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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $2,139 in Dortmund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $3,292 in Dortmund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $4,446 in Dortmund.

Living in Gothenburg costs roughly 4% less than in Dortmund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Dortmund 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 128

$17.31 €14.89

-20.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 876

$62.4 €53.7

50.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 96.5

$12.90 €11.10

-19.84%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.18

$3.69 €3.17

28.18%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.70

$2.95 €2.54

0.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.64

$2.75 €2.37

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 67.8

$5.74 €4.94

26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.0

$3.98 €3.42

93.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.67

$1.18 €1.01

42.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.62

$2.30 €1.98

23.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 30.95

$3.37 €2.90

-1.48%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.41

$3.93 €3.38

18.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 110

$15.03 €12.93

-21.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$14.54 €12.51

-13.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 178

$18.98 €16.33

0.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 28.92

$3.38 €2.91

-8.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.54

$1.89 €1.63

44.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.11

$2.43 €2.09

19.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 38.96

$5.03 €4.33

-16.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.50

$1.80 €1.55

-7.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.25

$1.87 €1.61

-1.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.22

$2.01 €1.73

12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.46

$1.07 €0.92

44.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$9.75 €8.38

-19.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 143

$7.01 €6.03

118.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.08

$1.05 €0.91

115.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.32

$1.69 €1.46

54.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.45

$3.78 €3.25

0.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 827

$61.3 €52.7

44.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.3

$5.85 €5.04

72.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.48

$2.02 €1.74

-17.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 576

$70.2 €60.4

-12.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.64

$2.08 €1.79

-9.13%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.9K

$30.9K €26.6K

3.60%

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

$34.5K SEK 321.6K

$38.7K €33.3K

-10.89%

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

$138 SEK 1,292

$435 €374

-68.19%

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

$24.95 SEK 233

$36.08 €31.04

-30.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 357

$56.0 €48.19

-31.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 390

$45.09 €38.79

-7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 236

$22.87 €19.67

10.45%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 168

$17.59 €15.13

2.22%

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

$175 SEK 1,637

$421 €362

-58.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.3K

$29.1K €25.1K

-85.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 817

$94.5 €81.3

-7.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 376

$44.26 €38.07

-8.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 904

$107 €92.3

-9.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,458

$179 €154

-12.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.5K

$784 €674

43.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,148

$619 €533

41.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 17.9K

$1,330 €1,144

44.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

$1,376 €1,184

4.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.5K

$3,139 €2,700

113.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.1K

$2,337 €2,010

61.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 36.9K

$3,376 €2,904

17.10%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Dortmund: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $784 in Dortmund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $62.0 in Dortmund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $355 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 4% 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.

Gothenburg pays 17% more on average, 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $784 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 $94.0 versus $62.0 in Dortmund. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,058 per month in Gothenburg versus $2,139 in Dortmund – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $2,139 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 $2,058 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 4% less than in Dortmund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.