Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Gothenburg: $2,044 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,044 in Gothenburg.

Calgary $2,255
Gothenburg $2,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,078 in Gothenburg.

Calgary $3,361
Gothenburg $3,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,113 in Gothenburg.

Calgary $4,468
Gothenburg $4,113

Living in Calgary is roughly 10% more expensive than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$13.77 SEK 136

27.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$87.4 SEK 866

-20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$12.41 SEK 123

-14.67%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$4.87 SEK 48.30

-21.15%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.89 SEK 28.62

-33.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$2.40 SEK 23.76

-21.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$7.03 SEK 69.6

-27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$7.69 SEK 76.2

-26.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.67 SEK 16.58

19.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.70 SEK 26.73

2.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$3.16 SEK 31.32

76.90%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.86 SEK 38.28

-4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$11.53 SEK 114

-0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.57 SEK 115

-3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$16.35 SEK 162

13.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$3.02 SEK 29.92

55.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$2.41 SEK 23.90

-39.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.00 SEK 29.77

44.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$4.45 SEK 44.10

-14.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$1.77 SEK 17.51

51.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$1.70 SEK 16.80

61.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.04 SEK 20.22

25.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.62 SEK 16.05

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$8.32 SEK 82.4

72.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$15.06 SEK 149

4.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.04 SEK 20.21

21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.25 SEK 22.24

37.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$3.84 SEK 38.05

-26.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$87.5 SEK 867

3.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$6.33 SEK 62.7

-48.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.65 SEK 16.38

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$59.6 SEK 591

-55.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.74 SEK 17.28

-29.89%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$33.9K SEK 336.0K

-16.31%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$34.0K SEK 337.3K

-38.81%

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

$165 CA$233

$106 SEK 1,046

55.95%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$19.51 SEK 193

96.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$33.69 SEK 334

48.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$35.23 SEK 349

52.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$24.38 SEK 242

-26.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$17.18 SEK 170

-18.28%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$221 SEK 2,186

261.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$4,412 SEK 43.7K

258.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$89.2 SEK 883

-33.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$32.97 SEK 327

21.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$88.3 SEK 874

2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$131 SEK 1,301

-16.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,046 SEK 10.4K

15.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$908 SEK 8,998

11.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,809 SEK 17.9K

7.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,383 SEK 13.7K

21.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$6,137 SEK 60.8K

-42.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$3,523 SEK 34.9K

-3.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$3,594 SEK 35.6K

-12.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

3.06

47.39%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Gothenburg

$908 44.4% 10.2% $103

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Gothenburg

$358 17.5% 8.5% $33

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Gothenburg

$278 13.6% 2.6% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Gothenburg

$159 7.8% 37.2% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Gothenburg

$154 7.5% 14.1% $19

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Gothenburg

$117 5.8% 4.8% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Gothenburg

$70 3.4% 15% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,046 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Calgary vs $87.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $358, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

17:00 5:00 PM

8 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

607,882

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Gothenburg 6,960 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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

Calgary vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Gothenburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,046 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gothenburg – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $2,044 in Gothenburg – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,044 in Gothenburg versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gothenburg is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Calgary, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Calgary 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.

Expats usually find Gothenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.