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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,768 in Karlskrona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,652 in Karlskrona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,535 in Karlskrona.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than Karlskrona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Karlskrona 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 128

$13.32 SEK 124

3.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 876

$69.1 SEK 645

35.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 96.5

$9.22 SEK 86.0

12.15%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.18

$3.98 SEK 37.16

18.84%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.70

$1.45 SEK 13.48

104.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.64

$2.51 SEK 23.44

0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 67.8

$7.21 SEK 67.3

0.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.0

$5.33 SEK 49.78

44.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.67

$1.60 SEK 14.88

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.62

$2.84 SEK 26.45

0.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 30.95

$3.84 SEK 35.80

-13.54%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.41

$4.07 SEK 38.01

14.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 110

$11.49 SEK 107

2.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$11.95 SEK 111

5.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 178

$15.94 SEK 149

19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 28.92

$3.23 SEK 30.13

-4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.54

$2.43 SEK 22.69

12.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.11

$3.21 SEK 29.96

-9.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 38.96

$4.64 SEK 43.31

-9.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.50

$1.51 SEK 14.07

9.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.25

$1.60 SEK 14.88

15.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.22

$2.22 SEK 20.69

2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.46

$1.45 SEK 13.49

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$7.48 SEK 69.8

4.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 143

$13.48 SEK 126

13.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.08

$2.10 SEK 19.59

7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.32

$1.77 SEK 16.55

47.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.45

$3.03 SEK 28.24

25.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 827

$65.2 SEK 608

36.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.3

$14.57 SEK 136

-30.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.48

$1.66 SEK 15.47

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 576

$21.00 SEK 196

193.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.64

$1.87 SEK 17.49

1.07%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.9K

$33.1K SEK 308.6K

-3.14%

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

$34.5K SEK 321.6K

$34.1K SEK 317.7K

1.23%

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

$138 SEK 1,292

$53.3 SEK 497

159.92%

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

$24.95 SEK 233

$28.37 SEK 265

-12.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 357

$36.87 SEK 344

3.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 390

$43.31 SEK 404

-3.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 236

$24.03 SEK 224

5.12%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 168

$17.05 SEK 159

5.45%

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

$175 SEK 1,637

$146 SEK 1,358

20.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.3K

$753 SEK 7,026

459.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 817

$104 SEK 967

-15.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 376

$20.86 SEK 195

93.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 904

$85.2 SEK 795

13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,458

$154 SEK 1,434

1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.5K

$716 SEK 6,679

57.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,148

$690 SEK 6,435

26.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 17.9K

$1,149 SEK 10.7K

66.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

$1,002 SEK 9,348

43.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.5K

$3,141 SEK 29.3K

113.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.1K

$2,664 SEK 24.9K

41.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 36.9K

$2,640 SEK 24.6K

49.72%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $716 in Karlskrona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 50% 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 $69.0 in Karlskrona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $360 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 16% 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.

Gothenburg pays 50% 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 $716 in Karlskrona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $146 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 $1,768 in Karlskrona versus $2,058 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 $1,768 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 16% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.