Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Dessau

For one person, living is cheaper in Dessau: $1,783 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Dessau
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Dessau Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Dessau

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,783 in Dessau.

Calgary $2,303
Dessau $1,783

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,867 in Dessau.

Calgary $3,366
Dessau $2,867

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,951 in Dessau.

Calgary $4,428
Dessau $3,951

Living in Calgary is roughly 29% more expensive than in Dessau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Dessau 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$16.48 €14.77

6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.3

$84.5 €75.7

-16.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.93

$15.40 €13.80

-30.58%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$4.41 €3.95

-11.79%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.80 €2.51

-27.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$4.27 €3.82

-55.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$4.90 €4.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$5.43 €4.87

6.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.34 €1.20

46.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.05 €1.84

33.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$3.85 €3.45

41.82%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.62 €3.25

1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$10.23 €9.17

9.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$11.72 €10.50

-1.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.67

$21.39 €19.16

-14.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.31 €2.97

48.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$2.05 €1.84

-30.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$2.13 €1.91

97.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$3.60 €3.23

11.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$1.26 €1.13

113.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.11 €0.99

139.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.68 €1.51

55.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.21 €1.09

32.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$9.54 €8.55

46.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.51

$6.53 €5.85

135.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$1.08 €0.97

131.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$1.67 €1.50

85.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.59 €2.32

13.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$65.3 €58.5

36.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$5.01 €4.49

-34.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$2.49 €2.23

-45.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.26

$33.16 €29.72

-17.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.94 €1.74

-39.69%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$32.9K €29.5K

-15.13%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$39.4K €35.3K

-46.61%

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

$167 CA$233

$279 €250

-40.18%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$25.46 €22.81

50.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$51.1 €45.76

-0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$68.5 €61.4

-25.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$22.08 €19.79

-17.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$12.09 €10.84

19.44%

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

$545 CA$762

$308 €276

77.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$74.3 €66.5

-20.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.5

$46.22 €41.42

-14.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$134 €120

-30.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$171 €153

-35.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$443 €397

183.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$434 €389

143.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,825

$733 €657

175.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,275

$981 €879

66.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,030

$3,354 €3,006

7.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,530

$1,755 €1,573

84.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,352

$2,184 €1,957

42.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

3.95

14.18%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dessau: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Dessau

$434 24.4% 58.9% $622

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Dessau

$322 18% 18.1% $71

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Dessau

$295 16.5% 8.7% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Dessau

$355 19.9% 38.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Dessau

$191 10.7% 40.9% $56

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Dessau

$93 5.2% 16.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Dessau

$93 5.2% 16.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $443 in Dessau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $84 in Dessau. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $322, with Dessau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇩🇪 Dessau

🕒 Local time

23:19 11:19 PM

06:19 6:19 AM

7 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

68,116

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Dessau 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Dessau

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

Calgary vs Dessau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dessau is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Calgary, 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: $1,254 in Calgary versus $443 in Dessau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $70 versus $84 in Dessau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,303 per month in Calgary versus $1,783 in Dessau – Dessau is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Dessau wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.