Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Karlstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Karlstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,120 in Gothenburg versus $1,767 in Karlstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,250 in Gothenburg versus $2,725 in Karlstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,380 in Gothenburg versus $3,683 in Karlstad.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 20% more expensive than Karlstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 58% above, Karlstad 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 SEK 126

$15.54 SEK 145

-12.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.2 SEK 857

$67.2 SEK 625

37.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 SEK 96.8

$10.96 SEK 102

-5.02%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 46.57

$4.81 SEK 44.77

4.16%

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

$3.11 SEK 28.92

$2.57 SEK 23.87

21.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SEK 23.40

$2.12 SEK 19.73

18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 SEK 69.5

$8.27 SEK 76.9

-9.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 73.1

$8.20 SEK 76.3

-4.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.62

$1.41 SEK 13.11

19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 SEK 27.77

$2.85 SEK 26.52

4.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 30.29

$3.79 SEK 35.23

-13.98%

Eggs

$4.45 SEK 41.40

$4.86 SEK 45.17

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 SEK 107

$12.00 SEK 112

-4.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 SEK 114

$13.92 SEK 129

-12.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 SEK 173

$17.02 SEK 158

9.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 SEK 29.64

$3.09 SEK 28.73

3.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.09

$2.55 SEK 23.75

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 SEK 27.87

$3.26 SEK 30.29

-7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 SEK 40.27

$4.99 SEK 46.37

-13.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.56

$1.58 SEK 14.73

5.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 17.54

$1.74 SEK 16.16

8.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 SEK 20.76

$2.62 SEK 24.37

-14.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.98

$1.27 SEK 11.84

26.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 SEK 74.6

$7.25 SEK 67.4

10.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 SEK 117

$10.87 SEK 101

15.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.06

$1.76 SEK 16.33

28.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.22

$1.71 SEK 15.94

46.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 SEK 36.98

$3.20 SEK 29.73

24.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 824

$85.0 SEK 791

4.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.0

$5.69 SEK 52.9

77.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 14.79

$1.36 SEK 12.65

16.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.3 SEK 579

$64.2 SEK 597

-2.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.01

$2.01 SEK 18.73

-3.48%

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

$32.2K SEK 299.4K

$32.0K SEK 297.4K

0.68%

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

$35.0K SEK 325.2K

$34.0K SEK 316.0K

2.89%

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

$139 SEK 1,295

$108 SEK 1,004

28.97%

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

$25.22 SEK 235

$29.61 SEK 275

-14.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.47 SEK 367

$42.92 SEK 399

-8.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 SEK 392

$46.25 SEK 430

-8.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 SEK 235

$17.56 SEK 163

44.19%

Cinema Ticket

$17.60 SEK 164

$14.65 SEK 136

20.14%

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

$175 SEK 1,623

$150 SEK 1,393

16.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,140 SEK 38.5K

$3,178 SEK 29.6K

30.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 SEK 818

$86.7 SEK 806

1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 SEK 370

$42.09 SEK 391

-5.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 SEK 913

$80.7 SEK 750

21.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,452

$147 SEK 1,368

6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 SEK 10.3K

$1,046 SEK 9,726

5.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 SEK 8,150

$572 SEK 5,321

53.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,865 SEK 17.3K

$1,240 SEK 11.5K

50.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 SEK 13.1K

$882 SEK 8,198

60.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,531 SEK 60.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,920 SEK 36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,025 SEK 37.4K

$3,375 SEK 31.4K

19.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.8

-9.79%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: April 26, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,104 in Gothenburg and $1,046 in Karlstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 19% 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 Karlstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $371 per month, with Karlstad 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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlstad wins on cost – living expenses run 20% 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.

Gothenburg pays 19% 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: $1,104 in Gothenburg versus $1,046 in Karlstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $150 in Karlstad. 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 $1,767 in Karlstad versus $2,120 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Karlstad but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Karlstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Karlstad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,767 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Karlstad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Karlstad 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 Karlstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.