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Kempten

$374 18.9% 61.3% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Kempten

$161 8.2% 2.9% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Kempten

$82 4.2% 11.9% $8.7

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Kempten

$92 4.7% 87% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $894 in Kempten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kempten pays 73% 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 $56 in Kempten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $316 per month, with Kempten cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇩🇪 Kempten

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

61,399

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Kempten 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Kempten

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 Kempten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,977 in Kempten, so Kempten is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $894 in Kempten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $318 in Kempten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Kempten gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Kempten are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.