Cost of Living Comparison Between Dessau and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Dessau and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,897 in Dessau versus $2,128 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,994 in Dessau versus $3,175 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Dessau versus $4,222 in Gothenburg.

Living in Dessau costs roughly 11% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dessau 38% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 €15.29

$13.76 SEK 132

29.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 €74.6

$91.9 SEK 879

-5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.75 €13.55

$12.84 SEK 123

22.66%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €3.86

$5.06 SEK 48.43

-11.26%

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

$2.89 €2.49

$2.94 SEK 28.13

-1.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.75

$2.19 SEK 20.93

98.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 €4.60

$7.18 SEK 68.7

-25.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.11

$7.86 SEK 75.2

-24.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.80 SEK 17.18

-22.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.77 SEK 26.50

-22.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 €3.48

$3.17 SEK 30.28

27.44%

Eggs

$3.73 €3.21

$4.10 SEK 39.18

-9.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 €8.89

$12.10 SEK 116

-14.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.39 €10.67

$11.67 SEK 112

6.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.68 €19.52

$17.76 SEK 170

27.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €2.91

$3.23 SEK 30.88

4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.64 SEK 25.25

-17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$3.22 SEK 30.78

-31.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.10

$4.37 SEK 41.82

-17.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.82 SEK 17.40

-30.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.68 SEK 16.02

-30.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.03 SEK 19.38

-16.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.78 SEK 17.01

-28.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 €8.40

$8.50 SEK 81.3

14.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 €5.85

$14.55 SEK 139

-53.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$2.20 SEK 21.01

-47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.43

$2.38 SEK 22.75

-29.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.85 SEK 36.80

-29.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 €57.4

$88.8 SEK 849

-24.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 €4.51

$6.45 SEK 61.7

-18.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.73 SEK 16.50

52.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.35 €30.41

$61.3 SEK 586

-42.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.90 SEK 18.22

5.79%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

0.42%

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

$40.6K €34.9K

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

18.17%

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

$297 €255

$110 SEK 1,052

169.81%

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

$26.18 €22.53

$19.66 SEK 188

33.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 €46.97

$36.30 SEK 347

50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 €62.5

$37.94 SEK 363

91.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.02 €19.81

$25.89 SEK 248

-11.09%

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 €10.63

$19.34 SEK 185

-36.09%

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

$321 €276

$230 SEK 2,196

39.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 €67.9

$91.0 SEK 870

-13.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.95 €42.12

$34.36 SEK 329

42.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 €121

$94.0 SEK 899

49.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$178 €153

$135 SEK 1,294

31.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 €399

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

-56.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 €397

$961 SEK 9,191

-52.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €639

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

-59.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 €899

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

-27.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,513 €3,023

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

-45.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 €1,599

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

-48.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,238 €1,926

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

-38.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.06

29.08%

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

Last update for Dessau: September 1, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Dessau and $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 63% 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: $87.0 in Dessau vs $92.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $372 per month, with Dessau cheaper across the board.

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

Dessau vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dessau is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Gothenburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $464 in Dessau versus $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Gothenburg. 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 $87.0 versus $92.0 in Gothenburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,897 in Dessau versus $2,128 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dessau but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Dessau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dessau is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Gothenburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dessau and Gothenburg 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 12% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.