Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonn and Kempten Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonn and Kempten

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Bonn versus $2,146 in Kempten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,393 in Bonn versus $3,162 in Kempten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,521 in Bonn versus $4,178 in Kempten.

Living in Bonn is roughly 6% more expensive than Kempten, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bonn 69% above, Kempten 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 €15.16

$18.48 €15.90

-4.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 €69.8

$56.7 €48.80

43.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €9.92

$9.91 €8.52

16.45%

Cappuccino

$3.38 €2.91

$3.80 €3.27

-11.05%

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

$2.67 €2.30

$2.97 €2.55

-10.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.38 €2.05

-6.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 €4.39

$4.72 €4.06

8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 €4.67

$3.48 €3.00

56.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.18 €1.02

11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.25 €1.94

5.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 €2.88

$3.15 €2.71

6.35%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.36

$3.68 €3.16

5.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.75 €12.69

$15.18 €13.05

-2.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.03 €13.79

$14.64 €12.60

9.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.61 €19.45

$17.65 €15.18

28.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.85

$2.54 €2.19

30.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.45 €1.25

24.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.64 €1.41

38.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 €4.57

$4.96 €4.27

7.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.77 €1.52

-4.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.71 €1.47

-3.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.95 €1.67

8.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$0.55 €0.47

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.28 €7.98

$9.66 €8.31

-3.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 €4.87

$5.74 €4.93

-1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.08 €0.93

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.15 €0.99

53.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.31

$3.28 €2.82

17.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.0 €49.87

$55.8 €48.02

3.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.08

$3.18 €2.74

49.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.66 €2.29

-24.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.06 €31.88

$35.28 €30.35

5.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.03 €1.75

-1.48%

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

$31.1K €26.7K

$34.1K €29.3K

-8.79%

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

$38.3K €33.0K

$35.0K €30.1K

9.46%

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

$372 €320

$354 €304

5.13%

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

$27.97 €24.06

$28.97 €24.92

-3.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 €43.77

$52.7 €45.35

-3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.45 €37.38

$58.9 €50.7

-26.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.22 €32.01

$35.24 €30.32

5.62%

Cinema Ticket

$16.26 €13.99

$12.63 €10.86

28.74%

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

$576 €495

$328 €282

75.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.2K

$18.1K €15.5K

-21.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 €68.4

$88.0 €75.7

-9.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 €34.74

$26.31 €22.63

53.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 €83.7

$117 €101

-17.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$172 €148

-31.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 €839

$926 €797

5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 €694

$728 €626

10.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 €1,760

$1,598 €1,374

28.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 €1,356

$1,213 €1,044

29.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,528 €5,615

$6,439 €5,539

1.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,559 €3,922

$5,018 €4,317

-9.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,662 €3,150

$4,083 €3,512

-10.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

2.6

53.08%

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

Last update for Bonn: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kempten: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $976 in Bonn and $926 in Kempten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kempten pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Bonn vs $57.0 in Kempten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $328 per month, with Kempten cheaper across the board.

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

Bonn vs Kempten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kempten wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Bonn. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kempten the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kempten earns 11% 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: $976 in Bonn versus $926 in Kempten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Bonn versus $328 in Kempten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Bonn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,146 in Kempten versus $2,265 in Bonn, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kempten but tight or insufficient in Bonn. The gap between the two cities makes Kempten 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, Bonn and Kempten 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 Kempten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Bonn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.