Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Freiburg im Breisgau

For one person, living is cheaper in Gothenburg: $2,008 a month against $2,168 in Freiburg im Breisgau, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Gothenburg, Sweden
Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Gothenburg
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,008
/mo nomad
Freiburg im Breisgau
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,168
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gothenburg and in Freiburg im Breisgau

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 Freiburg im Breisgau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,008 per month in Gothenburg vs $2,168 in Freiburg im Breisgau, rent included.

  • Gothenburg $2,008
  • Freiburg im Breisgau $2,168

A couple spends around $3,067 per month in Gothenburg vs $3,413 in Freiburg im Breisgau, rent included.

  • Gothenburg $3,067
  • Freiburg im Breisgau $3,413

A family of three spends $4,127 per month in Gothenburg vs $4,658 in Freiburg im Breisgau, rent included.

  • Gothenburg $4,127
  • Freiburg im Breisgau $4,658

Gothenburg is about 7% cheaper than Freiburg im Breisgau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Gothenburg and Freiburg im Breisgau sit above the global median – Gothenburg by 48%, Freiburg im Breisgau by 59%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gothenburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.67 SEK 136
$17.06 €15.33
-19.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.7 SEK 863
$77.4 €69.5
12.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.40 SEK 123
$11.20 €10.06
10.71%
Cappuccino
$5.04 SEK 50.2
$4.10 €3.68
22.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 SEK 29.72
$3.86 €3.47
-22.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 SEK 23.22
$3.33 €2.99
-30.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.88 SEK 68.5
$5.70 €5.12
20.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.57 SEK 75.4
$4.34 €3.90
74.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gothenburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 SEK 17.21
$1.34 €1.20
29.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 SEK 27.75
$1.97 €1.77
41.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 SEK 32.42
$3.71 €3.33
-12.13%
Eggs
$3.90 SEK 38.80
$3.42 €3.08
14.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.25 SEK 112
$18.13 €16.29
-37.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.57 SEK 115
$10.55 €9.48
9.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.43 SEK 164
$26.57 €23.87
-38.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 SEK 29.96
$3.27 €2.93
-7.95%
Banana (1kg)
$2.45 SEK 24.40
$2.17 €1.95
12.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 SEK 28.88
$1.92 €1.73
51.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.49 SEK 44.72
$3.91 €3.52
14.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 SEK 18.21
$1.10 €0.99
66.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 SEK 16.60
$1.07 €0.96
56.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.05 SEK 20.39
$1.47 €1.32
39.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 SEK 15.94
$1.14 €1.03
40.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.35 SEK 83.1
$9.63 €8.65
-13.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.18 SEK 151
$6.71 €6.03
126.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 SEK 20.32
$1.18 €1.06
72.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 SEK 22.43
$1.69 €1.52
33.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Gothenburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.83 SEK 38.09
$3.40 €3.06
12.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$86.4 SEK 860
$71.1 €63.9
21.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.21 SEK 61.8
$4.42 €3.97
40.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.67 SEK 16.61
$3.14 €2.82
-46.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.2 SEK 589
$45.19 €40.61
30.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 SEK 17.44
$2.07 €1.86
-15.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K SEK 332.5K
$32.8K €29.4K
1.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K SEK 336.4K
$39.4K €35.4K
-14.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gothenburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 SEK 1,031
$228 €205
-54.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.70 SEK 196
$37.62 €33.80
-47.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.35 SEK 342
$51.8 €46.56
-33.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gothenburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.01 SEK 338
$40.47 €36.36
-15.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.39 SEK 243
$12.69 €11.40
92.20%
Cinema Ticket
$16.98 SEK 169
$14.87 €13.36
14.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gothenburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$222 SEK 2,211
$491 €441
-54.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,336 SEK 43.2K
$15.9K €14.3K
-72.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gothenburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 SEK 883
$101 €90.8
-12.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.91 SEK 328
$45.25 €40.66
-27.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.8 SEK 873
$98.5 €88.5
-10.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 SEK 1,334
$174 €157
-23.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gothenburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,107 SEK 11.0K
$1,082 €972
2.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$874 SEK 8,696
$849 €763
2.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 SEK 18.5K
$2,123 €1,907
-12.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 SEK 13.9K
$1,722 €1,547
-18.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,415 SEK 63.8K
$7,454 €6,697
-13.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,026 SEK 40.1K
$4,809 €4,321
-16.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gothenburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,521 SEK 35.0K
$3,125 €2,808
12.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.06
3.92
-21.94%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: October 27, 2026

Last update for Freiburg im Breisgau: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Gothenburg
$874
Freiburg im Breisgau
$849 2.9% $25
Groceries & Markets
Gothenburg
$360
Freiburg im Breisgau
$353 2% $7.1
Eating Out
Gothenburg
$278
Freiburg im Breisgau
$285 2.6% $7.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gothenburg
$158
Freiburg im Breisgau
$317 101% $160
Clothing & Footwear
Gothenburg
$155
Freiburg im Breisgau
$189 22% $34
Getting Around
Gothenburg
$116
Freiburg im Breisgau
$105 9.8% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Gothenburg
$68
Freiburg im Breisgau
$70 3.3% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,107 in Gothenburg versus $1,082 in Freiburg im Breisgau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Gothenburg, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Gothenburg versus $77 in Freiburg im Breisgau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $353 – making Freiburg im Breisgau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Gothenburg
🇩🇪 Freiburg im Breisgau
🕒 Local time
20:05 8:05 PM
20:05 8:05 PM
Same time as Gothenburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
607,882
230,219
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gothenburg Freiburg im Breisgau 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Gothenburg
  • Freiburg im Breisgau

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 Freiburg im Breisgau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gothenburg cheaper than Freiburg im Breisgau?
Yes – Freiburg im Breisgau is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,012 per month in Gothenburg and $3,252 in Freiburg im Breisgau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Gothenburg and Freiburg im Breisgau?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,107 in Gothenburg and $1,082 in Freiburg im Breisgau. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Gothenburg and in Freiburg im Breisgau?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,008 in Gothenburg and $2,168 in Freiburg im Breisgau. That’s a gap of about 8%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Gothenburg and $491 in Freiburg im Breisgau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Gothenburg or in Freiburg im Breisgau?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,008 in Gothenburg and $2,168 in Freiburg im Breisgau. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Gothenburg or in Freiburg im Breisgau?
It depends on your priorities. Gothenburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,008 in Gothenburg to $2,168 in Freiburg im Breisgau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Gothenburg or Freiburg im Breisgau?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

Gothenburg vs other spots: cost of living compared

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