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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $2,123 in Dortmund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $3,319 in Dortmund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $4,514 in Dortmund.

Living in Gothenburg costs roughly 3% less than in Dortmund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Dortmund 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$17.30 €15.14

-20.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 882

$63.2 €55.3

44.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$12.62 €11.04

-17.43%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.95

$3.64 €3.19

33.52%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.74

$2.82 €2.47

9.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.77

$2.73 €2.39

-6.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.8

$5.88 €5.14

26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.6

$4.12 €3.61

87.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.00

$1.17 €1.02

50.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.78

$2.33 €2.03

23.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.30

$3.38 €2.95

-1.18%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.80

$3.75 €3.28

23.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$14.66 €12.82

-20.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$14.20 €12.43

-12.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 180

$18.78 €16.43

-0.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.72

$3.25 €2.85

-5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.56

$1.87 €1.64

41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.30

$2.38 €2.08

23.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.67

$5.16 €4.51

-16.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.97

$1.82 €1.59

-3.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.10

$1.88 €1.65

-0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.42

$1.96 €1.72

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.38

$1.11 €0.97

43.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.8

$9.63 €8.42

-17.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$6.93 €6.06

107.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.25

$1.09 €0.95

101.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.44

$1.69 €1.48

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 37.94

$3.91 €3.42

0.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 879

$61.8 €54.1

47.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.2

$5.78 €5.05

75.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.10

$1.93 €1.69

-13.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 595

$68.9 €60.3

-10.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.95

$2.04 €1.78

-3.92%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

$31.5K €27.5K

2.23%

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

$35.6K SEK 343.7K

$37.9K €33.2K

-6.18%

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

$140 SEK 1,356

$428 €374

-67.19%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$36.79 €32.19

-32.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$55.7 €48.68

-30.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 400

$44.86 €39.25

-7.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$23.01 €20.13

7.82%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 174

$17.68 €15.47

2.04%

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

$178 SEK 1,719

$426 €373

-58.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$28.9K €25.3K

-85.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 866

$95.6 €83.6

-6.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$45.18 €39.53

-12.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 922

$106 €93.0

-10.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,474

$180 €157

-15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$767 €671

42.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,314

$624 €546

37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

$1,338 €1,171

40.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,361 €1,191

3.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.8K

$3,014 €2,637

115.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$2,261 €1,978

54.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.7K

$3,239 €2,834

10.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

3.98

8.79%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Dortmund: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $767 in Dortmund. 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: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $63.0 in Dortmund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $351 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

Gothenburg vs Dortmund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 3% 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.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $767 in Dortmund. 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 $63.0 in Dortmund. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,063 per month in Gothenburg versus $2,123 in Dortmund – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $2,123 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 $2,063 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Dortmund 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 3% less than in Dortmund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.