Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Dessau Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Dessau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,209 in Arnhem versus $1,834 in Dessau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in Arnhem versus $2,978 in Dessau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,574 in Arnhem versus $4,123 in Dessau.

Living in Arnhem is roughly 20% more expensive than Dessau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arnhem 65% above, Dessau 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 €16.19

$19.42 €16.70

-3.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 €61.1

$58.9 €50.7

20.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 €11.29

$12.10 €10.41

8.43%

Cappuccino

$4.23 €3.64

$3.69 €3.17

14.63%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$2.70 €2.32

18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.99 €2.57

-17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 €5.46

$5.23 €4.50

21.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.49

$4.07 €3.50

28.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.28 €1.10

-3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.25 €1.94

7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

Eggs

$4.77 €4.11

$3.80 €3.27

25.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 €11.99

$15.02 €12.92

-7.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.09 €14.70

$14.51 €12.48

17.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.13 €14.74

$23.77 €20.45

-27.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.05

$2.94 €2.53

-18.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.67 €1.44

49.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.32 €1.99

-16.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.56

$5.00 €4.30

-17.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.53 €1.32

42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.53 €1.32

41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.02 €1.74

-38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$1.22 €1.05

-36.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €12.49

$9.62 €8.27

50.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.17

$7.12 €6.12

0.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.99 €0.86

37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.36

$1.63 €1.40

68.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.23 €3.63

$2.22 €1.91

90.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €101

$63.0 €54.2

85.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 €3.32

$5.30 €4.56

-27.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.65 €2.28

-1.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.68 €23.81

$34.12 €29.35

-18.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.89

$1.87 €1.61

17.65%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$31.9K €27.4K

17.74%

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

$39.2K €33.7K

$38.9K €33.5K

0.75%

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

$265 €228

$330 €284

-19.70%

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

$29.80 €25.63

$11.51 €9.90

158.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 €45.24

$55.5 €47.72

-5.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.61 €36.66

$32.12 €27.63

32.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.59 €6.53

$22.84 €19.65

-66.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 €12.90

$12.95 €11.14

15.75%

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

$1,866 €1,605

$235 €202

695.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,166 €5,304

$11.6K €9,988

-46.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 €81.2

$95.1 €81.8

-0.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.69 €15.22

$49.83 €42.87

-64.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 €73.6

$155 €133

-44.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 €76.3

$189 €163

-53.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,001

$455 €391

155.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 €751

$379 €326

130.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 €1,780

$746 €642

177.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 €1,425

$1,212 €1,042

36.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,398 €4,643

$3,541 €3,046

52.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,238 €3,645

$1,797 €1,546

135.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,834 €3,298

$2,274 €1,956

68.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

3.98

-18.34%

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

Last update for Arnhem: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dessau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,163 in Arnhem and $455 in Dessau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 69% 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: $71.0 in Arnhem vs $59.0 in Dessau. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $364, with Arnhem 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

Arnhem vs Dessau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arnhem and Dessau differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,209 vs $1,834 including rent). Dessau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Arnhem 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: $1,163 in Arnhem versus $455 in Dessau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Arnhem pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Dessau – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $71.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,834 in Dessau versus $2,209 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 20% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.