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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,926 in Kalmar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,839 in Kalmar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,751 in Kalmar.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 7% more expensive than in Kalmar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Kalmar 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$15.76 SEK 153

-12.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 883

$74.7 SEK 723

22.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$10.34 SEK 100

0.77%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.02

$4.68 SEK 45.26

3.85%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.79

$2.81 SEK 27.23

9.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.81

$2.73 SEK 26.46

-6.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.9

$9.90 SEK 95.9

-24.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.7

$7.59 SEK 73.5

1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.02

$1.50 SEK 14.57

17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.83

$2.48 SEK 23.99

15.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$2.71 SEK 26.27

23.25%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$4.88 SEK 47.26

-5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$10.18 SEK 98.6

14.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$11.54 SEK 112

7.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$16.07 SEK 156

16.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.77

$2.67 SEK 25.84

14.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.60

$2.73 SEK 26.48

-3.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.35

$3.17 SEK 30.68

-7.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.74

$3.78 SEK 36.60

14.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.99

$1.49 SEK 14.38

18.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$2.33 SEK 22.52

-19.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.45

$2.07 SEK 20.04

7.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$1.68 SEK 16.24

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.9

$7.12 SEK 68.9

11.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$9.11 SEK 88.2

57.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.29

$2.00 SEK 19.40

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$1.72 SEK 16.61

47.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.00

$2.98 SEK 28.86

31.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 880

$87.1 SEK 843

4.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.4

$7.08 SEK 68.6

43.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.12

$1.59 SEK 15.43

5.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 596

$52.6 SEK 509

17.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.91 SEK 18.45

2.62%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

$27.6K SEK 266.9K

16.73%

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

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

$28.1K SEK 272.0K

26.58%

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

$140 SEK 1,358

$117 SEK 1,131

20.14%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$28.56 SEK 277

-12.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$30.64 SEK 297

25.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$29.77 SEK 288

39.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$15.73 SEK 152

57.72%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$14.39 SEK 139

25.36%

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

$178 SEK 1,722

$146 SEK 1,412

21.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$4,077 SEK 39.5K

2.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 867

$64.2 SEK 622

39.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$21.00 SEK 203

87.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 923

$60.4 SEK 585

57.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,477

$75.9 SEK 735

100.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$947 SEK 9,168

15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,328

$812 SEK 7,857

5.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$1,363 SEK 13.2K

37.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,203 SEK 11.6K

16.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

$4,262 SEK 41.3K

52.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$2,835 SEK 27.5K

23.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$2,928 SEK 28.3K

22.61%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $947 in Kalmar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 23% 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: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $75.0 in Kalmar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $337 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 7% 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.

Average pay runs 23% 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 $947 in Kalmar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $146 in Kalmar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,926 in Kalmar versus $2,063 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 $1,926 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 7% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.