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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,727 in Karlskrona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,601 in Karlskrona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,475 in Karlskrona.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 19% more expensive than in Karlskrona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Karlskrona 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$13.17 SEK 127

4.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 883

$67.5 SEK 653

35.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$9.28 SEK 89.9

12.28%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.02

$3.94 SEK 38.16

23.35%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.79

$1.45 SEK 14.06

112.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.81

$2.51 SEK 24.33

1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.9

$7.47 SEK 72.3

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.7

$5.38 SEK 52.1

43.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.02

$1.52 SEK 14.69

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.83

$2.82 SEK 27.28

1.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$4.00 SEK 38.69

-16.50%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$3.94 SEK 38.11

17.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$11.60 SEK 112

0.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$11.68 SEK 113

6.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$15.98 SEK 155

16.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.77

$3.11 SEK 30.08

-1.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.60

$2.53 SEK 24.50

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.35

$3.04 SEK 29.41

-3.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.74

$4.68 SEK 45.31

-7.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.99

$1.50 SEK 14.50

17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.56 SEK 15.09

19.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.45

$2.21 SEK 21.37

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$1.47 SEK 14.20

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.9

$7.16 SEK 69.3

10.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$12.85 SEK 124

11.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.29

$2.02 SEK 19.58

8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$1.79 SEK 17.32

41.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.00

$2.93 SEK 28.39

33.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 880

$65.2 SEK 631

39.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.4

$14.39 SEK 139

-29.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.12

$1.59 SEK 15.38

5.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 596

$21.13 SEK 205

191.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.94 SEK 18.77

1.03%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

$33.0K SEK 319.7K

-2.56%

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

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

$34.5K SEK 333.9K

3.09%

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

$140 SEK 1,358

$53.1 SEK 514

164.14%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$28.35 SEK 274

-11.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$37.07 SEK 359

4.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$44.47 SEK 431

-6.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$24.19 SEK 234

2.56%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$17.06 SEK 165

5.74%

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

$178 SEK 1,722

$142 SEK 1,377

25.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$745 SEK 7,216

460.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 867

$104 SEK 1,003

-13.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$21.05 SEK 204

87.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 923

$83.5 SEK 809

14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,477

$155 SEK 1,500

-1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$705 SEK 6,824

55.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,328

$692 SEK 6,699

24.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$1,146 SEK 11.1K

63.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$998 SEK 9,663

40.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

$3,021 SEK 29.2K

114.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$2,550 SEK 24.7K

37.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$2,501 SEK 24.2K

43.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.7

-7.87%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $705 in Karlskrona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 44% 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 $67.0 in Karlskrona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $356 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 19% 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 44% 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 $705 in Karlskrona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $142 in Karlskrona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,727 in Karlskrona versus $2,063 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 $1,727 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 19% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.