Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Kalmar Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Kalmar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,862 in Kalmar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,801 in Kalmar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,740 in Kalmar.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 11% more expensive than Kalmar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Kalmar 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 128

$16.05 SEK 150

-14.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 876

$74.3 SEK 693

26.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 96.5

$10.56 SEK 98.6

-2.08%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.18

$4.56 SEK 42.55

3.73%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.70

$2.89 SEK 26.97

2.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.64

$2.66 SEK 24.85

-4.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 67.8

$9.71 SEK 90.6

-25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.0

$7.43 SEK 69.3

3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.67

$1.48 SEK 13.77

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.62

$2.39 SEK 22.28

19.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 30.95

$2.58 SEK 24.05

28.68%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.41

$4.88 SEK 45.52

-4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 110

$10.36 SEK 96.7

13.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$11.73 SEK 109

7.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 178

$16.15 SEK 151

17.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 28.92

$2.62 SEK 24.42

18.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.54

$2.79 SEK 26.03

-1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.11

$3.12 SEK 29.16

-6.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 38.96

$3.70 SEK 34.51

12.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.50

$1.43 SEK 13.33

16.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.25

$2.34 SEK 21.87

-20.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.22

$2.06 SEK 19.19

10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.46

$1.66 SEK 15.44

-6.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$7.30 SEK 68.1

7.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 143

$9.90 SEK 92.4

54.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.08

$2.11 SEK 19.71

7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.32

$1.66 SEK 15.48

57.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.45

$2.83 SEK 26.39

34.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 827

$86.2 SEK 804

2.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.3

$7.25 SEK 67.6

39.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.48

$1.56 SEK 14.53

6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 576

$52.6 SEK 491

17.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.64

$1.95 SEK 18.19

-3.08%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.9K

$27.5K SEK 256.4K

16.59%

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

$34.5K SEK 321.6K

$28.1K SEK 262.2K

22.64%

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

$138 SEK 1,292

$118 SEK 1,104

17.00%

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

$24.95 SEK 233

$28.08 SEK 262

-11.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 357

$30.58 SEK 285

25.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 390

$29.43 SEK 275

41.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 236

$15.57 SEK 145

62.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 168

$14.22 SEK 133

26.44%

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

$175 SEK 1,637

$145 SEK 1,357

20.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.3K

$4,155 SEK 38.8K

1.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 817

$63.8 SEK 595

37.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 376

$20.69 SEK 193

94.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 904

$60.0 SEK 560

61.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,458

$77.4 SEK 723

101.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.5K

$939 SEK 8,760

19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,148

$795 SEK 7,421

9.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 17.9K

$1,389 SEK 13.0K

38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

$1,183 SEK 11.0K

21.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.5K

$4,304 SEK 40.2K

55.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.1K

$2,931 SEK 27.4K

28.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 36.9K

$3,061 SEK 28.6K

29.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.66

-7.08%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $939 in Kalmar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $74.0 in Kalmar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $338 per month, with Kalmar 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 Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalmar wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kalmar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 29% 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 $939 in Kalmar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $145 in Kalmar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,862 in Kalmar versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kalmar but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Kalmar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kalmar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,862 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kalmar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Kalmar 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 Kalmar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.