Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Munich and Kempten

For one person, living is cheaper in Kempten: $1,977 a month against $2,717 in Munich, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Munich
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Munich Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Kempten
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Kempten Living Index

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Munich

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,717

/mo nomad

Kempten

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,717 per month in Munich vs $1,977 in Kempten, rent included.

Munich $2,717
Kempten $1,977

A couple spends around $4,106 per month in Munich vs $2,946 in Kempten, rent included.

Munich $4,106
Kempten $2,946

A family of three spends $5,495 per month in Munich vs $3,915 in Kempten, rent included.

Munich $5,495
Kempten $3,915

Munich costs about 37% more than Kempten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Munich and Kempten sit above the global median – Munich by 101%, Kempten by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.97 €16.95

$17.69 €15.80

7.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 €78.4

$56.0 €50.0

56.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 €11.82

$9.73 €8.69

36.07%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €4.02

$4.06 €3.63

10.84%

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

$3.98 €3.56

$2.79 €2.49

42.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.97

$2.36 €2.11

40.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 €4.73

$4.87 €4.35

8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.11

$3.43 €3.06

66.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.28 €1.14

2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.29 €2.04

9.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.36

$3.11 €2.78

-15.11%

Eggs

$4.52 €4.04

$4.37 €3.90

3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.21 €17.16

$16.66 €14.88

15.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 €11.99

$12.67 €11.31

6.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.68 €19.36

$16.81 €15.02

28.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.82

$2.45 €2.19

28.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.42 €1.27

45.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 €2.60

$1.58 €1.41

84.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 €3.88

$4.10 €3.66

5.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.68 €1.51

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.61 €1.44

18.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.47 €1.31

2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.54 €0.48

62.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 €9.88

$9.05 €8.08

22.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 €5.83

$5.51 €4.92

18.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.09 €0.97

15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.09 €0.97

52.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.64 €4.14

$3.15 €2.81

47.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.2 €62.7

$60.6 €54.1

15.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 €5.95

$4.76 €4.25

39.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 €2.77

$2.87 €2.56

8.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.03 €39.33

$39.80 €35.55

10.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.10 €1.87

7.14%

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

$32.7K €29.2K

$33.5K €29.9K

-2.39%

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

$38.4K €34.3K

$33.0K €29.5K

16.48%

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

$346 €309

$312 €279

10.86%

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

$16.99 €15.18

$17.72 €15.83

-4.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.11 €35.83

$43.47 €38.83

-7.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €45.83

$56.1 €50.1

-8.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 €30.38

$26.35 €23.54

29.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.61 €13.94

$13.08 €11.69

19.34%

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

$882 €787

$318 €284

177.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €20.0K

$22.2K €19.8K

0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 €82.6

$80.4 €71.8

14.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 €39.58

$43.26 €38.64

2.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.1

$96.0 €85.8

6.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$139 €124

-16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 €1,505

$894 €798

88.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 €1,144

$680 €607

88.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 €2,715

$1,544 €1,379

96.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,349 €2,098

$1,213 €1,083

93.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K €11.4K

$6,054 €5,407

111.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,800 €7,860

$4,882 €4,361

80.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,095 €3,658

$3,872 €3,459

5.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

2.6

48.08%

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

Last update for Munich: 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

Munich

$1.3K 47.1%

Kempten

$680 34.4% 46.9% $601

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Munich

$403 14.9%

Kempten

$374 18.9% 7.4% $30

Groceries & Markets

Munich

$367 13.5%

Kempten

$316 16% 13.9% $51

Eating Out

Munich

$313 11.5%

Kempten

$271 13.7% 13.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Munich

$160 5.9%

Kempten

$161 8.2% 1.1% $1.8

Getting Around

Munich

$111 4.1%

Kempten

$92 4.7% 16.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Munich

$83 3%

Kempten

$82 4.2% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,685 in Munich versus $900 in Kempten. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Munich, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Munich versus $57 in Kempten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $314 – making Kempten the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Munich

🇩🇪 Kempten

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

Same time as Munich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,484,226

61,399

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Munich vs Kempten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,717 in Munich, $1,977 in Kempten – Kempten comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,076 per month in Munich and $2,965 in Kempten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kempten, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $900 there versus $1,685 in Munich.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Kempten. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $882 per month in Munich and $316 in Kempten. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,717 in Munich and $1,977 in Kempten, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kempten – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kempten. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Munich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.