Cost of Living Comparison Between Kempten and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Kempten and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,133 in Kempten versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,135 in Kempten versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,138 in Kempten versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Kempten costs roughly 9% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kempten 59% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.59 €16.02

$17.08 €14.72

8.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 €50.3

$69.2 €59.7

-15.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 €8.49

$13.78 €11.87

-28.52%

Cappuccino

$3.92 €3.38

$2.76 €2.37

42.03%

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

$2.84 €2.44

$2.79 €2.40

1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.99 €1.72

19.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €3.94

$4.36 €3.76

5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.13

$4.74 €4.09

-23.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.29 €1.11

-5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.05 €1.77

12.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$1.99 €1.71

62.81%

Eggs

$3.83 €3.30

$3.39 €2.92

12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.54 €13.39

$18.81 €16.21

-17.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.53 €12.52

$9.36 €8.07

55.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 €14.87

$19.12 €16.48

-9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.70 €2.32

-9.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.34 €2.02

-35.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.12 €1.83

-21.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 €4.50

$2.85 €2.46

83.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.97 €1.70

-10.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.80 €1.55

-9.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.45 €1.25

36.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$0.86 €0.74

-30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 €7.98

$6.78 €5.84

36.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 €4.91

$7.90 €6.81

-27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$1.39 €1.20

-25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.37 €2.04

-50.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 €2.90

$2.92 €2.52

15.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 €48.92

$28.69 €24.72

97.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 €2.67

$4.46 €3.84

-30.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 €2.17

$2.05 €1.77

22.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.21 €29.47

$29.55 €25.46

15.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.82 €1.56

10.99%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$38.8K €33.5K

-12.25%

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

$34.6K €29.8K

$33.1K €28.5K

4.60%

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

$363 €313

$189 €163

92.06%

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

$28.50 €24.56

$22.80 €19.65

25.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 €45.37

$37.59 €32.39

40.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.50

$57.7 €49.75

-0.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.96 €30.12

$20.74 €17.87

68.56%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 €11.04

$10.82 €9.33

18.48%

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

$333 €287

$728 €628

-54.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.2K

$14.8K €12.7K

19.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 €77.8

$88.6 €76.4

1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.47 €22.81

$36.85 €31.75

-28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$102 €87.9

15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 €149

$116 €100

49.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 €809

$1,569 €1,352

-40.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €611

$1,218 €1,050

-41.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,390

$2,795 €2,409

-42.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 €1,060

$1,975 €1,702

-37.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,295 €5,423

$7,754 €6,680

-18.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,123 €4,414

$5,176 €4,460

-1.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,967 €3,418

$2,343 €2,019

69.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.6

3.39

-23.30%

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

Last update for Kempten: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $939 in Kempten and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kempten pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Kempten vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $331 vs $319, 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

Kempten vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kempten and Barcelona differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,133 vs $2,337 including rent). Kempten is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kempten pays 69% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $939 in Kempten versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $333 in Kempten versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,133 in Kempten versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kempten but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Kempten and Barcelona 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 10% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.