Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Gothenburg: $2,042 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Gothenburg
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,042
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Gothenburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Gothenburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,042 in Gothenburg.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Gothenburg $2,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,064 in Gothenburg.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Gothenburg $3,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,086 in Gothenburg.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Gothenburg $4,086

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 32% more expensive than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Gothenburg 52% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Gothenburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$12.84 SEK 128
57.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$83.5 SEK 834
1.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$12.20 SEK 122
1.23%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$4.81 SEK 48.09
13.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$2.81 SEK 28.09
35.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$2.25 SEK 22.46
11.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$7.07 SEK 70.7
14.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$7.29 SEK 72.8
23.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Gothenburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.65 SEK 16.48
-31.52%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$2.81 SEK 28.12
34.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$3.23 SEK 32.25
0.62%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$3.75 SEK 37.44
10.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$11.21 SEK 112
16.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$11.49 SEK 115
24.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$16.27 SEK 163
-1.91%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.99 SEK 29.85
46.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$2.50 SEK 24.98
-42.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$2.98 SEK 29.79
52.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$4.33 SEK 43.27
-3.23%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.80 SEK 18.03
46.11%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.69 SEK 16.86
39.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.97 SEK 19.66
-10.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.57 SEK 15.74
37.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$8.17 SEK 81.6
20.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$14.70 SEK 147
0.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$1.99 SEK 19.88
39.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$2.24 SEK 22.41
55.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Gothenburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$3.59 SEK 35.89
-58.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$86.4 SEK 863
-53.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$6.03 SEK 60.2
-55.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.64 SEK 16.43
-3.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$58.9 SEK 588
-40.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.72 SEK 17.24
-42.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$32.4K SEK 323.7K
10.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$33.4K SEK 333.7K
-18.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Gothenburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$101 SEK 1,012
116.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$19.36 SEK 193
199.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$33.87 SEK 338
101.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Gothenburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$34.60 SEK 346
67.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$24.33 SEK 243
-39.09%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$18.36 SEK 183
-23.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Gothenburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$223 SEK 2,229
576.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$4,448 SEK 44.5K
382.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Gothenburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$87.0 SEK 869
-40.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$33.02 SEK 330
33.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$85.8 SEK 857
-0.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$132 SEK 1,323
-20.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Gothenburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$1,035 SEK 10.3K
86.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$928 SEK 9,273
37.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$1,768 SEK 17.7K
107.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$1,386 SEK 13.8K
82.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$6,117 SEK 61.1K
24.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$3,377 SEK 33.8K
-5.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Gothenburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$3,444 SEK 34.4K
48.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
3.06
121.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Gothenburg
$928 27.1% $344
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Gothenburg
$355 11.8% $48
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Gothenburg
$267 23.2% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Gothenburg
$155 55.3% $191
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Gothenburg
$152 18.2% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Gothenburg
$71 17.2% $15
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Gothenburg
$115 102% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,035 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 48% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $83.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $355 per month, with Gothenburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇸🇪 Gothenburg
🕒 Local time
05:14 5:14 AM
12:14 12:14 PM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
607,882
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Gothenburg 8,260 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Gothenburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Austin, TX vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Gothenburg?
Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Gothenburg?
Average pay runs 48% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Gothenburg?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,035 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Gothenburg?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,042 in Gothenburg – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Gothenburg?
A monthly transit pass in Gothenburg runs roughly 113% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Gothenburg?
At $2,042 in Gothenburg versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Austin, TX or Gothenburg?
Both work as nomad bases, but Gothenburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,042 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Gothenburg?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Gothenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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