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: $2,127 in Gothenburg versus $1,814 in Dessau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,216 in Gothenburg versus $3,000 in Dessau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,305 in Gothenburg versus $4,186 in Dessau.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 17% more expensive than in Dessau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 59% above, Dessau 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.49 SEK 131

$18.76 €16.44

-28.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.8 SEK 881

$57.5 €50.4

57.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 SEK 100

$11.99 €10.50

-13.59%

Cappuccino

$4.77 SEK 46.26

$3.71 €3.25

28.57%

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

$3.11 SEK 30.18

$2.71 €2.37

14.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SEK 25.57

$3.05 €2.67

-13.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 SEK 70.1

$5.16 €4.52

40.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 SEK 75.8

$4.02 €3.52

94.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.50

$1.27 €1.11

33.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.80

$2.25 €1.97

27.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 31.37

$3.29 €2.89

-1.52%

Eggs

$4.47 SEK 43.35

$3.87 €3.39

15.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 SEK 113

$15.04 €13.17

-22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 SEK 120

$14.86 €13.02

-16.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 SEK 184

$23.51 €20.60

-19.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 29.88

$3.02 €2.64

1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 26.08

$1.67 €1.46

61.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 SEK 29.46

$2.31 €2.02

31.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.14

$4.94 €4.33

-14.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.24

$1.52 €1.33

9.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.32

$1.55 €1.36

21.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 SEK 22.38

$2.00 €1.75

15.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 15.03

$1.21 €1.06

28.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.92 SEK 76.8

$9.36 €8.20

-15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.41 SEK 140

$6.80 €5.96

111.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.96

$1.03 €0.90

119.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 25.35

$1.69 €1.48

54.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 SEK 37.20

$2.33 €2.04

64.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 854

$61.8 €54.1

42.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 SEK 100.0

$5.06 €4.43

103.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 SEK 15.60

$2.63 €2.30

-38.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.7 SEK 608

$34.03 €29.82

84.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.83

$1.97 €1.73

-1.52%

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

$32.9K SEK 319.1K

$31.1K €27.2K

5.96%

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

$34.8K SEK 337.8K

$39.4K €34.5K

-11.62%

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

$138 SEK 1,337

$325 €285

-57.62%

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

$25.69 SEK 249

$11.51 €10.08

123.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.95 SEK 368

$55.6 €48.67

-31.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.04 SEK 408

$32.27 €28.27

30.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 SEK 244

$22.79 €19.97

10.53%

Cinema Ticket

$18.03 SEK 175

$12.76 €11.18

41.30%

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

$177 SEK 1,717

$229 €200

-22.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,144 SEK 40.2K

$11.4K €9,977

-63.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 SEK 859

$94.3 €82.6

-6.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.22 SEK 380

$50.4 €44.14

-22.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 SEK 949

$155 €136

-36.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,506

$190 €166

-18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 SEK 10.7K

$462 €405

139.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$879 SEK 8,524

$387 €339

127.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 SEK 18.7K

$748 €656

157.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 SEK 13.8K

$1,242 €1,088

14.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,255 SEK 60.7K

$3,505 €3,071

78.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,622 SEK 35.1K

$1,813 €1,588

99.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,613 SEK 35.0K

$2,233 €1,956

61.79%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Dessau: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,108 in Gothenburg and $462 in Dessau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 62% 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 $58.0 in Dessau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $365 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $1,108 in Gothenburg versus $462 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 $58.0 versus $91.0 in Gothenburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,814 in Dessau versus $2,127 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 17% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.