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: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $1,981 in Kalmar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $2,973 in Kalmar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $3,966 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 55% above, Kalmar 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 132

$15.61 SEK 149

-11.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 879

$73.1 SEK 699

25.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 123

$11.08 SEK 106

15.88%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.44

$4.86 SEK 46.53

4.12%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.14

$2.92 SEK 27.93

0.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.94

$2.65 SEK 25.32

-17.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 68.7

$9.82 SEK 94.0

-26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.2

$7.25 SEK 69.4

8.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.19

$1.52 SEK 14.52

18.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.50

$2.98 SEK 28.46

-7.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.28

$3.20 SEK 30.58

-0.94%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.18

$4.95 SEK 47.39

-17.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 116

$11.66 SEK 112

3.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$11.64 SEK 111

0.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 170

$23.58 SEK 226

-24.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.88

$2.65 SEK 25.36

21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.25

$2.83 SEK 27.07

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 30.79

$3.42 SEK 32.69

-5.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 41.82

$4.11 SEK 39.35

6.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.41

$1.54 SEK 14.69

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.02

$1.57 SEK 15.03

7.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.38

$2.02 SEK 19.36

0.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.01

$1.83 SEK 17.47

-2.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.3

$8.12 SEK 77.7

4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 139

$9.32 SEK 89.2

56.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.02

$2.02 SEK 19.35

8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.76

$2.57 SEK 24.57

-7.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 36.81

$3.55 SEK 33.98

8.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 849

$81.1 SEK 775

9.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 61.7

$10.03 SEK 95.9

-35.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.50

$1.75 SEK 16.70

-1.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 586

$50.3 SEK 481

21.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.22

$1.81 SEK 17.36

4.97%

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

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

$31.6K SEK 302.2K

7.50%

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

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

$30.2K SEK 288.7K

13.84%

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

$110 SEK 1,052

$152 SEK 1,451

-27.45%

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

$19.66 SEK 188

$27.98 SEK 268

-29.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 347

$33.50 SEK 320

8.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 363

$32.39 SEK 310

17.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 248

$26.98 SEK 258

-4.04%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 185

$15.39 SEK 147

25.67%

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

$230 SEK 2,196

$146 SEK 1,401

56.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

$5,205 SEK 49.8K

-12.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 870

$52.6 SEK 503

72.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 329

$45.15 SEK 432

-23.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 900

$85.3 SEK 816

10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,294

$106 SEK 1,011

27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$945 SEK 9,036

12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,192

$812 SEK 7,763

18.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

$1,368 SEK 13.1K

35.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

$1,213 SEK 11.6K

18.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

$4,269 SEK 40.8K

52.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

$2,887 SEK 27.6K

25.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

$3,037 SEK 29.1K

19.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.93

-22.14%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $945 in Kalmar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 20% 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: $92.0 in Gothenburg vs $73.0 in Kalmar. Groceries flip the comparison at $372 vs $378, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

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 20% 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: $1,061 in Gothenburg versus $945 in Kalmar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $146 in Kalmar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,981 in Kalmar versus $2,128 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 $1,981 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.