Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Gothenburg: $2,026 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,026

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gothenburg and in Calgary

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 Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,026 in Gothenburg versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Gothenburg $2,026
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,062 in Gothenburg versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Gothenburg $3,062
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,099 in Gothenburg versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Gothenburg $4,099
Calgary $4,379

Living in Gothenburg costs roughly 9% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 50% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.13 SEK 130

$17.22 CA$24.34

-23.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 SEK 830

$71.1 CA$100

17.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.47 SEK 124

$10.53 CA$14.89

18.42%

Cappuccino

$5.03 SEK 49.80

$3.66 CA$5.18

37.43%

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

$2.84 SEK 28.14

$1.98 CA$2.80

43.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.44

$1.94 CA$2.74

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 SEK 67.8

$4.95 CA$7.00

38.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 SEK 74.4

$5.57 CA$7.87

34.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 16.68

$1.88 CA$2.65

-10.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 26.63

$2.67 CA$3.78

0.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 30.60

$5.32 CA$7.52

-41.92%

Eggs

$3.81 SEK 37.74

$3.79 CA$5.35

0.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 SEK 113

$11.09 CA$15.68

3.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 SEK 112

$11.36 CA$16.05

-0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.54 SEK 164

$18.40 CA$26.01

-10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 30.42

$4.56 CA$6.45

-32.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 SEK 23.88

$1.44 CA$2.04

67.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 29.83

$4.08 CA$5.76

-26.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 SEK 42.09

$3.89 CA$5.50

9.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.24

$2.64 CA$3.73

-34.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 16.06

$2.64 CA$3.73

-38.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 SEK 19.47

$2.50 CA$3.54

-21.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SEK 16.30

$1.50 CA$2.12

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.38 SEK 83.0

$14.05 CA$19.86

-40.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 SEK 146

$15.70 CA$22.20

-6.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 20.14

$2.44 CA$3.45

-16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 22.24

$3.09 CA$4.37

-27.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 SEK 35.97

$2.82 CA$3.99

28.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 SEK 857

$88.6 CA$125

-2.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 SEK 58.7

$3.12 CA$4.41

89.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 SEK 17.01

$1.35 CA$1.91

27.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.6 SEK 581

$27.02 CA$38.20

116.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.29

$1.16 CA$1.64

50.00%

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

$33.5K SEK 331.8K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

20.00%

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

$33.4K SEK 331.3K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

64.33%

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

$102 SEK 1,011

$161 CA$227

-36.51%

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

$19.73 SEK 196

$38.13 CA$53.9

-48.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.00 SEK 327

$50.0 CA$70.7

-34.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.48 SEK 352

$51.5 CA$72.8

-31.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.00 SEK 238

$18.14 CA$25.64

32.30%

Cinema Ticket

$18.32 SEK 182

$13.82 CA$19.54

32.56%

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

$217 SEK 2,147

$786 CA$1,111

-72.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 SEK 42.5K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

-72.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 SEK 867

$58.3 CA$82.4

50.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.46 SEK 332

$39.27 CA$55.5

-14.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 SEK 862

$89.8 CA$127

-3.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SEK 1,298

$110 CA$155

19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 SEK 10.2K

$1,229 CA$1,737

-16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 SEK 8,951

$1,001 CA$1,415

-9.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 SEK 17.7K

$1,921 CA$2,716

-6.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 14.0K

$1,621 CA$2,292

-13.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 SEK 61.3K

$3,549 CA$5,018

74.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,427 SEK 34.0K

$3,335 CA$4,715

2.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,492 SEK 34.6K

$3,165 CA$4,474

10.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

4.51

-32.15%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gothenburg

$903 44.6%

Calgary

$1K 45% 10.8% $98

Groceries & Markets

Gothenburg

$355 17.5%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 8.5% $30

Eating Out

Gothenburg

$273 13.5%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 2.9% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gothenburg

$155 7.6%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 60.8% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Gothenburg

$153 7.5%

Calgary

$134 6% 12.3% $19

Getting Around

Gothenburg

$115 5.7%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 4.9% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Gothenburg

$72 3.6%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 9.7% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Gothenburg and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg 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: $84.0 in Gothenburg vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $385, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

20:15 8:15 PM

8 h behind Gothenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,882

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gothenburg Calgary 6,960 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Gothenburg
Calgary

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 Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Gothenburg, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,026 in Gothenburg versus $1,229 in Calgary. 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 $84.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,026 per month in Gothenburg versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,026 in Gothenburg versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Calgary. 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 Calgary, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Calgary 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 10% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.