Cost of Living Comparison Between Dortmund and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Dortmund and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,115 in Dortmund versus $2,097 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,205 in Dortmund versus $3,218 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,295 in Dortmund versus $4,339 in Gothenburg.

Living in Dortmund is roughly 1% more expensive than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dortmund 53% above, Gothenburg 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 €15.11

$13.75 SEK 133

27.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 €70.0

$91.4 SEK 886

-11.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 €10.88

$13.46 SEK 131

-6.24%

Cappuccino

$3.93 €3.38

$5.14 SEK 49.80

-23.54%

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

$3.14 €2.71

$3.03 SEK 29.41

3.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.64

$2.30 SEK 22.30

33.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 €5.05

$7.07 SEK 68.6

-17.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.47

$7.68 SEK 74.5

-32.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.24

$1.83 SEK 17.72

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.10

$2.71 SEK 26.27

-9.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 €3.40

$3.30 SEK 31.98

19.70%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.44

$4.07 SEK 39.47

-1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.07 €13.85

$12.25 SEK 119

31.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 €10.52

$11.83 SEK 115

3.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.50 €21.12

$17.52 SEK 170

39.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.22 SEK 31.18

7.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.68 SEK 25.96

-11.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.12 SEK 30.27

-25.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 €3.63

$4.35 SEK 42.16

-3.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.88 SEK 18.26

-30.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.73 SEK 16.77

-7.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.11 SEK 20.42

-23.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.78 SEK 17.21

-35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.93 €8.56

$8.16 SEK 79.1

21.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 €5.87

$14.29 SEK 139

-52.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.97

$2.21 SEK 21.41

-49.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.25 SEK 21.80

-21.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 €3.62

$3.75 SEK 36.39

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 €58.0

$88.2 SEK 855

-23.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.06

$6.49 SEK 62.9

-9.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.2 SEK 593

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.90 SEK 18.47

8.95%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$34.4K SEK 333.9K

-1.12%

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

$39.3K €33.9K

$34.7K SEK 336.2K

13.24%

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

$427 €368

$107 SEK 1,035

299.49%

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

$32.26 €27.81

$20.02 SEK 194

61.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 €45.82

$36.46 SEK 353

45.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 €34.73

$37.87 SEK 367

6.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.30 €24.39

$25.91 SEK 251

9.22%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 €14.94

$19.30 SEK 187

-10.21%

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

$428 €369

$226 SEK 2,192

89.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.7K €24.7K

$4,552 SEK 44.1K

530.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €81.6

$92.1 SEK 892

2.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 €45.66

$34.33 SEK 333

54.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 €76.2

$96.0 SEK 930

-7.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$178 €154

$138 SEK 1,336

29.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 €658

$1,093 SEK 10.6K

-30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 €527

$974 SEK 9,446

-37.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,896 SEK 18.4K

-31.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 €989

$1,464 SEK 14.2K

-21.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,195 €2,754

$6,464 SEK 62.7K

-50.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 €1,981

$3,660 SEK 35.5K

-37.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,310 €2,853

$3,689 SEK 35.8K

-10.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.06

29.08%

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

Last update for Dortmund: September 5, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Dortmund and $1,093 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Dortmund vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $373 per month, with Dortmund 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

Dortmund vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Dortmund. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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: $763 in Dortmund versus $1,093 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 $91.0 versus $81.0 in Dortmund. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,115 per month in Dortmund versus $2,097 in Gothenburg – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,097 in Gothenburg versus $2,115 in Dortmund, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Dortmund. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gothenburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,097 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dortmund 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 1% less than in Dortmund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.