Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Dessau

For one person, living is cheaper in Dessau: $1,795 a month against $2,557 in Arnhem, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Arnhem
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Arnhem Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Dessau
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Dessau Living Index

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Arnhem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,557

/mo nomad

Dessau

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arnhem and in Dessau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,557 in Arnhem versus $1,795 in Dessau.

Arnhem $2,557
Dessau $1,795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Arnhem versus $2,880 in Dessau.

Arnhem $3,743
Dessau $2,880

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,930 in Arnhem versus $3,965 in Dessau.

Arnhem $4,930
Dessau $3,965

Living in Arnhem is roughly 42% more expensive than in Dessau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arnhem 89% above, Dessau 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.91 €19.49

$16.43 €14.61

33.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €75.8

$83.7 €74.5

1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 €13.32

$15.15 €13.47

-1.12%

Cappuccino

$4.07 €3.62

$4.27 €3.80

-4.68%

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

$3.34 €2.97

$2.84 €2.53

17.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.52

$4.24 €3.77

-33.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.07 €4.51

10.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.86

$5.45 €4.85

0.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.38 €1.23

7.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.05 €1.83

-2.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$3.87 €3.44

-40.83%

Eggs

$5.21 €4.64

$3.63 €3.23

43.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 €11.33

$10.07 €8.95

26.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.14 €12.58

$11.70 €10.40

20.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €14.03

$21.72 €19.32

-27.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.50

$3.37 €3.00

-16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.13 €1.90

19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.17 €1.93

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 €4.79

$3.63 €3.23

48.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.25 €1.11

50.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.17 €1.04

104.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.62 €1.44

-24.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.63

$1.23 €1.09

-42.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 €12.65

$9.58 €8.53

48.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.15 €6.36

$6.73 €5.99

6.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.08 €0.96

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$1.66 €1.48

58.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 €3.87

$2.53 €2.25

71.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 €100

$64.9 €57.7

74.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.56

$5.10 €4.53

-21.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 €2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.86 €29.23

$33.53 €29.83

-2.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 €2.12

$1.92 €1.71

24.48%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$33.4K €29.7K

25.38%

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

$39.7K €35.3K

$37.9K €33.7K

4.72%

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

$276 €245

$288 €256

-4.32%

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

$22.71 €20.20

$25.96 €23.09

-12.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.44 €37.75

$50.8 €45.19

-16.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 €36.73

$71.1 €63.2

-41.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 €9.78

$22.29 €19.83

-50.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.38 €12.79

$11.95 €10.63

20.33%

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

$1,259 €1,120

$303 €269

316.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,925 €5,270

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.8

$73.1 €65.0

30.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.13 €25.91

$46.38 €41.25

-37.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €94.8

$132 €117

-19.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €136

$171 €152

-10.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 €1,278

$445 €396

222.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 €1,031

$436 €388

165.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,228 €1,982

$720 €641

209.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 €1,632

$987 €878

85.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 €4,725

$3,356 €2,985

58.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,175 €3,714

$1,748 €1,555

138.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,723 €3,312

$2,145 €1,908

73.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

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

Last update for Arnhem: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dessau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arnhem

$1.2K 45.3%

Dessau

$436 24.3% 62.4% $723

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arnhem

$341 13.3%

Dessau

$365 20.3% 7.1% $24

Groceries & Markets

Arnhem

$335 13.1%

Dessau

$324 18.1% 3.3% $11

Eating Out

Arnhem

$333 13%

Dessau

$293 16.3% 12.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Arnhem

$173 6.8%

Dessau

$190 10.6% 10.1% $17

Getting Around

Arnhem

$146 5.7%

Dessau

$92 5.1% 37.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Arnhem

$70 2.7%

Dessau

$95 5.3% 35.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,436 in Arnhem and $445 in Dessau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 74% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Arnhem vs $84.0 in Dessau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $324 per month, with Dessau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Arnhem

🇩🇪 Dessau

🕒 Local time

00:30 12:30 AM

Same time as Arnhem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,770

68,116

💱 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

Arnhem vs Dessau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arnhem and Dessau differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($2,557 vs $1,795 including rent). Dessau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Arnhem, 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: $1,436 in Arnhem versus $445 in Dessau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Arnhem. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dessau – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $85.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,795 in Dessau versus $2,557 in Arnhem, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dessau but tight or insufficient in Arnhem. The gap between the two cities makes Dessau 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, Arnhem and Dessau 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 Dessau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.