Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonn and Kempten

For one person, living is cheaper in Kempten: $1,977 a month against $2,326 in Bonn, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bonn, Germany
Kempten, Germany
Bonn
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,326
/mo nomad
Kempten
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,977
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bonn 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 Bonn and in Kempten actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,326 in Bonn versus $1,977 in Kempten.

  • Bonn $2,326
  • Kempten $1,977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,487 in Bonn versus $2,950 in Kempten.

  • Bonn $3,487
  • Kempten $2,950

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Bonn versus $3,924 in Kempten.

  • Bonn $4,647
  • Kempten $3,924

Living in Bonn is roughly 18% more expensive than in Kempten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bonn 72% above, Kempten 46% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bonn
Kempten
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.44 €16.45
$17.69 €15.78
4.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.1 €68.8
$56.0 €49.94
37.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.41 €11.07
$9.73 €8.68
27.54%
Cappuccino
$4.34 €3.87
$4.06 €3.62
6.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 €2.93
$2.79 €2.49
17.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.14
$2.36 €2.11
1.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.68 €5.07
$4.87 €4.34
16.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 €3.83
$3.43 €3.06
25.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bonn
Kempten
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.28 €1.14
15.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 €2.49
$2.29 €2.04
21.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.96 €3.53
$3.11 €2.78
27.33%
Eggs
$3.97 €3.54
$4.37 €3.90
-9.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.23 €12.69
$16.66 €14.86
-14.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.53 €9.40
$12.67 €11.30
-16.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.54 €23.67
$16.81 €15.00
57.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 €3.04
$2.45 €2.18
38.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$1.42 €1.26
86.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.58 €1.41
42.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.10 €4.55
$4.10 €3.65
24.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$1.68 €1.50
32.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.61 €1.43
5.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.60 €1.43
$1.47 €1.31
8.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 €1.13
$0.54 €0.48
135.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 €8.81
$9.05 €8.07
9.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.21 €5.54
$5.51 €4.92
12.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.09 €0.97
11.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.09 €0.97
64.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Bonn
Kempten
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.35 €3.88
$3.15 €2.81
38.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.3 €61.9
$60.6 €54.0
14.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.51 €4.91
$4.76 €4.24
15.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.73 €2.44
$2.87 €2.56
-4.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$37.15 €33.14
$39.80 €35.50
-6.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.35 €2.09
$2.10 €1.87
11.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K €29.3K
$33.5K €29.9K
-1.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$33.0K €29.4K
17.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bonn
Kempten
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$333 €297
$312 €279
6.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.95 €22.26
$17.72 €15.81
40.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.84 €35.54
$43.47 €38.77
-8.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bonn
Kempten
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.42 €37.84
$56.1 €50.0
-24.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.86 €29.31
$26.35 €23.51
24.71%
Cinema Ticket
$15.95 €14.23
$13.08 €11.67
21.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bonn
Kempten
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$683 €609
$318 €283
115.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.7K €22.9K
$22.2K €19.8K
15.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bonn
Kempten
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5 €80.7
$80.4 €71.7
12.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.54 €34.38
$43.26 €38.59
-10.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.4
$96.0 €85.7
6.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 €101
$139 €124
-19.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bonn
Kempten
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 €924
$894 €797
15.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$927 €826
$680 €606
36.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,130 €1,900
$1,544 €1,377
37.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,616 €1,441
$1,213 €1,082
33.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,978 €5,333
$6,054 €5,400
-1.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,436 €3,957
$4,882 €4,355
-9.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bonn
Kempten
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,407 €3,039
$3,872 €3,454
-12.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.96
2.6
52.31%

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

Last update for Bonn: 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
Bonn
$927
Kempten
$680 26.6% $247
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bonn
$398
Kempten
$374 6% $24
Groceries & Markets
Bonn
$371
Kempten
$316 14.7% $55
Eating Out
Bonn
$297
Kempten
$271 8.5% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Bonn
$155
Kempten
$161 4.3% $6.6
Getting Around
Bonn
$106
Kempten
$92 12.9% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Bonn
$74
Kempten
$82 10.7% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,036 in Bonn and $894 in Kempten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kempten pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77 in Bonn vs $56 in Kempten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $316 per month, with Kempten cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Bonn
🇩🇪 Kempten
🕒 Local time
03:01 3:01 AM
03:01 3:01 AM
Same time as Bonn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
335,913
61,399
💱 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 = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bonn Kempten 410 km
From you
  • Bonn
  • 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
Bonn vs Kempten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bonn or Kempten?
Kempten wins on cost – living expenses run 15% 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.
Are salaries higher in Bonn or in Kempten?
On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Bonn. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bonn compared to Kempten?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,036 in Bonn versus $894 in Kempten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Bonn and in Kempten?
Childcare runs $683 in Bonn versus $318 in Kempten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Bonn or in Kempten?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Bonn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Bonn or in Kempten?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Bonn or Kempten?
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.
How safe is Bonn compared to Kempten?
Safety-wise, Bonn and Kempten are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Kempten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Bonn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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