Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bålsta and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,563 a month against $2,008 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bålsta 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 Bålsta and in Gothenburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,563 in Bålsta versus $2,008 in Gothenburg.

Bålsta $1,563
Gothenburg $2,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Bålsta versus $3,067 in Gothenburg.

Bålsta $2,445
Gothenburg $3,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,328 in Bålsta versus $4,127 in Gothenburg.

Bålsta $3,328
Gothenburg $4,127

Living in Bålsta costs roughly 22% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bålsta 15% above, Gothenburg 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.67 SEK 136

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 SEK 663

$86.7 SEK 861

-22.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 SEK 87.4

$12.40 SEK 123

-29.03%

Cappuccino

$3.95 SEK 39.26

$5.04 SEK 50.1

-21.63%

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

$2.68 SEK 26.63

$2.99 SEK 29.66

-10.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 22.25

$2.33 SEK 23.17

-3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 SEK 71.1

$6.88 SEK 68.3

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 SEK 69.1

$7.57 SEK 75.2

-8.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SEK 14.79

$1.73 SEK 17.17

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 SEK 19.90

$2.79 SEK 27.69

-28.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.83

$3.26 SEK 32.35

7.67%

Eggs

$3.71 SEK 36.89

$3.90 SEK 38.72

-4.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 SEK 109

$11.25 SEK 112

-2.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 SEK 121

$11.57 SEK 115

5.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 SEK 109

$16.43 SEK 163

-32.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.82

$3.01 SEK 29.89

-16.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.85

$2.45 SEK 24.35

6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 SEK 20.56

$2.90 SEK 28.82

-28.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.76

$4.49 SEK 44.62

-35.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 14.93

$1.83 SEK 18.17

-18.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 SEK 11.72

$1.67 SEK 16.56

-29.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 SEK 15.38

$2.05 SEK 20.35

-24.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 SEK 9.84

$1.60 SEK 15.91

-38.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SEK 72.1

$8.35 SEK 82.9

-13.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 SEK 101

$15.18 SEK 151

-32.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SEK 15.25

$2.04 SEK 20.28

-24.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 19.49

$2.25 SEK 22.38

-12.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 32.56

$3.83 SEK 38.01

-14.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 SEK 785

$86.4 SEK 858

-8.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 SEK 59.9

$6.21 SEK 61.6

-2.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SEK 15.34

$1.67 SEK 16.57

-7.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.4 SEK 769

$59.2 SEK 588

30.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.48

$1.75 SEK 17.40

0.57%

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

$33.2K SEK 329.5K

$33.4K SEK 331.8K

-0.70%

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

$33.8K SEK 335.6K

-0.01%

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

$50.1 SEK 497

$104 SEK 1,029

-51.69%

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

$20.16 SEK 200

$19.70 SEK 196

2.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 SEK 393

$34.35 SEK 341

15.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 SEK 369

$34.01 SEK 338

9.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.37 SEK 262

$24.39 SEK 242

8.12%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 SEK 128

$16.98 SEK 169

-23.85%

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

$121 SEK 1,203

$222 SEK 2,207

-45.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,046 SEK 50.1K

$4,336 SEK 43.1K

16.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 SEK 688

$88.7 SEK 881

-21.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.93 SEK 98.6

$32.91 SEK 327

-69.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 SEK 804

$87.8 SEK 872

-7.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 SEK 1,121

$134 SEK 1,331

-15.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 SEK 7,955

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

-27.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 SEK 6,054

$874 SEK 8,678

-30.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 SEK 13.6K

$1,861 SEK 18.5K

-26.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 SEK 10.2K

$1,400 SEK 13.9K

-26.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,003 SEK 39.8K

$6,415 SEK 63.7K

-37.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,823 SEK 28.0K

$4,026 SEK 40.0K

-29.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,868 SEK 38.4K

$3,521 SEK 35.0K

9.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

3.06

-8.50%

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

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bålsta

$610 39%

Gothenburg

$874 43.5% 43.3% $264

Groceries & Markets

Bålsta

$299 19.1%

Gothenburg

$360 17.9% 20.4% $61

Eating Out

Bålsta

$253 16.2%

Gothenburg

$278 13.8% 10% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Bålsta

$123 7.9%

Gothenburg

$155 7.7% 25.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bålsta

$110 7%

Gothenburg

$158 7.9% 43.6% $48

Getting Around

Bålsta

$106 6.8%

Gothenburg

$116 5.8% 9.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Bålsta

$63 4%

Gothenburg

$68 3.4% 7.8% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Bålsta and $1,107 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Bålsta vs $87 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $360 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

Same time as Bålsta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,138

607,882

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bålsta Gothenburg 380 km

From you

Bålsta
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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

Bålsta vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Bålsta, 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: $801 in Bålsta versus $1,107 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,563 per month in Bålsta versus $2,008 in Gothenburg – Bålsta is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 8% less than in Gothenburg. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bålsta is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bålsta and Gothenburg are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.