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: $2,113 in Gothenburg versus $1,819 in Dessau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Gothenburg versus $2,959 in Dessau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,282 in Gothenburg versus $4,099 in Dessau.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than Dessau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 58% above, Dessau 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.60 SEK 125

$19.15 €16.33

-28.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 SEK 846

$57.0 €48.60

61.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 SEK 96.8

$12.11 €10.33

-13.13%

Cappuccino

$4.96 SEK 45.68

$3.72 €3.17

33.33%

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

$3.07 SEK 28.25

$2.69 €2.30

14.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 24.19

$3.07 €2.62

-14.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 SEK 69.8

$5.10 €4.35

48.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 SEK 73.3

$3.93 €3.36

102.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 15.73

$1.23 €1.05

39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 SEK 27.66

$2.33 €1.99

29.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 30.54

$3.41 €2.91

-2.64%

Eggs

$4.62 SEK 42.53

$3.87 €3.30

19.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 SEK 107

$14.74 €12.57

-21.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 SEK 116

$14.34 €12.23

-12.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.93 SEK 174

$24.12 €20.57

-21.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 29.26

$2.91 €2.48

9.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 24.66

$1.73 €1.48

54.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 27.04

$2.24 €1.91

31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 SEK 38.75

$4.80 €4.10

-12.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 15.83

$1.45 €1.23

18.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 SEK 17.73

$1.54 €1.31

25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 20.90

$2.08 €1.77

9.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SEK 14.19

$1.27 €1.08

21.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SEK 72.2

$9.23 €7.87

-14.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 115

$7.19 €6.13

74.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.70

$0.97 €0.82

131.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SEK 23.78

$1.62 €1.38

59.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 SEK 36.44

$2.21 €1.89

79.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 815

$62.0 €52.9

42.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 SEK 96.3

$5.15 €4.39

103.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 15.35

$2.66 €2.27

-37.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 580

$34.69 €29.59

81.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.43

$1.97 €1.68

-4.06%

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

$33.0K SEK 303.4K

$32.0K €27.3K

3.01%

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

$35.0K SEK 321.9K

$40.0K €34.1K

-12.45%

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

$141 SEK 1,294

$321 €274

-56.19%

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

$25.24 SEK 232

$11.61 €9.91

117.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.61 SEK 355

$54.4 €46.43

-29.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.96 SEK 377

$31.67 €27.01

29.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 SEK 228

$23.20 €19.79

6.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.54 SEK 161

$12.78 €10.90

37.25%

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

$175 SEK 1,614

$231 €197

-24.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,120 SEK 37.9K

$11.7K €9,961

-64.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 SEK 805

$93.5 €79.8

-6.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 SEK 372

$50.7 €43.28

-20.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 SEK 897

$157 €134

-37.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 SEK 1,414

$192 €164

-20.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

$457 €390

141.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 SEK 8,005

$382 €326

127.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,885 SEK 17.3K

$739 €630

155.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 SEK 12.9K

$1,232 €1,051

13.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,641 SEK 61.1K

$3,540 €3,019

87.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,944 SEK 36.3K

$1,831 €1,562

115.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,970 SEK 36.5K

$2,346 €2,001

69.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

3.98

8.79%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: April 21, 2026

Last update for Dessau: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,104 in Gothenburg and $457 in Dessau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg 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: $92 in Gothenburg vs $57 in Dessau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $364 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Gothenburg 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: $1,104 in Gothenburg versus $457 in Dessau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 $57.0 versus $92.0 in Gothenburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,819 in Dessau versus $2,113 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 16% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.