Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gavle and Oldham

For one person, living is cheaper in Gavle: $1,439 a month against $1,982 in Oldham, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Gavle
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,439
/mo nomad
Oldham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,982
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gavle and in Oldham

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gavle and in Oldham actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,439 in Gavle versus $1,982 in Oldham.

  • Gavle $1,439
  • Oldham $1,982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Gavle versus $2,932 in Oldham.

  • Gavle $2,286
  • Oldham $2,932

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,134 in Gavle versus $3,883 in Oldham.

  • Gavle $3,134
  • Oldham $3,883

Living in Gavle costs roughly 27% less than in Oldham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 6% above, Oldham 46% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gavle
Oldham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.69 SEK 136
$19.67 £14.75
-30.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.4 SEK 786
$88.1 £66.1
-9.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.31 SEK 92.2
$9.56 £7.17
-2.62%
Cappuccino
$4.42 SEK 43.79
$4.79 £3.59
-7.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 SEK 20.51
$2.93 £2.20
-29.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 SEK 18.95
$1.99 £1.49
-4.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.79 SEK 77.2
$7.24 £5.43
7.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.75 SEK 76.8
$6.74 £5.06
14.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gavle
Oldham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 SEK 16.12
$1.46 £1.10
11.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 SEK 25.84
$1.69 £1.27
54.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.73 SEK 36.95
$2.95 £2.21
26.44%
Eggs
$3.81 SEK 37.80
$4.05 £3.04
-5.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.13 SEK 90.4
$9.83 £7.37
-7.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.29 SEK 102
$8.81 £6.61
16.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.73 SEK 186
$15.54 £11.66
20.53%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 SEK 30.25
$3.15 £2.36
-3.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 SEK 27.16
$1.86 £1.40
47.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 SEK 32.43
$2.85 £2.14
14.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.35 SEK 43.07
$3.46 £2.59
25.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 SEK 17.12
$1.49 £1.11
16.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 SEK 17.99
$1.60 £1.20
13.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.55 SEK 25.26
$1.20 £0.90
112.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 SEK 20.35
$1.23 £0.92
66.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.99 SEK 79.1
$23.63 £17.73
-66.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.13 SEK 110
$10.86 £8.15
2.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 SEK 16.23
$2.76 £2.07
-40.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 SEK 15.34
$3.12 £2.34
-50.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Gavle
Oldham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.25 SEK 32.22
$2.61 £1.96
24.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.4 SEK 598
$95.7 £71.8
-36.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.52 SEK 44.83
$3.21 £2.41
40.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 SEK 15.16
$2.02 £1.52
-24.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.87 SEK 336
$30.03 £22.53
12.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 SEK 17.90
$2.12 £1.59
-14.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.8K SEK 255.2K
$38.2K £28.7K
-32.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K SEK 278.1K
$39.8K £29.8K
-29.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gavle
Oldham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$55.6 SEK 551
$251 £188
-77.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.93 SEK 217
$16.94 £12.71
29.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.60 SEK 392
$40.55 £30.43
-2.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gavle
Oldham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.32 SEK 469
$43.14 £32.36
9.69%
Cinema Ticket
$15.22 SEK 151
$13.18 £9.89
15.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gavle
Oldham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$133 SEK 1,321
$1,290 £968
-89.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.3K SEK 151.1K
$19.7K £14.8K
-22.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gavle
Oldham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.6 SEK 699
$87.1 £65.3
-18.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.8 SEK 583
$41.43 £31.08
41.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$50.9 SEK 505
$93.5 £70.2
-45.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.5 SEK 887
$87.3 £65.5
2.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gavle
Oldham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$579 SEK 5,738
$1,222 £917
-52.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$425 SEK 4,208
$728 £546
-41.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$762 SEK 7,546
$1,368 £1,026
-44.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 SEK 6,593
$1,093 £820
-39.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,945 SEK 19.3K
$5,063 £3,798
-61.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,333 SEK 13.2K
$3,336 £2,503
-60.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gavle
Oldham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,144 SEK 31.1K
$2,483 £1,863
26.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.37
4.82
-30.08%

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

Last update for Gavle: October 17, 2026

Last update for Oldham: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Gavle
$425
Oldham
$728 71.4% $303
Groceries & Markets
Gavle
$351
Oldham
$304 13.4% $47
Eating Out
Gavle
$261
Oldham
$313 19.9% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Gavle
$121
Oldham
$139 14.6% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gavle
$117
Oldham
$309 163% $191
Getting Around
Gavle
$86
Oldham
$119 39.5% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Gavle
$78
Oldham
$70 10.6% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $579 in Gavle and $1,222 in Oldham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Gavle vs $88.0 in Oldham. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $304, with Oldham cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Gavle
🇬🇧 Oldham
🕒 Local time
09:44 9:44 AM
08:44 8:44 AM
1 h behind Gavle
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
100,000
110,718
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gavle Oldham 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Gavle
  • Oldham

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
Gavle vs Oldham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Gavle and in Oldham?
Gavle and Oldham differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,439 vs $1,982 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Gavle or Oldham?
Average pay runs 27% higher in Gavle, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Gavle and in Oldham?
Rent for a central apartment: $579 in Gavle versus $1,222 in Oldham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Gavle and in Oldham?
A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 58% less than in Oldham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Gavle and Oldham?
Childcare runs $133 in Gavle versus $1,290 in Oldham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,439 in Gavle versus $1,982 in Oldham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Oldham. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Gavle and Oldham?
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.
Is Gavle or Oldham safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Gavle and Oldham are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Gavle or Oldham?
Expats usually find Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Oldham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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