Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Bålsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,563 a month against $2,008 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index

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Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,008

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gothenburg and in Bålsta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,008 in Gothenburg versus $1,563 in Bålsta.

Gothenburg $2,008
Bålsta $1,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,067 in Gothenburg versus $2,445 in Bålsta.

Gothenburg $3,067
Bålsta $2,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,127 in Gothenburg versus $3,328 in Bålsta.

Gothenburg $4,127
Bålsta $3,328

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 28% more expensive than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 48% above, Bålsta 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.67 SEK 136

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 SEK 863

$66.8 SEK 665

29.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.40 SEK 123

$8.80 SEK 87.6

40.91%

Cappuccino

$5.04 SEK 50.2

$3.95 SEK 39.34

27.59%

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

$2.99 SEK 29.72

$2.68 SEK 26.69

11.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 23.22

$2.24 SEK 22.30

4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 68.5

$7.16 SEK 71.2

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 SEK 75.4

$6.96 SEK 69.3

8.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.21

$1.49 SEK 14.82

16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 SEK 27.75

$2.00 SEK 19.94

39.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 32.42

$3.51 SEK 34.91

-7.12%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 38.80

$3.71 SEK 36.97

5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 SEK 112

$11.01 SEK 110

2.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 SEK 115

$12.21 SEK 121

-5.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 SEK 164

$11.02 SEK 110

49.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 29.96

$2.50 SEK 24.87

20.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 SEK 24.40

$2.60 SEK 25.91

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.88

$2.07 SEK 20.60

40.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 SEK 44.72

$2.90 SEK 28.82

54.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 18.21

$1.50 SEK 14.96

22.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.60

$1.18 SEK 11.75

41.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 SEK 20.39

$1.55 SEK 15.41

32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SEK 15.94

$0.99 SEK 9.87

61.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.35 SEK 83.1

$7.26 SEK 72.3

15.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 SEK 151

$10.20 SEK 101

48.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 20.32

$1.54 SEK 15.28

32.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 22.43

$1.96 SEK 19.53

14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 SEK 38.09

$3.28 SEK 32.63

16.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 SEK 860

$79.1 SEK 787

9.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 SEK 61.8

$6.03 SEK 60.1

2.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.61

$1.54 SEK 15.37

8.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 SEK 589

$77.4 SEK 771

-23.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.44

$1.76 SEK 17.52

-0.57%

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

$33.4K SEK 332.5K

$33.2K SEK 330.2K

0.70%

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

$33.8K SEK 336.4K

$33.8K SEK 336.3K

0.01%

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

$104 SEK 1,031

$50.1 SEK 498

106.99%

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

$19.70 SEK 196

$20.16 SEK 201

-2.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 SEK 342

$39.59 SEK 394

-13.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.01 SEK 338

$37.16 SEK 370

-8.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.39 SEK 243

$26.37 SEK 262

-7.51%

Cinema Ticket

$16.98 SEK 169

$12.93 SEK 129

31.32%

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

$222 SEK 2,211

$121 SEK 1,206

83.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,336 SEK 43.2K

$5,046 SEK 50.2K

-14.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 SEK 883

$69.2 SEK 689

28.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.91 SEK 328

$9.93 SEK 98.8

231.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 SEK 873

$81.0 SEK 806

8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 SEK 1,334

$113 SEK 1,123

18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

$801 SEK 7,972

38.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 SEK 8,696

$610 SEK 6,067

43.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 SEK 18.5K

$1,368 SEK 13.6K

36.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 SEK 13.9K

$1,030 SEK 10.3K

35.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,415 SEK 63.8K

$4,003 SEK 39.8K

60.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,026 SEK 40.1K

$2,823 SEK 28.1K

42.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,521 SEK 35.0K

$3,868 SEK 38.5K

-8.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

2.8

9.29%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gothenburg

$874 43.5%

Bålsta

$610 39% 30.2% $264

Groceries & Markets

Gothenburg

$360 17.9%

Bålsta

$299 19.1% 17% $61

Eating Out

Gothenburg

$278 13.8%

Bålsta

$253 16.2% 9.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gothenburg

$158 7.9%

Bålsta

$110 7% 30.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Gothenburg

$155 7.7%

Bålsta

$123 7.9% 20.5% $32

Getting Around

Gothenburg

$116 5.8%

Bålsta

$106 6.8% 8.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Gothenburg

$68 3.4%

Bålsta

$63 4% 7.3% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Gothenburg and $801 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87 in Gothenburg vs $67 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $299 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

Same time as Gothenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,882

13,138

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.05 USD

100 SEK = 9.03 EUR

100 SEK = 10.05 USD

100 SEK = 9.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Gothenburg Bålsta 380 km

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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

Gothenburg vs Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% 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: $1,107 in Gothenburg versus $801 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,008 per month in Gothenburg versus $1,563 in Bålsta – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 8% less than in Gothenburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bålsta is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Bålsta 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 Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.