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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,097 in Gothenburg versus $1,832 in Dessau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,218 in Gothenburg versus $2,996 in Dessau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,339 in Gothenburg versus $4,159 in Dessau.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 14% more expensive than in Dessau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 52% above, Dessau 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 SEK 133

$17.41 €15.01

-21.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 886

$85.9 €74.0

6.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.46 SEK 131

$15.93 €13.73

-15.51%

Cappuccino

$5.14 SEK 49.80

$4.35 €3.75

18.16%

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

$3.03 SEK 29.41

$2.86 €2.46

5.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SEK 22.30

$4.59 €3.95

-49.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 SEK 68.6

$5.24 €4.52

34.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 SEK 74.5

$5.96 €5.14

28.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.72

$1.47 €1.27

24.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 SEK 26.27

$2.12 €1.83

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 SEK 31.98

$4.04 €3.48

-18.32%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 39.47

$3.71 €3.20

9.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 119

$10.51 €9.06

16.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 SEK 115

$12.35 €10.65

-4.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 SEK 170

$22.30 €19.23

-21.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 31.18

$3.44 €2.97

-6.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 25.96

$2.13 €1.83

25.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 30.27

$2.22 €1.91

40.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 42.16

$3.60 €3.10

20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 18.26

$1.25 €1.08

50.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 SEK 16.77

$1.17 €1.01

47.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 SEK 20.42

$1.76 €1.51

19.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.21

$1.26 €1.09

41.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 SEK 79.1

$9.91 €8.54

-17.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 SEK 139

$6.84 €5.90

108.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 SEK 21.41

$1.17 €1.01

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 21.80

$1.68 €1.45

33.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 SEK 36.39

$2.65 €2.29

41.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 SEK 855

$66.1 €57.0

33.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 SEK 62.9

$5.36 €4.62

21.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.76

$2.55 €2.20

-32.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.2 SEK 593

$34.49 €29.73

77.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.47

$1.98 €1.70

-4.04%

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

$34.4K SEK 333.9K

$33.8K €29.2K

1.83%

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

$34.7K SEK 336.2K

$39.9K €34.4K

-13.00%

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

$107 SEK 1,035

$299 €258

-64.30%

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

$20.02 SEK 194

$26.30 €22.67

-23.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.46 SEK 353

$53.7 €46.32

-32.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.87 SEK 367

$71.7 €61.8

-47.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.91 SEK 251

$23.14 €19.95

11.97%

Cinema Ticket

$19.30 SEK 187

$12.57 €10.83

53.54%

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

$226 SEK 2,192

$323 €279

-30.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,552 SEK 44.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 SEK 892

$76.9 €66.3

19.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.33 SEK 333

$48.63 €41.91

-29.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 SEK 930

$142 €122

-32.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 SEK 1,336

$180 €155

-23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 SEK 10.6K

$467 €402

134.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 SEK 9,446

$463 €399

110.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 SEK 18.4K

$749 €645

153.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 SEK 14.2K

$1,049 €904

39.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,464 SEK 62.7K

$3,509 €3,025

84.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,660 SEK 35.5K

$1,838 €1,584

99.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 SEK 35.8K

$2,206 €1,902

67.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.95

-22.53%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dessau: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,093 in Gothenburg and $467 in Dessau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 67% 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: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $86.0 in Dessau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $335 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

Gothenburg vs Dessau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dessau is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Gothenburg, 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: $1,093 in Gothenburg versus $467 in Dessau. 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 $86.0 versus $91.0 in Gothenburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,832 in Dessau versus $2,097 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, Gothenburg 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 14% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.