Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Karlskrona Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Karlskrona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $1,705 in Karlskrona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $2,670 in Karlskrona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $3,635 in Karlskrona.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 25% more expensive than in Karlskrona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Karlskrona 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 132

$13.45 SEK 129

2.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 879

$66.6 SEK 637

37.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 123

$9.49 SEK 90.8

35.30%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.44

$4.25 SEK 40.65

19.06%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.14

$1.38 SEK 13.21

113.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.94

$2.29 SEK 21.93

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 68.7

$7.22 SEK 69.1

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.2

$5.27 SEK 50.4

49.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.19

$1.57 SEK 14.99

14.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.50

$2.78 SEK 26.57

-0.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.28

$3.83 SEK 36.62

-17.23%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.18

$4.71 SEK 45.07

-12.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 116

$11.24 SEK 107

7.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$13.58 SEK 130

-14.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 170

$17.56 SEK 168

1.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.88

$3.11 SEK 29.73

3.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.25

$2.43 SEK 23.22

8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 30.79

$3.15 SEK 30.17

2.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 41.82

$4.47 SEK 42.77

-2.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.41

$1.47 SEK 14.09

23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.02

$1.53 SEK 14.61

9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.38

$2.22 SEK 21.28

-8.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.01

$1.48 SEK 14.13

20.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.3

$7.49 SEK 71.7

13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 139

$12.85 SEK 123

13.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.02

$2.00 SEK 19.16

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.76

$1.72 SEK 16.49

38.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 36.81

$3.06 SEK 29.24

25.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 849

$75.4 SEK 721

17.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 61.7

$13.73 SEK 131

-53.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.50

$2.05 SEK 19.57

-15.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 586

$82.0 SEK 785

-25.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.22

$1.76 SEK 16.79

7.95%

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

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

$34.4K SEK 329.5K

-1.41%

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

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

$34.1K SEK 325.8K

0.86%

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

$110 SEK 1,052

$53.4 SEK 511

105.91%

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

$19.66 SEK 188

$28.28 SEK 271

-30.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 347

$38.24 SEK 366

-5.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 363

$42.90 SEK 410

-11.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 248

$25.47 SEK 244

1.65%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 185

$16.83 SEK 161

14.91%

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

$230 SEK 2,196

$166 SEK 1,586

38.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 870

$104 SEK 996

-12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 329

$20.84 SEK 199

64.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 900

$84.9 SEK 812

10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,294

$182 SEK 1,736

-25.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$685 SEK 6,552

54.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,192

$597 SEK 5,714

60.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

$1,152 SEK 11.0K

60.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

$990 SEK 9,467

45.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

$2,983 SEK 28.5K

117.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

$2,574 SEK 24.6K

40.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

$2,582 SEK 24.7K

40.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

4.22

-27.49%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $685 in Karlskrona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 41% 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 $67.0 in Karlskrona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $370 per month, with Karlskrona 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 Karlskrona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlskrona wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karlskrona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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 $685 in Karlskrona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $166 in Karlskrona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,705 in Karlskrona versus $2,128 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Karlskrona but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Karlskrona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Karlskrona delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,705 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Karlskrona hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Karlskrona 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 Karlskrona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.