Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlstad: $1,727 a month against $2,008 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gothenburg outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

97

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index

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Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,008

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gothenburg and in Karlstad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gothenburg and in Karlstad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,008 in Gothenburg versus $1,727 in Karlstad.

Gothenburg $2,008
Karlstad $1,727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,067 in Gothenburg versus $2,665 in Karlstad.

Gothenburg $3,067
Karlstad $2,665

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,127 in Gothenburg versus $3,603 in Karlstad.

Gothenburg $4,127
Karlstad $3,603

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than in Karlstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 48% above, Karlstad 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.67 SEK 134

$15.14 SEK 149

-9.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 SEK 851

$80.5 SEK 791

7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.40 SEK 122

$10.07 SEK 98.9

23.14%

Cappuccino

$5.04 SEK 49.51

$4.86 SEK 47.71

3.70%

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

$2.99 SEK 29.33

$2.45 SEK 24.02

22.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 22.91

$2.16 SEK 21.26

7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.6

$8.08 SEK 79.3

-14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 SEK 74.4

$6.60 SEK 64.8

14.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.98

$1.45 SEK 14.23

19.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 SEK 27.38

$2.83 SEK 27.82

-1.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 31.99

$3.68 SEK 36.16

-11.41%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 38.28

$4.37 SEK 42.88

-10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 SEK 110

$10.17 SEK 99.9

10.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 SEK 114

$13.96 SEK 137

-17.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 SEK 161

$17.73 SEK 174

-7.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 29.56

$2.95 SEK 28.93

2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 SEK 24.08

$2.68 SEK 26.36

-8.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.49

$3.03 SEK 29.73

-4.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 SEK 44.12

$5.40 SEK 53.0

-16.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.96

$1.92 SEK 18.81

-4.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.37

$1.72 SEK 16.85

-2.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 SEK 20.12

$2.64 SEK 25.89

-22.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SEK 15.73

$1.30 SEK 12.75

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.35 SEK 82.0

$6.96 SEK 68.3

19.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 SEK 149

$10.17 SEK 99.9

49.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 20.05

$2.42 SEK 23.81

-15.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 22.13

$2.04 SEK 19.99

10.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 SEK 37.58

$3.13 SEK 30.72

22.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 SEK 848

$80.4 SEK 789

7.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 SEK 60.9

$5.46 SEK 53.6

13.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.39

$1.29 SEK 12.68

29.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 SEK 581

$60.4 SEK 593

-1.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.21

$1.72 SEK 16.91

1.74%

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

$33.4K SEK 328.1K

$32.6K SEK 320.6K

2.35%

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

$33.8K SEK 331.9K

$33.8K SEK 331.4K

0.13%

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

$104 SEK 1,017

$99.4 SEK 976

4.27%

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

$19.70 SEK 193

$15.73 SEK 154

25.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 SEK 337

$43.76 SEK 430

-21.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.01 SEK 334

$45.27 SEK 445

-24.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.39 SEK 240

$16.66 SEK 164

46.40%

Cinema Ticket

$16.98 SEK 167

$14.08 SEK 138

20.60%

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

$222 SEK 2,182

$126 SEK 1,237

76.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,336 SEK 42.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 SEK 871

$106 SEK 1,038

-16.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.91 SEK 323

$39.85 SEK 391

-17.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 SEK 862

$75.9 SEK 745

15.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 SEK 1,316

$141 SEK 1,385

-4.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.9K

$868 SEK 8,524

27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 SEK 8,580

$575 SEK 5,642

52.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 SEK 18.3K

$1,184 SEK 11.6K

57.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 SEK 13.7K

$867 SEK 8,510

61.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,415 SEK 63.0K

$3,849 SEK 37.8K

66.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,026 SEK 39.5K

$2,779 SEK 27.3K

44.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,521 SEK 34.6K

$3,203 SEK 31.4K

9.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

4.09

-25.18%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Gothenburg

$874 43.5%

Karlstad

$575 33.3% 34.2% $299

Groceries & Markets

Gothenburg

$360 17.9%

Karlstad

$370 21.4% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Gothenburg

$278 13.8%

Karlstad

$282 16.3% 1.4% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gothenburg

$158 7.9%

Karlstad

$159 9.2% 0.8% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Gothenburg

$155 7.7%

Karlstad

$163 9.5% 5.6% $8.6

Getting Around

Gothenburg

$116 5.8%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 9.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Gothenburg

$68 3.4%

Karlstad

$73 4.3% 8.1% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Gothenburg and $868 in Karlstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 10% 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: $87 in Gothenburg vs $81 in Karlstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $370, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

Same time as Gothenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,882

62,797

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Gothenburg Karlstad 210 km

From you

Gothenburg
Karlstad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlstad wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Karlstad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,107 in Gothenburg versus $868 in Karlstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Gothenburg versus $126 in Karlstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Karlstad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Karlstad are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Karlstad wins on affordability, Gothenburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.