Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kempten and Barcelona

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.

Kempten, Germany
Barcelona, Spain
Kempten
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,977
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kempten and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kempten and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

  • Kempten $1,977
  • Barcelona $2,443

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

  • Kempten $2,950
  • Barcelona $3,519

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

  • Kempten $3,924
  • Barcelona $4,595

Living in Kempten costs roughly 19% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kempten
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.69 €15.82
$17.66 €15.79
0.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.0 €50.1
$67.5 €60.3
-17.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.73 €8.70
$13.61 €12.17
-28.51%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.63
$3.10 €2.77
30.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 €2.49
$3.00 €2.68
-7.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.11
$1.93 €1.72
22.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.87 €4.35
$3.84 €3.44
26.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 €3.06
$4.36 €3.90
-21.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kempten
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 €1.15
$1.25 €1.11
2.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 €2.04
$2.12 €1.90
8.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.11 €2.78
$1.97 €1.76
57.87%
Eggs
$4.37 €3.91
$4.76 €4.26
-8.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.66 €14.90
$17.07 €15.26
-2.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.67 €11.33
$8.96 €8.01
41.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.81 €15.03
$20.65 €18.46
-18.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 €2.19
$3.16 €2.83
-22.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.97 €1.76
-27.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 €1.41
$2.65 €2.37
-40.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.10 €3.66
$2.88 €2.58
42.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.68 €1.51
$2.06 €1.84
-18.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 €1.44
$2.18 €1.95
-26.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.53 €1.37
-3.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.48
$0.97 €0.87
-44.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.05 €8.09
$6.97 €6.23
29.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.51 €4.93
$7.89 €7.05
-30.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.42 €1.27
-23.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$2.69 €2.40
-59.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Kempten
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.15 €2.81
$3.31 €2.96
-4.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.6 €54.2
$25.61 €22.90
136.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 €4.25
$3.08 €2.76
54.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.87 €2.56
$1.48 €1.33
93.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.80 €35.59
$32.87 €29.40
21.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.10 €1.88
$1.87 €1.67
12.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K €30.0K
$33.0K €29.5K
1.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.0K €29.5K
$31.9K €28.6K
3.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kempten
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$312 €279
$183 €164
70.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.72 €15.85
$14.24 €12.73
24.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.47 €38.87
$34.56 €30.91
25.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kempten
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.1 €50.2
$51.4 €45.98
9.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.35 €23.56
$16.38 €14.65
60.87%
Cinema Ticket
$13.08 €11.70
$11.06 €9.89
18.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kempten
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$318 €284
$944 €844
-66.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.2K €19.8K
$22.3K €19.9K
-0.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kempten
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.4 €71.9
$87.7 €78.4
-8.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.26 €38.68
$38.77 €34.67
11.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 €85.9
$105 €93.5
-8.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 €124
$118 €105
18.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kempten
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$894 €799
$1,697 €1,517
-47.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$680 €608
$1,337 €1,195
-49.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,544 €1,380
$2,692 €2,407
-42.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,213 €1,084
$2,077 €1,857
-41.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,054 €5,413
$7,155 €6,398
-15.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,882 €4,366
$5,079 €4,542
-3.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kempten
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,872 €3,463
$2,241 €2,004
72.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.6
3.19
-18.50%

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

Last update for Kempten: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kempten
$680
Barcelona
$1.3K 96.6% $657
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kempten
$374
Barcelona
$232 38% $142
Groceries & Markets
Kempten
$316
Barcelona
$328 3.7% $12
Eating Out
Kempten
$271
Barcelona
$267 1.6% $4.3
Clothing & Footwear
Kempten
$161
Barcelona
$157 2.8% $4.6
Getting Around
Kempten
$92
Barcelona
$49 46.5% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Kempten
$82
Barcelona
$74 10.6% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Kempten and $1,697 in Barcelona. 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: $56 in Kempten vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $328 per month, with Kempten cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Kempten
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
23:02 11:02 PM
23:02 11:02 PM
Same time as Kempten
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
61,399
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kempten Barcelona 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kempten
  • Barcelona

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
Kempten vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Kempten and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,977 in Kempten and $2,443 in Barcelona, so Kempten is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Kempten or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 73% higher in Kempten, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Kempten and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $894 in Kempten versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kempten and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $318 in Kempten versus $944 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Kempten compared to Barcelona?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Kempten and Barcelona?
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.
Is Kempten or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Kempten and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Kempten vs other spots: cost of living compared

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