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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,834 in Dessau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,978 in Dessau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $4,123 in Dessau.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 12% more expensive than Dessau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Dessau 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 130

$19.42 €16.85

-29.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 888

$58.9 €51.1

59.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.8

$12.10 €10.50

-14.55%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.80

$3.69 €3.20

28.18%

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

$2.97 SEK 28.09

$2.70 €2.34

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.97

$2.99 €2.60

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.7

$5.23 €4.54

38.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 73.0

$4.07 €3.54

89.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.89

$1.28 €1.11

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.99

$2.25 €1.95

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.38

$3.23 €2.81

2.79%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 44.01

$3.80 €3.30

22.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 112

$15.02 €13.03

-21.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 119

$14.51 €12.59

-13.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 180

$23.77 €20.62

-19.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.33

$2.94 €2.55

5.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.90

$1.67 €1.45

64.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.49

$2.32 €2.01

25.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.50

$5.00 €4.34

-16.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.72

$1.53 €1.33

8.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.50

$1.53 €1.33

20.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.52

$2.02 €1.75

12.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.66

$1.22 €1.06

27.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 74.0

$9.62 €8.34

-18.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 145

$7.12 €6.18

115.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.37

$0.99 €0.86

128.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.67

$1.63 €1.42

60.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.95

$2.22 €1.93

71.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 838

$63.0 €54.6

40.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 95.6

$5.30 €4.60

90.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.70

$2.65 €2.30

-37.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 584

$34.12 €29.60

80.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.89

$1.87 €1.63

1.07%

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

$32.0K SEK 303.1K

$31.9K €27.6K

0.51%

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

$34.5K SEK 326.1K

$38.9K €33.8K

-11.44%

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

$138 SEK 1,310

$330 €286

-58.06%

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

$24.95 SEK 236

$11.51 €9.98

116.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 362

$55.5 €48.13

-31.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 395

$32.12 €27.87

30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 239

$22.84 €19.82

10.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 170

$12.95 €11.23

38.84%

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

$175 SEK 1,660

$235 €204

-25.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.9K

$11.6K €10.1K

-63.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 829

$95.1 €82.6

-7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 381

$49.83 €43.23

-19.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 917

$155 €134

-37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,479

$189 €164

-17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$455 €395

147.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,263

$379 €329

130.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.1K

$746 €647

157.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.6K

$1,212 €1,051

18.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 63.4K

$3,541 €3,072

89.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.6K

$1,797 €1,559

109.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.4K

$2,274 €1,973

73.87%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Dessau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $455 in Dessau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 74% 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: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $59.0 in Dessau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 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 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Gothenburg pays 74% 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $455 in Dessau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $59.0 versus $94.0 in Gothenburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,834 in Dessau versus $2,058 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 12% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.