Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Gothenburg: $2,008 a month against $2,886 in Canberra, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,886 per month in Canberra vs $2,008 in Gothenburg, rent included.

Canberra $2,886
Gothenburg $2,008

A couple spends around $4,020 per month in Canberra vs $3,067 in Gothenburg, rent included.

Canberra $4,020
Gothenburg $3,067

A family of three spends $5,153 per month in Canberra vs $4,127 in Gothenburg, rent included.

Canberra $5,153
Gothenburg $4,127

Canberra costs about 44% more than Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Canberra and Gothenburg sit above the global median – Canberra by 112%, Gothenburg by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 A$29.53

$13.67 SEK 136

51.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 A$128

$86.7 SEK 863

3.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.83

$12.40 SEK 123

-15.89%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.67

$5.04 SEK 50.2

-20.83%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.99 SEK 29.72

4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 A$3.75

$2.33 SEK 23.22

13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 A$11.83

$6.88 SEK 68.5

20.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 A$14.37

$7.57 SEK 75.4

33.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.73 SEK 17.21

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.47

$2.79 SEK 27.75

12.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$3.26 SEK 32.42

-22.39%

Eggs

$5.32 A$7.57

$3.90 SEK 38.80

36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 A$18.69

$11.25 SEK 112

16.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.19

$11.57 SEK 115

-13.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 A$21.44

$16.43 SEK 164

-8.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.72

$3.01 SEK 29.96

33.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.50

$2.45 SEK 24.40

29.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.04

$2.90 SEK 28.88

22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 A$7.29

$4.49 SEK 44.72

14.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$1.83 SEK 18.21

75.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.03

$1.67 SEK 16.60

69.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.05 SEK 20.39

20.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.60 SEK 15.94

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.06 A$62.7

$8.35 SEK 83.1

427.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.28

$15.18 SEK 151

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.85

$2.04 SEK 20.32

135.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 A$8.08

$2.25 SEK 22.43

152.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.60

$3.83 SEK 38.09

-33.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$135

$86.4 SEK 860

9.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.68

$6.21 SEK 61.8

-35.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.67 SEK 16.61

-1.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.56 A$60.5

$59.2 SEK 589

-28.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.75 SEK 17.44

-24.00%

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

$28.0K A$39.8K

$33.4K SEK 332.5K

-16.25%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$33.8K SEK 336.4K

-22.21%

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

$184 A$262

$104 SEK 1,031

77.82%

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

$26.57 A$37.78

$19.70 SEK 196

34.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 A$79.5

$34.35 SEK 342

62.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 A$113

$34.01 SEK 338

133.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 A$39.55

$24.39 SEK 243

14.02%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.78

$16.98 SEK 169

-5.65%

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

$2,460 A$3,498

$222 SEK 2,211

1007.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.3K

$4,336 SEK 43.2K

375.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$108

$88.7 SEK 883

-14.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$81.7

$32.91 SEK 328

74.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$87.8 SEK 873

22.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$134 SEK 1,334

-0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 A$2,486

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

57.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 A$2,126

$874 SEK 8,696

71.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 A$4,358

$1,861 SEK 18.5K

64.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,813

$1,400 SEK 13.9K

41.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K A$15.8K

$6,415 SEK 63.8K

73.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,790 A$11.1K

$4,026 SEK 40.1K

93.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,317 A$6,139

$3,521 SEK 35.0K

22.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

3.06

94.44%

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

Last update for Canberra: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8%

Gothenburg

$874 43.5% 41.6% $621

Groceries & Markets

Canberra

$397 13.8%

Gothenburg

$360 17.9% 9.4% $37

Eating Out

Canberra

$330 11.4%

Gothenburg

$278 13.8% 15.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canberra

$267 9.2%

Gothenburg

$158 7.9% 40.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Canberra

$168 5.8%

Gothenburg

$155 7.7% 8.1% $14

Getting Around

Canberra

$117 4.1%

Gothenburg

$116 5.8% 0.8% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Canberra

$111 3.9%

Gothenburg

$68 3.4% 39% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,749 in Canberra versus $1,107 in Gothenburg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Canberra, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Canberra versus $87 in Gothenburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $360 – making Gothenburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Canberra

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

12:04 12:04 PM

10 h behind Canberra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

466,566 Capital

607,882

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100 SEK = 10.05 USD

100 SEK = 9.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canberra Gothenburg 16,000 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Canberra
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

Canberra vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,886 in Canberra, $2,008 in Gothenburg – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,329 per month in Canberra and $3,012 in Gothenburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gothenburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,107 there versus $1,749 in Canberra.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,886 in Canberra and $2,008 in Gothenburg. That’s a gap of about 44%.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Gothenburg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,886 in Canberra and $2,008 in Gothenburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Gothenburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gothenburg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Canberra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.