Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Gothenburg: $2,042 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $2,042 in Gothenburg.

Dubai $2,854
Gothenburg $2,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $3,064 in Gothenburg.

Dubai $4,321
Gothenburg $3,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $4,086 in Gothenburg.

Dubai $5,788
Gothenburg $4,086

Living in Dubai is roughly 40% more expensive than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 113% above, Gothenburg 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$12.84 SEK 128

1.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$83.5 SEK 834

-2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$12.20 SEK 122

-23.61%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$4.81 SEK 48.09

24.12%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$2.81 SEK 28.09

-41.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$2.25 SEK 22.46

-64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$7.07 SEK 70.7

93.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$7.29 SEK 72.8

83.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.65 SEK 16.48

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$2.81 SEK 28.12

-44.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$3.23 SEK 32.25

-22.91%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$3.75 SEK 37.44

-12.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$11.21 SEK 112

13.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$11.49 SEK 115

-15.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$16.27 SEK 163

-18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$2.99 SEK 29.85

-12.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$2.50 SEK 24.98

-22.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$2.98 SEK 29.79

-35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$4.33 SEK 43.27

-68.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$1.80 SEK 18.03

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.69 SEK 16.86

-40.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$1.97 SEK 19.66

-23.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$1.57 SEK 15.74

-60.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$8.17 SEK 81.6

-28.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$14.70 SEK 147

9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$1.99 SEK 19.88

33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$2.24 SEK 22.41

31.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$3.59 SEK 35.89

-54.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$86.4 SEK 863

-14.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$6.03 SEK 60.2

-47.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$1.64 SEK 16.43

-56.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$58.9 SEK 588

-86.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.72 SEK 17.24

-42.44%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$32.4K SEK 323.7K

-15.50%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$33.4K SEK 333.7K

-32.49%

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

$250 AED 920

$101 SEK 1,012

147.16%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$19.36 SEK 193

180.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$33.87 SEK 338

171.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$34.60 SEK 346

185.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$24.33 SEK 243

75.13%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$18.36 SEK 183

-12.69%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$223 SEK 2,229

278.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$4,448 SEK 44.5K

310.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$87.0 SEK 869

-21.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$33.02 SEK 330

75.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$85.8 SEK 857

17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$132 SEK 1,323

-23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$1,035 SEK 10.3K

130.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$928 SEK 9,273

62.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$1,768 SEK 17.7K

151.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$1,386 SEK 13.8K

117.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$6,117 SEK 61.1K

16.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$3,377 SEK 33.8K

22.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$3,444 SEK 34.4K

-1.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

3.06

48.37%

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

Last update for Dubai: 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

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Gothenburg

$928 45.4% 38.4% $578

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Gothenburg

$155 7.6% 61% $242

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Gothenburg

$267 13.1% 13.4% $42

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Gothenburg

$355 17.4% 21.4% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Gothenburg

$152 7.4% 3.2% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Gothenburg

$71 3.5% 45.4% $59

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Gothenburg

$115 5.6% 32.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $1,035 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 2% 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 Dubai vs $83.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $355 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

09:22 9:22 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

607,882

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Gothenburg 4,970 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
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

Dubai vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and leisure. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% 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: $2,380 in Dubai versus $1,035 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gothenburg runs roughly 17% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Dubai versus $223 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,042 in Gothenburg versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Dubai. 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 Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai 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 40% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.